People love the idea of Water the Bamboo. It’s a great metaphor and mantra. I’ve used it myself, as have many others. But one thing people get wrong is that they focus on the bamboo. They want the results of the bamboo growth, not realizing it’s the watering that makes the magic happen.
To refocus your efforts on watering, use this formula:
Intent x Attention = Manifestation
Most of us have the right intent--we intend to water the bamboo and have our dreams come true, but we get distracted, sidetracked, and unfocused. That’s why I believe attention is your most valuable currency.
The reason intent is multiplied by attention is that if you intend to do something and don’t do it, it’s zero. Therefore, intent times zero equals zero.
Many things keep us distracted from our intent and steal our attention: smartphones, Netflix, social media, etc. It’s because watering is tedious. Think about the fundamentals of any sport, craft, or skill; it can get repetitive and boring. That’s why we must learn to make watering fun, and we must do it consistently. It’s not a weekend hobby.
Time is an interesting concept--it moves forward, and we can’t get it back. If you spend an hour on something other than watering, that’s time you can’t get back. Having discipline and focus on what gets your attention is a game-changer, so you must learn to build your attention muscle. Here are five ways I do it:
Time-blocking
What I like to do is block out 25-minutes distraction-free to do my watering. I’ll set a timer and put away my phone, and I’ll work on a project. Once I do this consistently and successfully, I add more time as necessary.
Device-free project Time
Technology is handy, but it comes with dings, vibrations, and notifications when you use it during project time. Using pen and paper is great because you can focus without distractions.
Change your Environment
It’s a really good idea to change your environment, especially if you know you can’t focus with certain people around or the environment isn’t inspiring your watering. I know the places I like to go to focus; you should determine those places for you too.
Prioritize Must-Do Tasks for the Next Day
Before you wrap up for the day, think of all the mission-critical things you must do the next day and write them down. It’s that simple.
Pretend You’re Leaving Town
Remember the last time you were going out on PTO for your job, or you were leaving town, and you scrambled to do everything right before you were gone? Pretend you’re going out of town and get started on tasks you’ve been procrastinating.
If you use some of these tools and learn to pay attention to the high-value activities in your life and water the right bamboo, your bamboo can grow 90 feet in 60 days.
This post is based on a podcast episode by Greg Bell.
Listen below for the full episode: