Achieving mind vs. perceiving mind.

On my desk right now:
- A planner with a double-booked day I need to sort out
- A coloured pencil that needs sharpening
- Crumbs that need to be cleaned up

When I switch focus, these become:
- A deep violet-blue book with a matching elastic snug around the edge
- A smooth, thin wooden rod with a nub of coloured wax poking out from the tip
- A constellation of toasted brown stars

We have two ways of moving through our world, and these are defined by two states of mind.

The achieving mind asks: What do I need to do here?
The perceiving mind asks: What is here?

The difference is one of focus.

I live rurally, so my mailbox is 1.5k from my house. I go for a walk every day to pick up the mail, and get a dopamine hit from doing something that needed to be done. I’ve turned my walk into a task.

On weekends and holidays, I can switch focus by going for a walk to feel the temperature, go looking for one specific colour, or to listen for birds*. It’s not a task — it’s an experience!

The achieving mind wants to solve problems.
The perceiving mind wants to be curious.

Some days, I can live almost entirely in my achieving mind. I like to get things done! I get a great dopamine hit from crossing things off my list!

But when I shift into perceiving mind, I get to feel calm and content. That’s got a different chemistry. That comes from serotonin. I love this state. It feels like coming home.

The thing is, sometimes I get stuck in achieving mode.

You know what I’m talking about.

If you’re a writer, you get used to going to bed every night with an unfinished book that needs you to write it. “What do I need to do here?” might be the last thought you have before falling asleep, and the first thought you have upon waking. It can take years to write a book. That’s a lot of time spent in “need to do” mode!

If achieving mode has become a deep groove, you might need to shift out of it on purpose. Every day. Moment to moment.

Perceiving mode is about presence, contentment, being with what is real.

The fastest way there is through our five senses.

It’s so simple. It takes two seconds. Pause and ask yourself:

What is here?

Look around. What is something you notice that you didn’t notice before?

xo,

* Listening to birds can bring you to presence, if you’re asking, “What sounds are here?” But if you’re asking, “What bird needs to be identified here?” you’re back to problem-solving. Gah! It happens so fast!

Photo credit (top): Matt Noble on Unsplash.