What Productivity IS and What It IS NOT
2 commonly misunderstood aspects of productivity and being productive
Productivity is a double-edged sword.
Being productive, on the one hand, can make you feel at the top of the world. But at the same time, it might be leading you to burnout in disguise.
That cycle is news to no one. We are so used to having those mountain-high highs and valley-low lows in succession that it starts to sound normal.
Maybe it is normal. But meanwhile, what takes a toll is “our notion of productivity.”
Don’t get me wrong or think I’m playing a blame game with anyone, but I have to say this: I’ve read enough productivity books and blogs to notice where the red flags are.
Like, I know where the writer is being authentic and where he’s writing just so that their book sells more copies or blogs get more clicks.
From titles to post-scrips, I feel the words and how they’re creating a fake epitome of productivity that only exists in a parallel universe, if at all.
This belief of mine may have stemmed from the notion of embracing individuality. That there’s nothing like one-size-fits-all. That we need to find our own truth.
We are not meant to be spoonfed. Just give me the map and a compass.
A quick shout-out to an exceptional writer of the platform, Varun Khadri, for it’s because of his wonderful article that I’m writing this one.
“Productivity isn’t about doing the most. It’s about doing important things efficiently.” —Varun
His opening lines are literally what made me think about productivity and what it means to me from the first principle.
In a quest to add something to this, in this article we will go on a journey to find what productivity IS and what it IS NOT.
Yes, the very definition might be different for each of us, but what’s common are the strings of fundamentals and our concerned objective.
We all want to be happy and content with what we do at the end of the day, don’t we?
On that note, let’s dive in.
Somewhere in the middle of everything and nothing…
Does being productive mean doing everything you’re supposed to do and one thing extra?
Or does it mean doing nothing at all?
Neither. Exactly!
Doing nothing feels so illegal that we subconsciously think of the former one — that’s totally the opposite of the latter — as the de facto correct one.
Yes, the more things you get done, the more productive you are, right? Wrong.
Oh-so-wrong!
The best and the most sustainable way forward is to do the most important thing and try to delegate or postpone the rest.
Writing this line makes me think of the book Eat That Frog. Though I am yet to read this one that’s lying on my TBR-list for like… forever, the title is the entire story I want to tell right now, aka do the most important thing first.
This will make you feel more confident and enthusiastic for the rest of the day. That feeling is indescribable in words. It’s just so good!
Productivity doesn’t mean doing everything. It means doing the most important things.
With “most-important things,” I mean things which have either the highest leverage or the highest output.
Leverage is what is beneficial for you in the long term (exercising, eating healthy, etc.) while output is its short-term equivalent (completing that client’s work so you’d get paid).
That’s just one of the ways to look at it. I won’t be trying to spoon-feed anything, remember?
Fast, fast, fast???
This is the most common belief our generation has. Okay, I’m generalising a bit too much, but anyway.
When I look around, a lot of our interactions have become what I like to call “fast-fast-fast” type.
I’ve borrowed that phrase from my grandfather. I remember hearing it as a taunt a couple of times lol.
Be it booking an Uber, ordering food online, having a conference call instead of meeting in person, or watching Shorts and Reels for hours.
We live in a world where we have become accustomed to this novel concept of “instant gratification.” Swipe up and lo, something new.
We have made it so fundamental that we should be seeing the results of our actions within a jiffy that our subconscious takes a toll.
It starts viewing the real world and productivity through the same lens.
“There must be something wrong with me if I’m not seeing the results. Maybe I am slow? This should not take this much time…,” we start to think.
And that’s where we miss the essence of productivity.
If only this were the end of the problems.
There are n different channels and mediums that propagate the exact same philosophy of “fast-fast-fast” just to give you a dose of cheap dopamine and some more validation to your pre-existing belief.
But it’s high time we disregard that churning-out and draining mindset and jump on to something more fun and serene.
Productivity doesn’t mean ‘fast-fast-fast.’ It means ‘prioritise, be efficient and do it.’
The more you run behind the speed, the less you’ll be conscious about the right direction.
Closing thoughts
Being mindful of what you do can be helpful at every step.
Being content with your actions should be your motivator, and not any random guy on YouTube telling you an ideal routine to become a millionaire.
We better take a long path that leads to our destination than take a short path full of robbers and murderers.
The wrong notion of productivity is a path better left untravelled because there roam robbers of mental peace and murderers of realistic aspirations.
