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LCT_m_a_d
Apr '21

Are your routines designed to bring out a high-performance (virtue) or removing stress and anxieties (calming).

When I get into programming mode, (Virtue-based)
I visualize most of my accomplishments and high-performance almost as habitual. The idea of meditation or preparation is centered around maintaining or warming up an exceptionally high-performing mindset every single day.

In comparison

When I get into art mode, (Calm-based)
My meditations and routines have steered more towards reducing stress, feeding myself encouragement, and silencing negative thoughts.

I much prefer the virtue-based, so I'm curious.
Whatever your pre-work routine is,
How does it flow into your work? Do you prefer to jumpstart your mind, or calm it?

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    Apr '21

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    Apr '21
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migxmeg
Apr '21

You always post such thoughtful/interesting topics!

I think I lean towards the virtue-based side of things? I really like to solve puzzles and optimize - approaching most things in my life with a "how can I do this better" or "there must be a better way to accomplish this." It can be the dumbest thing, like reorganizing something to reduce a second or two of friction and I will be so very satisfied.

For art/work, it's hard to say - getting into a flow state where hours just kind of vanish brings out my best work/happiest self. I wouldn't call it calming exactly. It's a mix maybe?

nathanKmcwilliamsIn the making of Bunneh The Rabbit
Apr '21

Virtue based all the way. In everything I do, I do it fast and with as much energy as possible.

Scarlet_Cryptid
Apr '21

The two are interlocking, for me. Doing high-performance, virtue-based work (aka problem-solving, high-quality, etc) IS very calming and centering to me.

On good days, that means if I'm stressed, I can sit down, start working on something challenging and absorbing, hit flow state and lose hours lost in a project, and I'll make something cool, and feel a lot better afterward. The act of succeeding at doing something challenging and therefore demonstrating my competence at it is calming and stress-relieving. It's a self-reinforcing loop.

On a bad day, I'll either be too stressed to tackle something challenging, or my attempts to do the challenging thing won't turn out the way I want it to, and instead of being calming, trying to do art, any art, will be stress-inducing instead of stress-relieving, creating a vicious cycle that I cannot win. At this point, it's better for my mental health if I go read a book instead.

LCT_m_a_d
Apr '21
migxmeg

Thanks :sweat_smile: wasn't sure how out-there this one was and was debating about posting.

Interesting that you bring up puzzles and optimizing because that's largely the direction behind most programming tasks.

@nathanKmcwilliams it's funny because I am annoyingly methodical and cautious in everything. :joy:

Azifri
Apr '21

Calm-based for both work and art. Both my job (research) and art are creative activities and I can't be productive if I'm distracted by internal pressure. Even for the repetitive or technical part of work, I have to try to be as calm as possible or I could make mistakes and waste expensive stuff. I'm surprised people can be high performing under self imposed stress!

migxmeg
Apr '21
LCT_m_a_d

Why not! It's cool to stop and think about how we operate sometimes :).

I've done some programming - I really like it (my husband Mig is actually a software engineer - we both do some more technical stuff) but I think if I had gone for it as a job I would be forever stressed out. I always felt like I was going too slowly, even if i wasn't :sweat_01:.

LCT_m_a_d
Apr '21
Azifri

That's an interesting point. When it comes to tech support (at least front-line) success is largely a matter of staying calm under high-pressure as opposed to having peak high performance.

I've always done well in tech support. Although, I much prefer making stuff and creating lots of solutions to really frustrating challenges.

skicoak
Apr '21

Definitely virtue based.

A youth filled with organized sports during the big visualization training boom set a path for result driven activity. Most my early career paths were also result driven with time driven metrics engrained in them.

So always chasing the Zone not the Zen.

nathanKmcwilliamsIn the making of Bunneh The Rabbit
Apr '21
LCT_m_a_d

There's a few things that I tend to overthink(like purchasing things). But my work is physical, so I work fast, in order to get more work done.

Azifri
Apr '21
LCT_m_a_d

Interesting, because that's also an essential part of my job, but I have to be in zen mode to properly troubleshoot, put the pieces together, and come up with solutions. Guess it's a different way of dealing with the same. There is also a lot of pressure coming from deadlines and expectations, and if I can't stay calm I'd be overwhelmed, so at this point I'm somewhat immune to external pressure, and dealing with my own internal pressure is essential to me. Some people thrive under stress, I'm just not one of them.

LCT_m_a_d
Apr '21
skicoak

I definitely relate. I grew up in a sports household and wrestled for a sizable portion of my k-12.

I very much had to go the zen route after graduation and especially breaking into the tech industry.
Most of my important decisions that materialized went against the data or at least the representation of it.

LCT_m_a_d
Apr '21
1
Azifri

It's weird. Both approaches feel "zen" to me in a sense but the cause and effect seems almost flip-flopped.

I feel almost relaxed internally when I have to overperform, or perform in non-ideal environments. When everything is stable I tend to look for other things that need to be fixed or improved. Even when I draw I tend to only pick peices I find exceptionally complicated.

Many people I know however discourage that I "rely" on meditation and stuff because I should be more confident.

skicoak
Apr '21

I have a real world example of this myself...back when I was in the ring, my improv character stuff was far better than the prepared promos. Not having to stick to the memorized script gave me a sense of freedom, that while others found chaotic, I found liberating. I could focus my energy on different factors than I would cutting a traditional speech.