Do Less: Anti-Productivity Is the New Productivity
We’re at the end of the hyper-productivity era, and it’s not a moment too soon.
I’m starting a list of things I believed in when I was a kid and now know to be utter balderdash. For instance, I once believed that adults knew what they were doing. After college, I learned we’re all just crashing around in the dark like moths searching for a light. When I was thirteen, I believed that popularity was critically important. Then I learned that popularity is as fleeting as snow in June.
But here are some beliefs that stuck with me until recently: Getting stuff done is better than not getting stuff done. Being in motion is better than being idle. Striving is better than enjoying the moment. Producing more is better than producing less.
Only recently have a realized that this kind of productivity-oriented thinking is deeply flawed — and wholly wrong. The quest for maximum productivity is a wild goose chase, and it’s time to stop. Many of us are stressed out, unwell, disengaged, and stuck in toxic environments.
Why Productivity Isn’t Always Useful
It turns out that a lot of what we talk about, think about, and practice — when it comes to productivity — is a scam. It’s a kind of brainwashing…
