Compartmentalisation
noun
The division of something into sections or categories. [1]
"To bring your undivided energy, awareness and focus into the present moment. This results in attending to only one task holistically at a time with laser focus." – Self-Mastery
"Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand." - Thomas Carlyle
Ever wondered how some stay joyful and peaceful through their journey of life, despite their ups and downs? Are you worried about achieving your goals? The final examinations, career plans, promotions, finding your passion, finances, health, relationships, a new house, and the biggest goal of all; living a long meaningful life of happiness?
Isn't it strange how we've all felt worried and overwhelmed by life's problems and yet, we get distracted and burst into laughter at the most random moments of the day, even through our darkest times? If so, well done, you have discovered the art of day
compartmentalisation.
"The load of tomorrow, added to that of yesterday, carried today, makes the strongest falter." - Sir William Osler
Day compartmentalisation is achieved by completely closing the iron curtains on yesterday and shutting out the past, while closing the blinds to the view of the unpredictable future, the non-existing tomorrows. But does this mean we no longer plan and take responsibility for the future? No, it does not. However, we must understand that the best way to prepare for the future is to channel all our efforts, focus and enthusiasm directly into the tasks of today. If we give our 100% today and do today's work supremely, that will be the best way to prepare for tomorrow. However, if we are overwhelmed by what was and what may be, we are only taking away the energy and building blocks that should have been utilised today.
"Have no anxiety for the morrow." - Jesus Christ
"I have supplied the best men with the best equipment we have, and given them what seems to be the wisest mission. That is all I can do. If a ship has been sunk, I can't bring it up. If it is going to be sunk, I can't stop it. I can use my time much better working on tomorrow's problem than by fretting about yesterday's. Besides, if I let those things get me, I wouldn't last long." - Admiral Ernest J. King (During the Second World War)
One of the best mottos I have adopted is, "One step enough for me". This motto puts into perspective each essential Lego brick step that is required to keep moving towards the goal.
The Law Of Attraction And Why You're Doing It Wrong
The law of attraction and manifesting is being talked about a lot these days and I'm all for believing the universe has all of our backs. But have you ever wondered whether there is a method to manifesting that can be used over and over again, instead of leaving things to chance? Well, as mystical as it sounds, it's pretty straightforward. How you may ask? Well, I'm about to share it with you now.
“The law of attraction is this: You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are.” – Wayne W. Dyer
Sticking with the Lego brick example above where each Lego brick is a step taken in the right direction, the vision or goal is the finished product on the Lego box. You know what the end product, goal or vision looks like but you can only build it step by step. Therefore, to manifest your vision, the only thing you need to keep in mind is the finished product to keep yourself motivated and to place each Lego brick one by one until the end product is built. This not only builds motivation with each step taken (or Lego brick places) but seeing the vision taking shape creates momentum that will snowball your actions in the right direction. You will now feel that the model is now building itself – this is the law of attraction at work! This is where your vision manifests as you are in the flow of things.
On the left, we see the vision on the lego box, on the right we have the pieces we put down one by one in order to manifest what we want.
"Imagination is everything, it is the preview of life's coming attractions". "The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe". – Albert Einstein
Exercise: If you knew you could achieve anything, what would you want to achieve? Or in other words, what would you want to manifest? This could be achieving huge financial success, eradicating the world from poverty or global warming, finding the perfect partner or just having more time to go out for nature walks. Now ask yourself, what is the smallest step you can take in order to head in that right direction? What is the smallest Lego brick you can lay down? After writing down the first step, take it – then repeat the exercise until the finished product is attained.
"Lead kindly, light ... Keep thou my feet: I do not wish to see the distant scene; one step enough for me." - Arthur Hays Sulzberger
We all have times when we have too much to do, with too little time to do it which builds nervous tension and anxiety. When this arises, just imagine an hourglass. No matter what we do, the sand can only pass smoothly, one particle at a time. If we try to force it all at once, the glass will break. Just like this, take each task one at a time and complete it superbly with enthusiasm.
Here, the motto being: One grain of sand at a time. One task at a time. In the video below, Dandapani explains how focus is a skill that takes a lot of practice to master – comparing it to playing the piano [2]. With practice, if you cultivate the mental muscles to hold laser focus on the task at hand, this will eradicate your worries and you will feel the joy of performing at the current task at hand. This could range from flying an air force jet to washing the dishes, the mental state of zen being almost ecstatic with clarity and focus.
Exercise: Using the concepts discussed in the video above, whenever you catch your thoughts shifting to something else whilst performing a task, simply bring your awareness back to what you are doing and do not distract yourself. Do not do anything unrelated to the current task at hand. This includes touching your phone, scrolling on different websites or talking to someone. In time, you will build the mental muscles to be able to autofocus and hold laser focus, the secret weapon honed by the world's most successful people.
"Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all that life really means." - Robert Louis Stevenson
"Every day is a new life to a wise man."
Compartmentalisation is nothing new, it was acknowledged thousands of years ago. A poet from the Roman Republic called Horace wrote the below verse:
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He, who can call to-day his own:
He who, secure within, can say:
'To-morrow, do thy worst, for I have liv'd to-day'.
How many times have we been guilty of saying, "after I accomplish X, then I'll be happy to do Y". For instance, "I'll be much happier once I lose 5 pounds", or "after I find the perfect partner I'll be in a much better place". We dream of a fairytale land where everything is perfect, but we forget to appreciate the roses that are growing in our very own back garden. Once again this stems from the overwhelming control the past and future have on us. This is a grave tragedy as it steals today's joy from us and to make matters worse, neither the past nor future exist. We only end up squandering today's opportunities that may have yielded a great return if acted on, and as the saying goes, "we miss 100% of the shots we don't take".
"We stew about yesterday's jam and worry about tomorrow's jam, instead of spreading today's jam thick on our bread right now." - The White Queen
"Right now your problem is that you suffer what happened ten years ago, and you suffer what may happen the day after tomorrow. Both are not living truths. They are simply a play of your memory and imagination." - Sadhguru: Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy.
"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24
Key takeaway: Shut the iron curtains on the past and the future, they simply do not exist. Tomorrow is created from our actions today. Compartmentalise each day and spread today's jam thick on your bread today. Today was the tomorrow you worried about yesterday, and you have survived every bad thing that has ever happened to you till date. Well done!
Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life,
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendor of beauty,
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow only a vision,
But today well lived makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!
Such is the salutation of the dawn.
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