Lessons in Productivity from Ralph Waldo Emerson

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Brett McKay, editor of The Art of Manliness

Before there was Steven Covey, or GTD, or Zen Habits, before simplicity was hip, and even before the advent of a crushing load of modern technology from which people would long to be freed, there were the American Transcendentalists. The OG of simplicity. Foremost among these was Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the finest American minds, and a man who espoused principles that resonate even today.

1. Write everything down

Men are born to write… Whatever he beholds or experiences, comes to him as a model and sits for its picture. He counts it all nonsense that they say, that some things are undescribable. He believes that all that can be thought can be written, first or last; and he would report the Holy Ghost, or attempt it. Nothing so broad, so subtle, or so dear, but comes therefore commended to his pen, and he will write. In his eyes, a man is the faculty of reporting, and the universe is the possibility of being reported.

A problem that Emerson faced his entire life was the possession of an unmanageable mind. His thoughts leaped quickly from one idea to another. He had moments in life where insights sprang from his mind like water from a broken dam. During these times, Emerson had trouble organizing his thoughts effectively. Yet these deluges were gone in a flash and he was then beset with an intellectual dry spell. He compared the challenge of managing his mind to that of harnessing thunderbolts.

In order to manage these fluctuations, Emerson kept a journal. Every day he collected even the smallest thought, idea, or dream that crossed his mind. This enabled Emerson to better organize his thoughts when they flowed freely and to spur new ideas when he hit a dry spell. Writing helped Emerson make sense of the world. He would revisit the ideas he had recorded and add to them as he gained new insights. Thanks to Emerson’s journaling habit, we are blessed today with his great essays on simplicity and self-reliance.

How to apply Emerson’s lesson in your life
Take the 30 day challenge and focus completely on collecting your thoughts in a journal. Anytime a thought flits across your mind, record it. Make capturing your thoughts ubiquitous by carrying a small notebook with you everywhere. Personally, I carry around a pocket Moleskine. They’re wonderful to write in and are small enough to fit in your back pocket.

2. Eliminate Distractions

The one prudence in life is concentration; the one evil is dissipation: and it makes no difference whether our dissipations are coarse or fine; property and its cares, friends, and a social habit, or politics, or music, or feasting. . . Friends, books, pictures, lower duties, talents, flatteries, hopes, - all are distractions which cause oscillations in our giddy balloon, and make a good poise and a straight course impossible. You must elect your work; you shall take what your brain can, and drop all the rest. Only so, can that amount of vital force accumulate, which can make the step from knowing to doing.

Emerson understood early on his career as a writer that if he was to succeed, complete focus had to be given to the task at hand. By eliminating distractions in his life, Emerson created an environment in which he could completely focus on his most important work. This is not to say that Emerson was a hermit who lived only for work. He loved to engage in pithy conversations with friends in his home and visit them at home and abroad. But he did not let such things take away from his passion for writing and lecturing.

How to apply Emerson’s lesson in your life
Emerson eliminated distractions by limiting the amount of books he read, streamlining “lower duties” like household chores, and avoiding relationships with people whose nervous temperaments upset his focus. While today there are many more distractions than in Emerson’s day, we too can reduce our information consumption. Put Haiku Productivity in practice by limiting the amount of stuff you own, RSS feeds you read, and times you check email. By doing so, you’ll create an environment conducive to getting things done.

3. Keep moving

“Ah!” said a brave painter to me, thinking on these things, “if a man has failed, you will find he has dreamed instead of working. There is no way to success in our art, but to take off your coat, grind paint, and work like a digger on the railroad, all day and every day.”

Emerson understood that it is human nature to “lapse . . . quickly into flesh and sleep.” Nature is constantly pulling us toward the path of least resistance. To battle this natural tendency for laziness, Emerson stressed that we must “use all the exalters that will bring us into . . . a productive state.” For Emerson, the most effective tonic for laziness was work.

Emerson knew that once motivation dies it is hard to resuscitate. He kept his motivation alive by constantly working. When times were difficult and ideas didn’t come to him, Emerson continued to work knowing that inspiration would come soon. In a letter to an acquaintance, Emerson compared the mind to a pear-tree that goes through a season of bareness only to suddenly burst forth in fruitful growth. However, the farmer must continue to prune and graft even during these moments of sterility in order to reap the harvest.

Applying Emerson’s lesson in your life
Keep working even if you’re tired, feel uninspired, or apathetic towards your goal. Use this list of 20 great motivation hacks to help you stay moving in the right direction. While these simple tips are not the cure to restoring your high powered motivation completely, they’re great for keeping working until your season of motivation returns.

