I have to be productive. My favourite days are when I can make those ticks on my to-do list, tasks are completed, the results are produced. And I have goals for 2020. After all, we are created to be productive… Productivity, I love you. I think of myself as a high capacity, productive person.
However, as I was setting my goals for 2020, the power of being present challenged me. It's like a rival to the power of my productivity. Our culture swarms with people skilled in productivity. However, our preoccupied, future-focused culture is in short supply of people who are present — present in the moment, present to others, present to God. Presence is being accessible to whomever or whatever sits before you.
Productivity is a value positioned to the future and future results. Presence is a value concerned with right now in the moment. We find it easier to focus on the future we’re trying to create than to slow down and be present to the beautiful or disruptive realities of this present moment.
Productivity and presence both carry an impact. The problem is we don't value them the same. Everybody is being productive. Few people are being present. The world needs your productivity. But people and your own heart need you to be present.
For 2020, let’s create some space in our calendar where instead of focusing just on “getting things done” we focus on “being present.” Be present to God, people, your own heart and to reality.
