Productivity is Not a Dirty Word…
I feel inspired, nay compelled to say something…
Productivity is not a dirty word.
Scrolling through my Facebook feed this morning whilst enjoying my coffee with cream, I came across this article:
You Can Quit Hustling – Your Productivity Does NOT Determine Your Worth
And it got me a little bit mad.
Why? Because productivity is getting a bad wrap these days. And I get it, the word has been used in the past in conjunction with phrases such as “work smarter, not harder” and “get more work done in less time” with a focus on generating a greater output and in the corporate world meeting and exceeding KPIs. Hell, I’ve even used those phrases myself in the past.
But now, as I grow older and wiser, and have applied and adapted everything I have ever learned about productivity to create a more peaceful, intentional life, that’s not the way I think about productivity at all.
To me productivity is…
Working less.
Removing the noise.
Focusing on what is important.
Creating the time and space to do more of what I want.
Being productive allows me to do less while more effectively reaching my goals.
An empty inbox gives me the peace of mind that I know where my business is at and what is going on with my clients.
An organised to-do list means that I know what needs to be done and I don’t need to worry that I might have missed something.
A scheduled calendar means that I’ve planned my day in a way that works for me. Allows me to do what I need, by the time I need it done, with lots of time for breaks and enjoyment in between.
And when I don’t get something done like I planned. I don’t beat myself up about it, because I’m human and life happens. I just learn from what went wrong, reschedule it and move on.
You see, productivity isn’t about turning you into a task-completing robot with high outputs and little downtime. It’s about allowing you to become a human who intentionally lives the life you want. Focusing on the important and letting go of everything else. (In all aspects of your life!)
When you work, you work hard.
But when you rest, you rest fully. Knowing that you have taken care of business in the most efficient and intentional way.
