This might be the most welcome advice ever for commitment-phobes and people who hate to-do lists. Quitting a personal project isn't always a bad thing. Really.
"Did you know that you can complete a project by dropping it?" Arianna Huffington told a women's business audience in Toronto on Wednesday.
Calling time on something you don't like or don't have time to commit to can actually make you more productive.
"Any project that you’ve started in your mind drains energy," Huffington said. "One of my favourite sayings is '100 per cent is a breeze, 99 per cent is a bitch.'
"That doesn’t mean ignoring my other needs, but it means when I’m in it, I’m really in it. And that means often saying no to good things, to things that you might want to do, but get in the way of sleep, or get in the way of being with your children, or whatever it is that’s also very important to you."
So those Rosetta Stone lessons you've already paid for? Bring a dictionary next time you're in Paris. Can't seem to get through the first half of Anna Karenina for the fourth time? Go see the movie. You'll be happier.
"Just have a conversation with yourself and say these projects are done, over, and then you have energy for the things you’re really going to commit yourself to," Huffington said.
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The editor-in-chief[1] of The Huffington Post was in town to discuss her new initiative, The Third Metric[2] , which aims to redefine success beyond the two traditional goals of money and power to include wellness, wisdom, generosity and the ability to spread joy.
Huffington said she personally uses mindfulness and meditation[3] to help achieve those goals.
"Silence is an amazing way to recharge ourselves," she said.
Making time to incorporate this third measure of success and happiness can not only change your life, but transform the workplace, Huffington said, by helping people become more creative, productive and connected.
"Olympic athletes get naps. When performance really matters, taking care of yourself is key," she said.
In a speech to more than 800 women at the Women Of Influence[4] luncheon that included Twitter Canada CEO Kirstine Stewart[5] , Huffington stressed that the "hurry-up culture" is not working, and that the whole concept of multitasking is a myth.
Multitasking is part of the modern-day "burnout and a culture enraptured with technology[6] ," according to Huffington, and it's also taking a huge toll on Canadian and U.S. businesses, to the tune of billions of dollars a year due to stress, absenteeism and health care costs.
It's a message that's become widely accepted by scientists[7] , medical professionals and spiritual leaders[8] .
"One of the main problems we are having in addition is that we are all so hyper-connected with technology that it’s harder for us to disconnect," Huffington said, noting the widespread addiction to social media.
She admits having four Blackberry smartphones, but they're banned from her bedroom, which is her sleep sanctuary.
Also on HuffPost:
References
- ^ editor-in-chief (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ The Third Metric (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ mindfulness and meditation (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ Women Of Influence (www.womenofinfluence.ca)
- ^ Twitter Canada CEO Kirstine Stewart (twitter.com)
- ^ burnout and a culture enraptured with technology (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ scientists (www.huffingtonpost.com)
- ^ spiritual leaders (www.huffingtonpost.ca)
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