I’m Addicted to Productivity
I’m sitting at my computer and ready to tackle the workday because I want to be all that I can be at my job. I obviously want to do my best work and do it efficiently so that I get recognized and feel good about myself. Pretty typical right?
BUT…how can I do that if I’m not productive? I can’t, so I decide to spend just a few minutes doing a necessary task. I research ways to be more productive.
Beginning The “Research” Process
I went to the first place I could think of where all of the productivity gurus hide, YouTube. I start my research with a broad statement, just to kick things off, “How to be more productive”. Immediately YouTube returns millions of what seem to be awesome results. The search results are full of amazingly crafted thumbnails and titles that make me feel empowered already. Right away I start diving into the first few videos that seem promising. Clearly, I’m on the right path to being productive at work.
I start with a video for organization. It’s roughly 10 minutes and goes over the creator’s way of organizing and structuring everything in his life including work and personal items. I learned how to create folders on my computer for various things I need to keep up with like goals, to-do lists, important documents, etc. I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, I’m learning so much good stuff in this video”. So I do the next best logical thing, I click on another related video for productivity, “How to perform deep work”.
Continuing Down the “Research Rabbit Hole”
This video captivates my mind and I realize that I need to be performing more deep work to be efficient at my job. I often find myself at my desk and losing focus quite often, so the best thing to do is learn how to enter the “flow state” at will. If I learn how to master this mental state, I will literally be unstoppable at work. I’ll be cranking out reports and charts at such a high pace, that my co-workers will be in awe of my work ethic. However, as I’m in the middle of learning about deep work and flow, I see another recommended YouTube video on “The absolute best way to take notes so you actually absorb information”. Now, this is what I’m talking about, YouTube knows all my weak points so well, but how do they do that?
At this point, I’m 20 minutes into watching productivity-related YouTube videos. I’m feeling much more motivated and empowered than when I first sat down at my desk to start the workday. I’m on such a roll with learning all of this new knowledge about being a boss at work that I find a total of 5 more videos all covering a variety of topics that cater to my needs…
- “Top 5 productivity hacks used by the world’s most successful people”
- “The best IOS apps for increasing productivity”
- “How to stay focused and block out distractions for long periods of time”
- *Listen to this kind of music to increase your IQ”
- “Cute dog has a guilty face for eating off the counter”
I’m not even sure how I ended up at that last YouTube video, it just kind of happened. I lost all track of time and look down at my watch quickly realizing that a total of 45 minutes had passed. I haven’t done a lick of work since I sat down at my desk, but what I did accomplish was learning all kinds of tips, tricks, and hacks that would aid in my ability to put out great work.
Implementing My Newfound Skills…Sort of…
Now, the moment I have been waiting for. It’s time to actually implement these tips so that I can reap the benefits of being a productivity guru now. I close the YouTube app and shift my focus to my workstation and all of the pending assignments and projects that await me. Yawwwnnnnnnn, I’m so exhausted from spending all of my attention on YouTube videos that I deserve a break, a snack, something to treat myself. I get up from my comfy computer chair and head straight to the kitchen to get a snack, cause brain fuel.
10 minutes later, I return to my desk with the beast of all sandwiches and another round of iced coffee (my 2nd cup for the day). I’m back at my desk to tackle actual work again, but it would be inefficient to try and multi-task by eating at the same time. So, while I stuff my face with this delicious snack I turn my attention back to my YouTube recommended videos list, but only while I’m eating of course.
I’m Too Far Gone
Somehow my recommended video list has shifted from productivity and work-related videos to sports highlights and animal videos. I don’t know how this happened, but all I can say is YouTube is a dangerous and entertaining place. My yearning for increased productivity has turned me into an unproductive blob who has gotten zero work done.
I’m been told in the past that I am a problem solver. I agree with this statement and am motivated to fix this issue of going off the rails with YouTube. I immediately initiate my next master plan…
I Google “How to avoid getting distracted by social media”.
