Written by: Serene Shereef, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Do you ever get the feeling that time is somehow out of your control? The days… weeks... months… and years are just passing through without any checkpoints to enjoy the scenery?
Here we are, still processing through 2020… and there are only 4 more months for the completion of 2021!
Time has morphed into this creature that has a life of its own, as something that controls us with no mercy:
“Time just ran away from me today.”
“Time went faster than I realized.”
“I had no time to do what I wanted to do.”
“I would love to do that, if only I had time.”
“After this week, finally things will go smoothly and I will be able to do…”
As a general and trauma surgeon, I was no stranger to working long hours and holding my breath till everything needed to be done. I kept waiting for the moment where things would just flow easier, and I could finally have a few moments of calm. I struggled with feeling like I had no time to catch my breath, let alone think and consciously pursue what I wanted at home or work. About 6 years ago, I hit my rock bottom, struggling with severe burnout. My life was focused on taking care of my patients and my family, and I was rarely even on my own priority list.
Productivity and habit-building have always been my foundation, and a major part of how I had come to this place of total chaos-juggling between a busy surgical practice, being a wife and mom to 3 active kids and all the other balls that I had circling in mid-air. But even functioning at my maximum efficiency, I realized that something was missing. Something crucial that would eventually explode my externally perfect world into bits of chaos.
Coaching and Mindfulness transformed all areas of my life, gave me the tools to manage my mind, time, energy & productivity. By connecting to my life vision and using the MAPS (Mindfulness And Productivity Systems) Framework, I am so grateful to live in my true purpose. Now I use my unique and powerful MAPS framework to help other professional women struggling with burnout and overwhelm to take control of their time, mind & energy.
How can you and I “create” the time that we want? Or is that just an elusive concept, like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? Can we design and implement how we want our days to flow? How do we finally regain control of “time” in our lives?
I want to share 3 key principles on how you can do this, utilizing principles that will help you finally create that flow and ease that you have been dreaming of.
1. Gratitude is the key to abundance
Gratitude is the best boost to 10X your productivity! As we experience and embrace our life with gratitude, our brain releases neurotransmitters (chemicals) including dopamine and serotonin, the “feel good” chemicals that help to generate the feeling of happiness. By repeated acts and thoughts of gratitude, we create neural pathways (roads in our brain) that help to create a life that is full of joy. What would your life be like, if this simple step could create true joy in the moment?
2. Challenges are an opportunity to grow
Our human experience includes challenges and ease, successes and failures. But our brain has convinced us, that somehow challenges and failures are the bane of our existence, and to be avoided at all cost. So we avoid and ignore these incredible growth opportunities. What would your life be like, if embracing and understanding the challenges is the true boost needed to get to your next level?
3. Focus is the secret element to wield the power of your time and energy
The amount of data, both physical and mental that we process daily is truly mind-boggling! And it continues to increase daily with added (and infinite) expectations, as well as, infinitely more distractions to capture our attention! What would it be like if we were “indistractable”, laser-focused and completely in charge of our mind, energy, and time?
I have designed a weekly check-in & time/productivity analysis to find the clarity and focus that you want to see in your life! You can learn more, including access to my special meditation and journaling video to guide you and help you Create Your own Unique Habits of Productivity & Mindfulness at Productive Week.
If you are ready to take control of your time, energy & productivity, join me in my upcoming Masterclass “The 3 Secrets to Maximize Your Productivity”. This will be a gamechanger for anyone interested in using the tools of Mindfulness, Habit-building, and Creating Clarity to Achieve Your Life Transformation! This is a virtual event that occurs on September 21, 2021, from 9 pm EST. Register Here! Grab your seat today. See you at the Masterclass!
Serene Shereef, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Serene Shereef is a general & trauma surgeon and a mindfulness & productivity certified life coach. After struggling with severe burnout and hitting rock bottom, she used the energy of mindfulness with the scientific principles of habit building and created systems of productivity to reclaim her life. She now uses this unique powerful framework to help other professional women struggling with burnout and overwhelm to take control of their time, mind & energy. She has created an integrated mindfulness and productivity program that builds clarity on your life’s passion and purpose and uses individualized systematic tools to take control of your life so that you have time for everything that is important to you. Her goal is to help you do less and live more, embracing the joy of living your best life.