Read more from Brett McKay on the excellent blog, The Art of Manliness.

Lessons in Productivity from Ralph Waldo Emerson

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Brett McKay, editor of The Art of Manliness

1. Write everything down

Men are born to write… Whatever he beholds or experiences, comes to him as a model and sits for its picture. He counts it all nonsense that they say, that some things are undescribable. He believes that all that can be thought can be written, first or last; and he would report the Holy Ghost, or attempt it. Nothing so broad, so subtle, or so dear, but comes therefore commended to his pen, and he will write. In his eyes, a man is the faculty of reporting, and the universe is the possibility of being reported.

2. Eliminate Distractions

The one prudence in life is concentration; the one evil is dissipation: and it makes no difference whether our dissipations are coarse or fine; property and its cares, friends, and a social habit, or politics, or music, or feasting. . . Friends, books, pictures, lower duties, talents, flatteries, hopes, - all are distractions which cause oscillations in our giddy balloon, and make a good poise and a straight course impossible. You must elect your work; you shall take what your brain can, and drop all the rest. Only so, can that amount of vital force accumulate, which can make the step from knowing to doing.

3. Keep moving

“Ah!” said a brave painter to me, thinking on these things, “if a man has failed, you will find he has dreamed instead of working. There is no way to success in our art, but to take off your coat, grind paint, and work like a digger on the railroad, all day and every day.”

Read more from Brett McKay on the excellent blog, The Art of Manliness.

Posted on 30 June 2008 in Productivity & Organization |
Digg |
Del.icio.us |
Stumble |
Print

Comments (52)

Corey - Simple Marriage Project Says:

June 30th, 2008, 21:31 pm

Great stuff. I love the moleskin journal. It’s a must.

Adam Sicinski @ Study Matrix Art Says:

June 30th, 2008, 21:31 pm

Out of the 3 lessons presented here, the one lesson that is true to my heart is the ability to “Keep Moving Forward”. I believe that this is one of the most important lessons of productivity that will propel us forward towards the achievement of our goals and objectives.

It is so easy for us to become distracted, to lose focus, to procrastinate and get disgruntled with the obstacles standing in our way. Yet, if we are just able to keep in mind the importance of standing true to ourselves and Moving Forward each and everyday closer to our goals and objectives than we will sooner or later get to our destination.

Sometimes all it takes is one more step…

- One more step that will get us through this obstacle…
- One more step that will help us gain new insights…
- One more step that will unveil new opportunities…
- One more step that will lead to new learnings and growth that will provide us with the necessary knowlege and skills we need to reach our goals and objectives in good time.

All it takes is just one more step… One step at a time… and slowly but surely no matter what else is going on in our lives, we will eventually create the momentum we need to propel us forward towards our destination.

An inspiring children’s movie that really breaks the process of “Moving Forward” is “ Meet the Robinsons. It is to some extent built around Walt Disney’s life and philosophy that inspired him to “Keep Moving Forward”. Not specifically about Walt’s life, however the principles of his state of mind and desire to make his dreams come true is very much evident within this movie.

The Daily Minder Says:

June 30th, 2008, 21:51 pm

Wonderful post! Love the quotes. I wrote a post about a lot of this stuff just yesterday so it is good to see it be ratified by someone who knows what they are talking about.

Fantastic work.

TDM

Tina Su - Think Simple Now Says:

June 30th, 2008, 21:59 pm

Nice Brett!

I really love the summary with actions on how we can apply each item.

Where did you find these Emerson quotes from? Any recommended publications from Emerson?

Warmly,
Tina

Shanel Yang Says:

June 30th, 2008, 22:04 pm

Great points, Brett! I totally agree that less is more when it comes to reading. Who can process and truly digest more than say, at most, a book a week? And, that’s seriously pushing it for me. Sometimes I need days just to process a good movie, let alone a good book! And, as for writing everything down, I couldn’t possibly get as much done as I do without it. It’s a way of freeing my mind to truly focus on whatever task is at hand without worrying if I’m somehow forgetting something important. My Moleskine is my security blanket. Finally, I also keeping moving even when the inspiration just isn’t there. How else can I push myself to complete any big task. Inspiration is a fickle lady/fellow. I can’t wait all day for her/him! ; )

Sara Says:

June 30th, 2008, 22:23 pm

I love Emerson! He’s eminently quotable. I love the analogy of the pear tree. Taking breaks is vital, but so is preparing to work.

Liara Covert Says:

June 30th, 2008, 22:34 pm

Everyone leaves a legacy in thoughts an behavior. You can choose to follow an example or forge your own path. A combination of listening and observing can be helpful to anyone intent on developing and stretching themselves.

