“Upon leaving surgery I also make it a point to spend a couple of minutes in my quiet room, to clear the decks, so to speak, for a new type of action.” – Maxwell Maltz, M.D.
Before and after surgery, Dr. Maltz would clear the mechanism so he could go into his next activity without any emotional carryover or residue.
This might seem as though it is overkill, but when you are as busy as Dr. Maltz was, you’ll understand that this habit led to him being more productive as a writer and speaker.
The good doctor was up early in the morning doing surgeries, then he saw patients. In the evenings, he sat before his typewriter, spinning words into nonfiction books, novels, and plays.
These profoundly different activities require a different type of focus. Failure to reset the mechanism after each activity can lead to a feeling of not knowing how to get yourself started on the next task.
When you don’t clear the calculator (or monitor), it can take hours, and in some cases days, to get yourself going. Consider how long it can take you to recalibrate after a vacation.
Yes, there can be fatigue after a long trip, but these effects can be minimized and eliminated if you take the time to experiment, not only with entering the quiet room of your mind but also with clearing the screen, erasing yesterday’s scenes so you can get back to work today.
Shortly after getting up this morning, I stood in place for ten minutes and cleared my mind with deep breathing exercises. When finished, I made a list of my Daily Do’s. Then I got started on them.
Throughout the day, when I am moving from one activity to another, I keep in mind that a different type of energy and focus may be required. So I shift gears by clearing my mind of what I just finished and picturing what is next.
This process doesn’t take longer than a minute or two. And it’s as simple as pressing a button on the movie screen of your mind.
Are you willing to test the positive effects of clearing the screen of your mind before attempting to go from one type of task to another? The benefits are huge.
Matt Furey
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