![all creatures [great and small] by allcreatures](http://24.media.tumblr.com/avatar_827f13ebf9f5_40.gif){kind=avatar}
I get up at six in the morning. I compose until eleven, then my day is over. I go out, I walk, tirelessly, for hours.
“Productivity Catalyst”
In short, the productivity catalyst is something (e.g. ritual, environment) that pushes you to get stuff done.
For me, that something is typically the train. I get all my blogging done on the train every morning. For me, the train signals go, an opportunity to dump my thinking on screen.
I usually like to drink a bit of coffee and meditate before I write, blending calmness and caffeine. I sometimes get a walk in too, deliberately skipping the shuttle.
Walking though is quickly becoming my favorite medicine of all; mixing fresh air and a rhythm of movement that relaxes the mind.
Often times Ill fall asleep in a middle of writing a post but finish it with time to spare. I know that when entering the Grand Central tunnel I’ve got about 8 minutes to publish. A deadline is the best way to expedite a task.
Your productivity catalyst should be motivating and relaxing, like stretching your muscles before a run. Quality of preparation is equal to quality of output.
Bruce Nussbaum, “3 Paths Toward A More Creative Life”
Indeed, walk a lot.
Hope for a generation. on Flickr.
This blind man was standing in the middle of Grand Central during the Obama Speech last night. The Apple store logos shined in the background. I couldn’t help but feel the pertinacity of continued innovation. You don’t have to see the world to feel it.
Real Life Frogger
Pedestrian Countdown Signals are safe. They show you exactly how much time is left to cross the street.
Knowing exactly how many seconds you have left makes you think twice about risking a last second dash.
Many of us live life according to the countdown. We make decisions only when it’s safe.
Certainly we need some gauge or we’ll walk blindly into death. But we don’t need to know everything with exact certainty.
That’s why the blinking pedestrian sign is all we need. Even the most risk-averse people walk when they see flashes of red. That’s because flicking red doesn’t mean stop necessarily (in walking terms) but rather to proceed with caution.
Time threatens risk taking. But when we remove the friction and stress time causes, we make decisions based on gut. Sometimes it’s better to let our instincts take over.
What countdown?
I walk everywhere in the city. Any city. You see everything you need to see for a lifetime. Every emotion. Every condition. Every fashion. Every glory.
Wonderful things happen when your brain is empty.