Jeff - ScienceSays Says:

June 30th, 2008, 22:58 pm

You know, I think Moleskines are as cool as the next, but I still can’t bring myself to carry a notebook and pen everywhere

Debbi Says:

June 30th, 2008, 23:25 pm

What a great post. I like the somewhat euphemistic phrase “streamlining ‘lower duties’ like household chores.” My husband will tell you I flat out ignore them, leaving him to pick up the slack (and everything else :) ).

I try to help out–but it’s hard to care about dusting and vacuuming when there’s writing to be done.

Vered Says:

July 1st, 2008, 0:17 am

“avoiding relationships with people whose nervous temperaments upset his focus”. I had to smile at this one. But yes, toxic relationships ARE distracting.

This reminded me of “a Room of Her Own” by Virginia Woolf. Another timeless idea that essentially tells is that to produce our best, we need to limit distractions.

Steve Says:

July 1st, 2008, 0:26 am

Maybe this is a stupid question, but for the people who keep back-pocket notebooks: where do you keep the pen? Surely you don’t sit on it. Are you doomed to always carrying a bag, or wearing a pocketed shirt?

Bamboo Forest Says:

July 1st, 2008, 0:37 am

@ Steven: Like Leo, I carry a notebook wherever I go. With the possible exception of the shower.

I keep my pen inside my pocket, clipped to the outer edge with it remaining on the inside. This may be inconvenient for some… But it doesn’t bother met at all, and my pen is always close at hand.

Ramesh | The Geek Stuff Says:

July 1st, 2008, 1:50 am

Brett,

Excellent article. “1. Write everything down” is emphasized in GTD under two places:

1) You can simply write the thought that comes to mind on an index card and thrown it in the inbox for processing at a later time.
2) Performing regular mind-dump to capture everything on the mind.

Ramesh
The Geek Stuff

Mark Says:

July 1st, 2008, 3:34 am

Emerson’s tips were aimed at the man about town and are unsuitable for women.

Deborah Says:

July 1st, 2008, 7:03 am

One of my two favorite all time writers. Emerson & Thoreau. From their writings we can learn much and you have done a fine job putting Emerson’s thoughts on the subject in a nice outline.
Great job Leo. It is always a most relaxing part of the day to read your blog first thing in the mornings.
Thank you!

paresh Says:

July 1st, 2008, 7:51 am

nice article.

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

July 1st, 2008, 9:09 am

“The happiness of too many days is often destroyed by trying to accomplish too much in one day. We would do well to follow a common rule for our daily lives – do less and do it better.” – Dale E. Turner

Amir | Passion-Based Learning Says:

July 1st, 2008, 9:16 am

Ralph Waldo sounds like a pretty interesting dude.

Jonathan B. Says:

July 1st, 2008, 9:46 am

Great post. Serious question: was there anything that Emerson wasn’t amazing at? I’ve never heard of any of his “faults.”

Debbi Says:

July 1st, 2008, 9:55 am

“Emerson’s tips were aimed at the man about town and are unsuitable for women.”

Hmm . . . maybe women then, but today? Methinks I detect a bit old fashioned thinking about women’s roles? :)

“for the people who keep back-pocket notebooks: where do you keep the pen? Surely you don’t sit on it. Are you doomed to always carrying a bag, or wearing a pocketed shirt?”

Now, here’s where carrying a purse really comes in handy.

James @ Organize IT Says:

July 1st, 2008, 10:30 am

Writing everything down is a great tip, something I do very regularly. While I don’t have a journal for expressing my inner feelings, a lot of the personal development ideas I come up with on my blog usually evolve from a simple thought that I jotted down on a scrap of paper. One thing I would suggest is that you use paper based capturing tools, it’s just so much quicker (I’ve detailed six other reasons why on my blog, if you need any persuasion). If it takes more than a few seconds or is a hassle to set up, you simply won’t do it.

Tibi Puiu Says:

July 1st, 2008, 11:00 am

Great, thoughtful post, Brett. I just love analogical articles, that actually reference and have substance in the real world. Very inspiring.

Steven Klassen Says:

July 1st, 2008, 11:14 am

I’ve always enjoyed Emerson’s writing. My blackberry locks with the message: “Knowledge exists to be imparted.”

jeffliveshere Says:

July 1st, 2008, 11:34 am

@Debi:

I’m with you…sheesh. Why aren’t more people commenting here calling Mark on that bs? Maybe it has something to do with the post being written by the author of The Art of Manliness site? Just sayin.

