Recombobulation

Do you have a low level of anxiety and overwhelmed feeling much of the time?

I do.

My fast-paced, always-on, text and email-filled days can make for the opposite of the calm, peaceful existence I crave.

In the Milwaukee airport, I saw a sign that said, “Recombobulation Area.” It was just past security and was there to remind us to place our laptops back in our bags and put our belt and shoes back on.

I had never seen that word before, and have since verified that it is not – in fact – a real word (although it most definitely should be).

Here’s what I learned doing some quick Google research:
Before you go scouring your lexicons, no, “recombobulation” is not in the dictionary. The word was invented by Barry Bateman, former airport director at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, and its definition is fairly intuitive, the opposite of discombobulation.

Wiktionary defines “recombobulation” as, “The act of recombobulating; putting back into order; removing confusion.”

I started thinking about how I need to be more consistent about having a “recombobulation” time and area every day — a time to regroup, put things back in order, and remove the confusion caused by my many tasks, projects, and people who need me.

I’ve been on a quest throughout my adulthood to figure out how to manage my time and energy better and live my best life. I’ve read a lot of books on the topic, including Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. I shared a summary and some of my key take-aways from Deep Work with my office team this week. In our discussion, we each shared a “wildly important” professional goal and a key “deep work” activity that supports that goal. Read more about my insights from Deep Work.

If you’re interested in productivity and personal growth, you might enjoy these books, which I keep handy and are part of my re-read stack (favorites that I’ve read more than once and plan to read again, because I really want the message to sink in!).

Here are some new resources I’m exploring (both have websites full of resources and books – now added to my “to read” pile:

Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod
In her book, Differently Wired, Debbie Reber of TiLt Parenting talks about how she and her son (along with many others) use the Miracle Morning process Elrod developed.

Productive Flourishing, Charlie Gilkey
I heard Gilkey on a Good Life Project podcast episode and have since downloaded all of the block scheduling worksheets he has on his website!

What are your favorite productivity or time management resources? Please comment or send me an email.