Encouraging Productivity

Welcome to the August 2012 Simplicity Parenting Carnival: Productivity

This post was written as part of the monthly Simplicity Parenting Carnival hosted by The Lone Home Ranger and S.A.H.M. i AM. This month we are discussing how we balance simplicity and productivity, i.e. remain productive while also maintaining a slower pace of life. Be sure to read to the end to see a list of the rest of the excellent carnival contributors.

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When I am working on the computer, I enjoy having something to listen to. I also have been wanting to listen to sermons or other podcasts that will encourage, challenge, and convict me. I’ve discovered that combining these two activities is a great way to be productive.

I enjoy listening to music. Sometimes I have music playing in the background on Windows media player, or I will visit Grooveshark or Pandora and listen to music on there while working.

Sermon Audio is a great place to find exellent sermons. The sermons can be browsed by subject or by the speaker. One of my favorite speakers to listen to is David P. Murray. His theology is excellent, and his Scottish accent makes listening to him quite enjoyable.

Also, check out your church’s website. Quite a few churches these days record their sermons and put them up online.

I enjoy listening to podcasts this way as well. Several of the blogs I like to read do podcasts on a periodic basis. Listening to podcasts while doing something else on the computer is very effective. I don’t enjoy just sitting and listening to a podcast. So combining listening with working on the computer accomplishes two tasks at once. Hieropraxis has an excellent podcast that is fun and engaging to listen to.

Learning to listen while working on other projects has been very helpful. It has allowed me to listen to sermons that I otherwise would not have taken the time to listen to. It gives me something to think about, especially when I am doing what otherwise would be mindless computer work.

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Thanks for reading the Simplicity Parenting Blog Carnival! We hope you’ll take time to read these other great contributors’ posts:

• Encouraging Productivity – Melinda at Wholesome Womanhood discusses ways to embrace computer time as a time to learn via podcasts, online sermons, etc.
• Mise en Place – Justine at The Lone Home Ranger discovers preparing for projects ahead of time can be a big time-saver that helps her increase productivity.
• Productivity? Depends on your definition! – Jamie at I Love Junkmail describes her typical productive day.
• Productivity: Making the correlation – Jade at Faith in the Shade talks about how she is revamping every aspect of her life (including measuring productivity) to live simpler.
• Simplicity and Productivity: The Art of Compromise – Emily at S.A.H.M. i AM finds that compromise is sometimes the best way to balance productivity and simple living.

Thanks to all the fabulous writers and readers for being a part of our simplicity parenting community! Stop by The Lone Home Ranger and S.A.H.M. i AM to see how to join us for a future carnival.