Taking a break from Lifehacking

I have been trying to shift my focus away from lifehacking and productivity in the last couple of months. The reason for this was the obvious lifehacker trap: I simply wasn't relaxing enough. After a prolonged period of GTD'ing I found myself thinking about everything in a "get more done mode"

This, in my opinion, is a bad mode to be in. Because when everything serves the goal of efficiency a couple of other important parts of life is at risk. I often found myself anxious about thing I should be leisurely enjoying. 

So, since new years eve I have been on a kind of productivity diet. No more fiddling with OmniFocus, at least for a while. Instead I have been trying to introduce a couple of new focal points in my life. These aren't projects that I am trying to achieve. There's no deadline to them. It's three ways of being that instills relaxation and enjoyment.

1. Thinking deeply

I love staring through the window. In my home in Copenhagen, I have an absolutely amazing view over the entire city. While looking at horizon I often float into a state af calm, pondering. It's one of the things in life I really treasure, being alone in deep thought. When doing this I often find that amazing things happen. Good ideas seems to hit in the back of my head out of nowhere.

I also find myself in this state when I'm writing in my journal, but ideas tend to be more related to the subjects I'm writing about.

BTW: I love this talk on deep thinking from google sessions on youtube.

2. Being Happy

This one became a goal of own after reading Tal Ben-Shahars book Happier. I hadn't been very good at just doing stuff that made happy. Benjamin inpsired me to mindmap all the things in life I knew would make happy doing more of.

I now carry this mindmap around with me in my notebook. And from time i'll look at it and get ideas for something that'll make me happy.

Reading novels instead of productivity literature or blogs has been one of the things I have introduced. I used to read several novels a month, but came out of the habit, reading business related stuff instead. Now I'm frequently relaxing with a novel and great coffee instead, enjoying the sound of a turned of telly.

3. Being Healthy

This one has been a troublemaker in my life since childhood. I don't like sports. Or... let me rephrase that... I like the idea, but I can't seem to get my butt from the couch after a long day at work. I just think sports are so amzingly time-consuming.

So I'm trying to do slowly take very very small measures towards a healthier way of living, and I'm doing it in a rather different mode than I used. No more putting ambitous goals into the calendar.

For me, it's all about removing hurdles and adding little incremental habit-changes, to become healthier. I have been bicycling to work for a month now, and I have been eating a lot healthier. I have found all kinds of gymnastics I can do without leaving the house.

Instead of focusing on my disability to turn myself into a marathon man, I focus on the small things I can do instantly, now and here.

So there you have it... This is the reason why I haven't been posting as frequently. All this computer time simply feels to much like work. Now I'm going to get myself a cuppa and a good long stare at the horizon before my loved ones return from work.

Please share you experiences below, if you have any, regarding lifehacking and relaxation.

• Jens Poder