I love me some Emerson. My favorite quote, related to moving-forwardness as well, is from his essay, “Circles”:

“In nature every moment is new; the past is always swallowed and forgotten; the coming only is sacred. Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit. No love can be bound by oath or covenant to secure it against a higher love. No truth so sublime but it may be trivial to-morrow in the light of new thoughts. People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them”

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

July 1st, 2008, 11:41 am

My favorite quote from Emerson is -

“If a man can write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mouse-trap, than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.”

Marelisa Says:

July 1st, 2008, 11:48 am

I keep a journal where I write down anything interesting that I see or hear, whether it be quotes, ideas, cartoons, and so on (I read about it in a book by Michael Gelb about Leonardo da Vinci who always had a notebook with him).

I read somewhere that motivation is something that needs to be rekindled every day, but then again, showering is something that needs to be done every day as well.

Right now there’s an apartment building being constructed right next to mine, so hear construction noise all day long. I think I’m going to purchase a white noise machine. Great article, very thought provoking.

Ryan Says:

July 1st, 2008, 12:14 pm

Anyone have suggestions about what to read from Emerson for someone that hasn’t read anything from him? Notable works? Anthologies? Etc.

jeffliveshere Says:

July 1st, 2008, 12:24 pm

Lots of good Emerson online, actually, Ryan, since lots of his stuff is in the public domain. Here’s one:

http://www.rwe.org/works/Essays-1st_Series_10_Circles.htm

Ryan Says:

July 1st, 2008, 12:45 pm

@jeffliveshere Thanks Jeff. Got to love public domain. I appreciate the link but I think I might want a physical book to annotate and study. I wonder if you could get that on the Kindle, then once they improve it like Seth Godin suggests (http://tinyurl.com/55j4zp) I could annotate the digital copy.

Janice C. Cartier Says:

July 1st, 2008, 14:07 pm

“You must elect your work; you shall take what your brain can, and drop all the rest. Only so, can that amount of vital force accumulate, which can make the step from knowing to doing.”

Can anything BE more appropriate today? I am chuckling and loving this post.
Fabulous!!!!

manonmars Says:

July 1st, 2008, 16:17 pm

Nice article - the world wide web nature of linking orients us to dissipate than concentrate. I got lost when I tried to find out what ‘Haiku Productivity’ mean, so I clicked on it. Then the first few lines of the page in Haiku Producticity talks about something called ‘Pareto Principle’.

What an irony, I wish the author had not posted any link in his article to keep us from dissipating :)

Chris Says:

July 1st, 2008, 16:22 pm

Who knew that Emerson was the father of simplicity and a life hacker…This goes to show that the human condition hasn’t changed even if modern technology has its mark on human kind.

So the key really is not how to simplify our life. The key is to figure our why do we keep making our lives complicated…

Michael Moniz Says:

July 1st, 2008, 18:46 pm

Wonderful article. It is always nice to learn new things from major people from the past. It is fun to see how today’s advice is still similar to that from the past. It shows us that good advice stands the test of time.

Ryan Says:

July 1st, 2008, 19:01 pm

If anyone else was interested in reading Emerson, the author of the post, Brett McKay from The Art of Manliness, suggests “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his 100 Must-Read Books list.

Eric Blue Says:

July 2nd, 2008, 18:53 pm

Leo,

Great post! I especially like the advice on writing everything down, and can relate to this on a few different levels. For people that know me, it’s safe to say that I can have some intense periods of creative outbursts, and others where I’m sort of just chuggin’ along. I’ve found that journaling can in fact help manage your creative focus and organize your thoughts. I’ve also spent the last 6 months working on my own Personal Memex and have found sound interesting applications for personal journaling and jotting down my ideas.

elizabeth Says:

July 2nd, 2008, 20:43 pm

I love the journaling everything. My ADD mind wanders very quickly. I am very creative and I come up with great ideas, only to forget them for another and another and another. Sadly I never get them started. I going to give this a try. Great article!

Debbi Says:

July 2nd, 2008, 22:16 pm

One of my problems with writing things down in a small notebook is that I tend to forget about it or lose enthusiasm for it later.

I actually do better with ideas I haven’t written down, because I’ll make a point of remembering them. Or maybe the ideas I’m really excited about, I tend to remember anyway.

Kind of odd, but it’s true.

garry Says:

July 2nd, 2008, 22:45 pm

For me writing things down in a note books is one of the best moves I ever made, It is a really simple but extremely effeitive habbit to get into.

I know from personal experience how important it is to elmintate distractions, when I allow too many distractions around me, it really messes up my mind.

I must admit I have never read any works of Emerson, but I think that has to change in the very near future.

