It seems everywhere I turn at the moment there are articles telling me how to be productive.
15 habits to transform your productivity
Surprisingly simple hacks to make you super productive
5 ways a commute can kill productivity
Try these 18 unusual productivity tips each morning
It’s continuing the paradigm of MORE, QUICKER, FASTER, HIGHER.
As someone intent on action, I have to be careful not to be pulled into this swirl of energy of doing more. I find it easy to be thinking that all of my waking time should be useful. It should be used up. I should be doing stuff, taking action, making things happen, getting further ahead. But for what reason? Why is productivity the elusive goal we should all be chasing? What is at the end of the productivity lane that we think we should be wanting? More money? More success? More tiredness and overwhelm?!?
The paradigm of bigger, better, faster, higher isn’t my measure of success and I’m not sure it’s a helpful paradigm.
Let’s design a new paradigm.
The opposite of productive doesn’t have to be lazy.
Perhaps it is content.
Or present.
Or aware and connected.
And actually ALL of those things will lead to more “productivity”.
In a world of be more and do more, I am often brought back to the simplicity of living and connecting.
Sure I want people to be doing work that lights them up and makes a difference to the world around them, but not at the cost of being so ridiculously busy they miss the point of living. Living is about being aware of what is going on around you. Living is soaking up the magic that is taking place each day around us. Living is enjoying what you’re doing not being in a blur of life hacks and productive habits that don’t light you up.
I’m all for action and movement, but let’s not lose sight of the purpose of the action.
Let’s not lose sight of WHY we want to be productive in the first place.
Let’s not blindly follow the hacks to be ticking things off lists.
Let’s focus on being present, aware and focused doing something we care about rather than being productive to get somewhere, *anywhere*, faster.