The following is an excerpt from the "Manage Your Time with Mindfulness" on-line course.

The following is an excerpt from the "Manage Your Time with Mindfulness" on-line course. If you would like to enroll in the course, click here.

It is amazing how creative we can be about not getting on with the creative task in hand. If you ever find yourself doing something other than what you should be working on, almost certainly there is an underlying fear in operation.

It's interesting to look at what is going on inside a typical human mind while we are awake. As well as thinking about what we should be thinking about, we also worry about the past and mull over the future.

For a large percentage of the time, our minds also tend to run a commentary on what is going on around us - this is sometimes referred to as 'inner dialogue or chatter'.

This lesson though is all about removing the fears that hold us back so we can free our minds up to become more efficient, more creative and more productive.

NOTE : you might find it handy to have a journal for the following exercise

Exercise 1: What's Stopping You?

First let's have a look at external factors that are limiting you from being productive. In your journal make a list of the following:

How much more time do you need every day?

When do you want this extra time to appear? - yesterday, today, tomorrow, next week, next month

Could you do with some more money?

If so, how much?

And when do you want it by?

What people are a drain on your resources? (List them by name if it helps)

  • Family

  • Friends

  • Customers

  • Employees

  • Your boss

  • Suppliers

    What skills are you missing that will help you be more productive

  • Social skills

  • Technical skills

  • Creative skills

  • Business skills

    What external events or circumstances aren't ideal at the moment?

  • Local events

  • National events

  • Global events

    Exercise 2 : What's Really Stopping You?

    So in the first exercise, we looked at the external factors that are in our way. Of course, it is easy to blame our lack of performance on others. The real stealer of our time is US !! So let's look inside at the real blockages to our creativity. In your journal, note down answers to these questions.

    Losing the fear of the unknown

  • What don't you know that you wish you did?

  • How does not knowing hold you back?

  • How can not knowing harm you?

  • What would happen if you were truly fear-less?

    Banishing the fear of failure

  • Note down some times when you failed

  • What happened when you last failed?

  • How did you feel?

  • What is your avoidance strategy?

  • How could you see your failure in a positive light?

    Removing the fear of ridicule

  • Note down some times when you made a fool of yourself

  • What happened when you were last embarrassed?

  • How did you feel?

  • What is your avoidance strategy?

  • What do these feelings tell you about you?

    Dealing with the fear of success

  • Why might you not want to succeed?

  • What happened last time you were successful to now make you avoid it?

  • What success avoidance strategies do you now use?

  • How could you redefine success so it wasn't so scary?