Yours Productively.

2020, the year that was going to be the turnstile to glory for many. The year that most of us wrote essays about in schools, the year A P J Abdul Kalaam envisioned to be. But nah, living up to expectations is too mainstream or is it?

The world has gone topsy-turvy in the last few months, thanks to the pandemic attack. So has the personal and professional schedule of every individual old enough to have one. Unfortunately for a few, these times proved to be the test of their lives to survive the lock down without being broke — financially, mentally, and physically.

COVID and the lock down revealed the many nuances to the so called ‘rat race’ of human lives. An evidence to the fact that most lives are lived out in a series of unfortunate comparisons, the ‘Sharmaji ka beta’ syndrome gripping every other Indian parent as they bring up their kids. Ironically, a global pandemic has unfurled an advanced global version of this syndrome — ‘the productivity meter’.

With a mammoth increase in screen time and an equally proportionate increase in digital media consumption, people are getting bombarded with motivational quotes and listicles to keep their day ‘productive’. In a single glance, it seems like a helping hand stretched across to pull you into the warmth of a global fraternity, fighting the battle together but given a second glance, it is nothing but an invitation to dance to the rhythm of a music unknown to you.

With every other meme and tweet shouting out the grievously misleading statement — “you didn’t lack time, you lacked discipline” COVID19 is proving to be more lethal than it already is. The line simply disguised as ‘raw motivation’ actually has the potency to pull the morale of a person down beyond repair.

It is an often discussed and dismissed topic that everyone functions to the ticking of their own internal clocking system, paced with synchrony to their life’s journey. Every being is the center of their own universe, fighting their own battles and winning many but definitely losing some. For there are people who think of waking up in the morning to make a cup of tea and finding a moment of peace to themselves as the greatest high of the day. While there are others who think they haven’t done enough even after baking a dozen, winning two contracts and re-modelling a bazooka. Simply put, life would be much easier if we leave the choice of the battle to the warrior them self than making a list of fist fights to entertain with.

I get a million digital nudges to complete a course in digital marketing, to finish a level in Duo Lingo or just random DIY hacks and hobby prompts. For a 25 and barely walking professional (ish) person like me, the tools to prove my productivity are overwhelming. If I am to give in to this pressure, I stand to lose out on things that I hold dear, like my sanity for instance? On a serious note, this would be the ideal situation to maybe change the above mentioned ‘raw motivation’ to “live and let live”.

Choose your activities and choose it wisely for, YOU have to fulfill the commitments and not your ‘inspo’ or your ‘instaguru’. Having said that, there is another set of ‘raw motivationalist’ who does the exact opposite — shoot down anyone who says they have gone above and beyond what they normally do. People who have accomplished their goals, ticked off bucket-list items and simply evolved into better versions of themselves during this lock down period, are truly praiseworthy. If they are to put up social media posts, celebrating the same, it is best to let them celebrate their winnings. As I said, live and let live.

The pressure is real, its relatable too as you see your peers adding on to their LinkedIn profile, curating their ‘gram feed’ and flaunting that ‘beach bod’. You are convinced that your reading list needs to be updated and should have now started making money from that passion of yours while you continue clocking your regular working hours at your job. In reality, you are not on paid vacation with infinite time at your leisure. You are in the midst of a global health crisis that is rewriting normalcy as you know it while wreaking havoc in the economy. You fear for your health, your job, and your financial stability all the while proving to the world that you are being productive.

Unparalleled expectations for yourself is the first counterproductive measure that needs to be weeded out from your schedule. Understanding the presence of a support system that enables one to engage in these productive activities is crucial to understanding your limitations. Just to exemplify, a young working (from home) couple setting up base in a new city got caught off guard in the lock down, completely new to the chaos of running a house, they find it an achievement if they can cook and eat three full meals a day and hit the sack before it strikes 3 in the night. On the flip-side you will find someone, hustling about finishing their reading lists, jumping from one zoom meeting to another and still managing to cook an elaborate dinner to unwind for the day.

Aligning your self-worth to your to-do list is the cruelest joke that you can play on yourself. Hustle all you want, set targets higher than the sales team of Amazon, but always know that you can ace at one thing that none other can and that is being you.

You be YOU!