WezeeMall-Know-It-All Says:

July 3rd, 2008, 12:30 pm

Writing everything down also bridges the mind/body gap which is essential to increasing productivity. You learn faster by the way of transferring your thoughts through the physical action of writing.

Well,on-the-job training was always the best way to learn anyway ;)

Evan Says:

July 3rd, 2008, 13:11 pm

Very awesome article. Thanks!

Maura Says:

July 3rd, 2008, 14:36 pm

@Ryan, Emerson’s Self Reliance essay is one of his best known. I (vaguely) recall it from a high school American Lit class. http://www.rwe.org includes full text online. Personally I prefer his contemporary and friend, Thoreau. Try reading Walden Pond or Civil Disobedience, equally if not better known than Self Reliance.

From Self Reliance:
“Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.”

Dear editor, your website name is a distraction to me.

‘How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.’ - Henry David Thoreau

Stephen Smith Says:

July 3rd, 2008, 23:28 pm

Thanks for keeping the comment thread alive! Way to go!!

Jennifer Lyall Says:

July 4th, 2008, 1:08 am

I remember once hearing the quote- write it down… you’re too intelligent to remember everything.

Very true!

Thanks for the great post!

Abhijit Mukherjee Says:

July 4th, 2008, 3:42 am

You see Emerson was greatly influenced by the Vedas. The Vedas essentially speak of the fact that the true nature of man ( / woman) is divine. In fact the Vedas also show the practical path to the realization of this divinity. This paths are known as various systems of yoga. “Gayatri” (condensed Vedas) is one such path which is very popular, delivering true results even without the guidance of an adept. ( Am I drifting from the thread …)

So Emerson has always been close to my heart and I regard him as a true prophet of America.

Felipe Belo Says:

July 4th, 2008, 10:23 am

For those of you into productivity. We invite you to check the App we will be releasing for the iPhone: http://www.whattasks.com

We define it as: Know WHAT to-do, WHEN to-do it and WHERE.

We really hope you enjoy it!

Grace Cha Says:

July 4th, 2008, 19:33 pm

I am a big fan of Emerson! This article sheds a new light on him for me, many thanks. I still remember how I would spend my lunchtime at school library just to copy down his whole essay on “Friendship”. Photocopy machine didn’t come about just yet!

Phyn Says:

July 5th, 2008, 11:57 am

I’m in the process of re-reading Emerson’s work, as he has always been my favorite. I’m happy I found this blog. It’s giving me a whole new way to immerse myself, this time around!

Miss Gisele B Says:

July 6th, 2008, 12:30 pm

I’m a great follower of Emerson. I also believe that life must go on whatever comes into yours life.

robotdg Says:

July 6th, 2008, 15:41 pm

so i have a question abouyt ubiquitous capture.

i am a guy living near the beach (santa monica). i wear jeans, t-shirt and flipflops pretty much everyday. i am a freelance writer so i work at home. and i walk a lot (to movie theater, coffee shop, restaurants)…

so my questions are… where the hell are you guys keeping your moleskine??

which (exactly) moleskine are you using? they have many shapes, sizes and types.

the smallest hardcover ones are still pretty big.. it’s not like you can put them in your jeans pocket…

are you guys carrying them everywhere you go?

anyway, i am really trying to adopt UbiqCapture but I keep forgetting my notebook because I have no good place to carry it…

subhorup Says:

July 8th, 2008, 8:28 am

A lot of transcendentalism syncs very closely with the thoughts promoted by present day Buddhism groups or by the thinkers of the intent/manifestation school. At the common root of this thinking is simplicity, efficiency, and beauty.

Troy Malone Says:

July 8th, 2008, 17:22 pm

Keep moving…

Reminds me of my dad saying “Just do” while I was growing up. There is something to be said for action!

Abhijit Says:

July 10th, 2008, 5:37 am

robotdg said: so i have a question about ubiquitous capture………..

Well you see this problem creeps up for everybody who tries to develop the habit of ubiquitous capture. I have a few shirts which do not have a pocket, then I shift the small writing pad to the hip - pocket. Then the question comes whether to carry a pen or a small scribbling pencil, so there is no straight solution. However for the the major duration of the day it is better to have the capture tool at your call.

When there are no tools and suddenly you get an important creative flash in your grey matter (say, while watching the rolling waves of the sea) or you remember an urgent must job - then I suggest you to repeat that activity/point a number times in your memory, so that as soon as you get back to your capture tool, you will be able to jot it down. Our memory will perform as temporary capture tool for the time being.

As GTD suggests the jottings must be again transferred to a master copy for serious contemplation, as and when your time may permit.

Meanwhile continue happy capturing.