Obsession with Productivity

How satisfying is it when you get to cross out all your tasks on your to-do list? What an accomplishment, I know.

2020 was a petrifying year for us. It has shifted our life, in almost every aspect. For me, it was the year of anxiousness and distress. I used to have no plan, no such vision of what I wanted to do in my life. I constantly questioned my skills and character. After a while of browsing YouTube, I found lifestyle vloggers and those who always talk about productivity. And yes, I adopted and absorbed most of the lessons I got from those videos.

I am literally obsessed with pens and notebooks but, I never imagined myself buying a year planner. Because how could I plan my whole year when I do not know what I wanted to do, right? Silly. As a second-year student, I started the first semester with such drive, passion, and excitement. The planner was being used and my whole schedule changed. And frankly, last year thought me discipline.

Academics. Academics. Academics.

My entire focus was on my academics. Too immensely focused on how I could ace my subjects, maintain my grades, and of course, be a consistent college scholar. At first, I was doing great, just fine. I was head over heels for my study materials. My notes will serve as evidence. Also, I even bought sets of highlighters, bookmarks, and sticky notes. I loved it. And I could say that it was part of my coping mechanisms.

Knowing Productivity

Productivity books? Name it. Vloggers introduced me to these books. Atomic Habit, Miracle Morning, Start with Why, and many more. I don’t regret reading these lovely self-help books. That’s why reading is my partner, in almost everything.

Now, I want to ask you. What does productivity mean to you?

Personally, my 2020 self would certainly tell you that “Productivity is when you have accomplished all your tasks for a certain day”. Most of us might have the same perception. As by the dictionary’s definition, productivity is the state of being productive. Accordingly, productivity teaches us time management. Obviously, we cannot master productivity within a single day. It must be practiced diligently.

Now, let’s get into productivity more deeply.

Unhealthy Productiveness

How does your typical productive day look like? Do you usually start your day with cold morning showers, a cup of mind-awakening coffee, and quickly work on the first task on your to-do list? If you are fixated with this kind of routine, you’re not alone. Even before the pandemic happens, the world is already obsessed with productivity. Hustling every minute, every day, and that goes on for an entire year. Students are correspondingly being taught how to be productive in schools. We are blitzed by theories, formulas, activities, projects, and exams. We learned task-batching, no-phone workspace, and even listening to classical songs to focus on the task at hand. Our parents always include in their sermons that we must practice being productive. To do this and that. They’re trying to instill that this kind of “productivity” is the only productivity we need as we grow up into self-reliant individuals.

Last week, I’ve read this article discussing the same issue of Americans. Smoak (2020) has pointed out the toxic culture with regards to the evaluation of one’s self-worth by means of calculating their productivity. Young individuals are immensely invested in collecting accomplishments. Busy city roads are filled with workers hustling and grinding all day long. Commitment is a must. If you are not busy, you’re definitely lazy (as they say). We deprive of our sleep and couldn’t have a real “rest day”. Have you noticed that we’re more confident to face our classmates or workmates on Mondays when we’ve got some work done on the weekends? We think we’re better than them. We perceive them as lazy. Americans, frankly even non-Americans, feel more satisfied with how their productive day went, from getting off the bed to brushing their teeth in the evening. In worst-case scenarios, we, as we get too focused on the screen (now that most of us are studying and working from home) and eventually forget to eat our meals or even just drink water or go in the bathroom to take a pee. The saddest chapter of your “productive day” is when you do not finish accomplishing a single task in the planner or in a sticky note posted in your room. Fear of getting behind the competition. That’s where anxiety arises.

When you meet your friends’ friends, you partly introduce yourself based on what keeps you busy or simply, what you have accomplished. Being busy over being good. This is how it seems, I guess.

“Your accomplishments as a whole are more valued than your real incomparable worth”

Quality over Quantity

The quality of the tasks being done is shadowed by the quantity. Addiction with quantity, I guess. One day, this vlogger explained in her video the difference between these two in terms of this unhealthy productiveness. Real productivity means getting to finish what you need and want to do, with genuine pleasure in accomplishing those tasks. But of course, I don’t want to end this blog without sharing something which you can apply in your own addiction with productivity.

Alarming signs that it is unhealthy productiveness:

1.      Have you ever thrown a tantrum to any of your family members or friends when they keep on bombarding you with unrelated matters on your daily tasks?

2.      Do you feel drained whenever you only get to cross only a single item on your planner?

3.      How do you feel when something gets delayed in your routine?

4.      Do you deprive your sleep?

5.      Is your body and mind both relaxed when you get in your bed at night?

6.      Are you genuinely happy with the quality of tasks you’ve done?

Renavigate your Mind

There’s definitely a reason why you get too obsessed with productivity. I know, I’ve been there. And honestly, these pointers that I will share will not abruptly and completely improve your “productivity journey”. Personally, here are some of the techniques or tricks I used and am currently using in order to redirect myself whenever I get my wheels on this kind of productivity.

1. Redefine productivity (self-worth over productivity)

2. Include “me time” on your schedule

3. Keep your body moving

4. Reduce negative self-talk

5. Be in the present (mindfulness)

6. Prioritize tasks

7. Set SMARTER goals

8. Breathe and stay hydrated

9. Have bonding time with friends and family

10. Stop comparing your level of productivity to someone else’s

11. Allow yourself to have time to reflect

Above all, the most important is:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” – Philippians 4:6

A friendly reminder:

Focus on yourself. You are growing, you are changing for the better. May you continue to be at peace even when everyone around you is hustling in their own progress. Your hard work will pay off in God’s perfect timing.

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Noise: @shewrites