How to Apply "Synergy" to Your Day to Make Your Life Easier More Joyful and Creative

I once read this dense book called "Synergy" by the late genius Buckmister Fuller. It was a tome, and it left an indelible impression upon my thinking.

What is concept of synergy? Well quite simply, it is the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, the ideal combination of several different elements is much stronger and more effective than these elements alone.

Take steel, for example. It is a combination of iron, aluminum, and other metals. These are all processed together with energy to produce a resulting metal that is much stronger. Each metal alone may have a certain strength on its own. But when you combine these in the right proportion, you get steel, with is many multiples stronger.

Let's apply this to your life. Starting with your daily schedule, for the daily schedule is the basic building block of a successful life. Every day, you lay bricks down on the foundation of your life. Do this strategically and wisely and you will create a beautiful enduring structure. Do it haphazardly and what you create won't stand.

One of the most common mistakes I see others make in their daily schedule: is that they are consumed with one aspect of their life to the detriment of the others. So for example, one of my business partners is consumed with her trading projects.

She is glued to her cell phone making calls the moment she rises until the moment she falls asleep. So she neglects to exercise, meditate, or eat regularly or in a schedule. I don’t consider this synergistic. This sort of routine leads to burnout because it does not incorporate other important activities.

My ideal schedule, which includes exercising, eating raw food, phone calls, work, etc. is great because it includes all of the elements, their ideal proportion of time in a day they require, and the ideal times to do them. For example, I exercise 30 minutes per day, first thing in the morning. This is a bite-size, sustainable practice. In fact, I listen to books on tape and training material directly related to direct-response marketing, etc. to use my time even better and ensure I stay on the cutting edge of my industry.

The exercising rejuvenates my body, the meditation/spiritual practices rejuvenate the mind and consciousness. This awareness gives me an edge in my other activities that I am more clear and creative. The hour invested returns me two hours worth of increased productivity.

I see many successful business people whose bank account is fat but they are also fat around the waist. This fat indicates health problems, which lead to suffering, and likely a shorter lifespan, and ultimately less time and life to enjoy these riches. Their approach focused on work to the detriment of health. So they work all day but don't take 30 minutes to exercise. Definitely not a synergistic approach.

A daily schedule that incorporates all the right elements, over time leads to synergistic results in the long term. For example, eating healthy, exercise, meditation on a regular basis not only ensures that all these crucial areas of life are met and given attention, but that these aspects support and reinforce one another.

Long term, for example, one who is healthy in appearance is considered more attractive, which leads to more sales (marketing survey mentioned by Dan Kennedy). By meditating with a clear mind means business decisions which are made more soundly, that can accumulate advantages leading to financial breakthroughs, or preventing costly embarrassing decisions and business relationships that could have been prevented if we were thinking clearly at the time.

So take a close look at your daily schedule. Spend 3 days tracking moment by moment every activity. Then analyze and reassess: am I spending the right amount of time on the right activities to best advance my life and career?

Then rewrite your ideal optimal daily schedule, what time you would want to do your daily activities and how much time do you want to spend on them. This would be a guide, a compass, a "north star" to navigate you through chaos.

Regularly schedule in some time to reassess your schedule and time to maximize the concept of synergy in your life.