Technique & Reflection
When I read Alan Noble’s You Are Not You Own last fall, I was reminded afresh of why being human feels so exhausting. (If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.)
One of the areas Noble explored in the book was the way that society teaches us that we should always be striving for efficiency and improvement in our lives. This section still causes me to think about the way that technique and efficiency drive much of my daily life. How can I get the most done in the least amount of time? What actions can I take to improve my life so that I produce more?
Productivity Meets Real Life
Here is an example that comes to mind. When I started a new job this spring, I had the opportunity to enroll in a program that would allow me to earn rewards for physical activity. All I needed to do was sign up for the program and wear a monitor that would record my steps. This handy device would even remind me to get up and move so that I wouldn’t miss out on earning rewards.
Even though I could’ve earned a few extra dollars each week, I decided the program wasn’t something I wanted to pursue. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with taking advantage of a program like this, but I wasn’t interested in planning my day to serve the movement monitor and didn’t want to be chasing arbitrary numbers.
Because this drive for efficiency is so ingrained in our culture, it’s difficult to choose to spend time doing things that aren’t efficient–even if we find them refreshing. Everything becomes a means to an end. If I take vacation, it’s so that I can be more productive when I return. We’re hamsters on the wheel, and it just keeps spinning.
Efficiency’s Mixed Bag
Efficiency and productivity aren’t all bad. For the last few years, I’ve intentionally planned my week on Sunday afternoons. This exercise helped me calm some of the chaos of daily life so I can enjoy my days. But technique alone doesn’t lead to a meaningful life.
It’s difficult to make the most important parts of being human more efficient. Our relationships with God and others aren’t about productivity. They’re about love, spending time together, and service. If we’re focused on looking for ways to make our lives more efficient, we won’t make space for taking time to look at how we’re living.
Taking Time for Reflection
In addition to my weekly planning routine, I also added a reflection practice that is focused on refreshing my soul–not increasing my productivity. On Sunday afternoon, while the house is quiet, I take my notebook and find a comfortable place to sit and review the previous week.
As part of this practice, I ask myself 4 questions and write out my responses.
What has gone well this past week?
What has been hard this past week?
How has God been at work in my life this past week?
How well have I managed my time this past week?
These questions open up space for me to reflect on the previous week. Rather than ignoring the ups and downs of life, I’m able to incorporate them into prayer. God is not absent from the mundane (and sometimes stressful) days that consume us.
Things that have gone well are reasons to give thanks to God. Situations that have been difficult often prompt us to supplication and confession. Looking at the ways that God has been at work in my life leads to adoration and thanksgiving.
The final question, which is admittedly based on technique, is a way for me to consider how I’m using the resources God has given me. At this stage of life, time is one of my most limited resources, and I want to honor God in the way I steward my time.
Seeking the Examined Life
Sometimes we can find ourselves going through life on autopilot, winning when it comes to efficiency but not paying attention to what’s going on around us and in us. Reflection helps us step back and get in touch with what makes us human. In such moments, we are more likely to remember that it’s in God that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).