The Case Against Productivity
We are envious of people who seem to be so productive, who can just get 12 hours of work done without raising an eyelid. We strive to make the best use of our time possible. And not waste any. We desire the pursuit, the hustle, for getting things done and prioritise this above all else. I want to argue for the case against productivity…
In the hyper-connected, technology-riddled, modern world, we always feel a need to be doing something, making money, creating value or simply doing something we feel is useful. I have discussed how little time we get to just sit and observe the world despite realising that time goes by so quickly. However, we now spend far less time on important areas of our life – such as spending time outside. If you spend less than 2 hours outside each day, you are experiencing less fresh air then inmates at maximum security prisons in the U.S. How have we allowed this to happen? Well, walking in the fresh air amongst nature has no measurable, short-term value. There is no instant dopamine boost. No money being made. No content created. And yet, surely spending two hours outside a day would be one of the most enjoyable and long-term beneficial ways for us to spend time.
Often, the important, worthwhile parts of life have very little measurable output. These deep, intangible feelings and activities that are good for us, are hard to grasp and measure. But todays narrative focuses on analysing your outputs, reducing time spent on tasks by making them structured, methodical and planned and a relentless focus to ‘do everything now.’ Society create incentives, usually economically but also socially through status, that entice us to always be on-the-go. This focus on making a quick buck and getting a quick win, ticking something off the never-ending to-do list has been taken obsessively and we now struggle to switch off, take time to re-charge and participate in arguably more important areas of life.
The very nature of the standard ‘productivity formula’ of useful output/time is completely insane. Ok, for machines and technology the formula makes perfect sense, but we are not a finely optimised machine. We are human. So why have we transferred this productivity idea into our own lives.
Firstly, output suggests that there is something at the end. A result. Going for a walk has absolutely no result. Nothing to tick off as complete. We won’t have anything to show for it by the time next week rolls round. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it or prioritise it.
Useful suggests that we are able to understand what we desire. Useful by its very definition means able to be used for a practical purpose or in several ways. Its synonyms are: functional, practical, handy, convenient. Again, going for a walk is none of these things. When I look back at my life I don’t want it to feel ‘useful’ or ‘functional’. I want it to be healthy, exciting and fulfilling.
Then there is the time element. This has now resulted in us feeling a need to always use our time effectively. To value it, not because it is scarce or limited, but because we now believe we can generate more content, money, progress and success with it. We strive to get more done in less time, so that we can spend that time we saved on even more stuff - an unhealthy, never-ending cycle. The idea should be that we get to spend the extra time we saved doing nothing but this seems to of escaped our minds, partly due to the apparent difficulty of going against the grain and doing less.
The word productive has become too toxic and the ideas surrounding it too overpowering. Instead, we should focus on gaining more efficiencies in the key areas of our life that we want to work on. Efficiency can be things like blocking out distractions, having a set up or system that increases the speed at which things are done, looking for ways to make our life more effective. For example, when I go walking outside, I have a pair of shoes ready by the door, time blocked in my calendar for it if needed, and combine it with a podcast. None of this increases my productivity, this is not an ideal I am striving for, but it is more efficient and effective and allows me to spend time outside each day.
In short, when I look back at my life, I don’t think the word productivity will pop into my mind in the slightest. So, lets not strive for increasing our useful output each day. Let’s spend more time outside. Let’s improve efficiency where we can, to improve our effectiveness, but not take the idea to obsessively.
Being productive doesn’t matter and won’t matter.
