Does being productive matter?

In the last number of years the concept of productivity has become something of a cultural phenomenon, with internet gurus distilling their “top 10 tips” on how to be more productive, or “how to wake up at 4:30AM” so we can make the most of our days. YouTube is full of influencers telling us we can get more done, accomplish our dreams, and work harder. The idea of productivity, of maximizing every minute, has quickly become tied into “hustle culture”, which tells us if we just work harder we can live our dream. Productivity helps us feel good, giving the sense that we are more responsible with our time and getting more done then those around us. But what is the point of it all, anyway?

In my own journey, I spent a few years down the rabbit hole of productivity influencers, constantly tweaking my life to get the most out of every second and pushing myself to work harder and get up earlier to build my dreams. The internet is overflowing with tips and tricks on the latest gadget or software that is “guaranteed” to help you get more done in a day.

And while I learned a lot, and as a result accomplished much more in the last three years than I thought possible, a critical shortcoming of productivity was staring me in the face. We are so busy optimizing our calendar, trying the latest morning routine, or experimenting with the latest productivity app that we don’t stop to ask, “to what end?” What is the goal of being productive? Is it making my life more meaningful and more joyful? What’s the point of it all, anyway? Even worse, the temptation is to look at those around us and think that since they aren’t working as long of hours, or aren’t maximizing the amazing time management principles that we’ve just learned, that somehow we are better or more important than them. But we are missing something critical.

I recently finished the book The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey. At first I was expecting just another book on how to optimize ourselves to get more done, and while there is some great advice on that, the book started by going deeper into the core of why we should even care about productivity to begin with. Here’s a few of the key things I learned.

The point of productivity

Fundamentally, the idea of productivity should be centered around tactics that help us accomplish everything we need to do, in less time “so you can carve out more time for what’s actually important and meaningful in your life” (page 3). It’s the difference between being completely wore out at the end of the day or having lots of time and energy left to invest on what matters most to you. This should be the focus of all the productivity “hacks”, all the time management software, all the hard work ideals. Ultimately it should be in service of freeing up our time to live our lives in a way that matters the most.

Productivity is about what you accomplish, not how busy you are

“Productivity has nothing to do with how much you do, and everything to do with how much you accomplish” (page 12). There is the common idea that being busy is a badge of honor. But instead, we should be stepping back and asking ourselves what we are actually accomplishing in the long run. Are we moving towards our long term life goals? Are we using our days in meaningful ways? Or are we simply running from meeting to meeting, from one to-do item to the next, chipping away at the list of tasks that never seems to get any smaller.

The goal is not to be busy

Being busy is a poor measure for what you are accomplishing in life. Some people spend their entire lives incredibly busy but in the end don’t accomplish much that is meaningful or lasting.

When we think of productivity, it’s helpful to think of it in terms of our time, attention, and energy. Productivity is about balancing all three of these. It is easy to think of productivity in terms of time (i.e. how much you get done), instead of in terms of how you are spending your energy and attention as well. This is important because we can spend our time working very hard, but not spend the proper attention (focus) to determine if that is what we should be doing. Or we spend our time on a task, not stopping to ask if our energy could be more efficiently used elsewhere.

Remember, we only get to live this life once. Make it count by spending your time, attention, and energy on the things that really matter to you. Life is more than endless hustle and infinite to-do lists.

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