Why Productivity Shouldn’t Be Your Goal
Increasing your productivity shouldn’t be your goal.
That may not be exactly what you’re expecting from a time management and productivity coach...
But I’m standing by it.
The pursuit of productivity
I used to put productivity on a pedestal.
If only I could be more productive, I would finally get to the end of my to-do list. I would finally feel like I could actually get up from my desk throughout the day. I would finally be able to spend time with my husband at the end of the day without the hum of anxiety pulling my focus to another day looming on the horizon.
My many years with this delusional goal looked a little something like this:
The productivity experts said to wake up early. Join the 5 AM Club!
So I set the alarm. Only to be greeted with an immediate pit in my stomach as soon as I heard its buzz and opened my eyes.
I’d lay there a little longer, desperately wishing I’d gotten confused and that it was really Saturday.
But the productivity experts said all successful people start their day with exercise.
So I’d pull myself out of bed. A mindful workout would get my head in the game and I’d be in on this secret of success.
Unfortunately, I was already behind. The morning anxiety would, indeed, go away…but only to be replaced with a frenzied feeling of being rushed.
Quick warmup. Faster reps. Did I remember my last set? No time for a cool-down stretch or meditation.
Get ready, stat! The laptop is waiting.
The productivity experts said I just needed to schedule my day.
So I’d watch my calendar fill up with meetings then I’d thoughtfully schedule my entire to-do list into every nook and cranny, pulling out all the extra “fluff”.
I don’t need a lunch break. Fluff.
I can multitask and work on this proposal during that meeting. Fluff.
If I work 12 hours today, that will give me even more time to get it all done. I could even just eat dinner at my desk. Fluff!
My productivity was on fire. I was doing allll the things with a huge output.
But…my to-do list still never seemed to get done.
The morning workouts seemed to get shorter and the work days seemed to extend longer.
Just be productive. Just get more done.
I was so blinded by the pursuit of productivity, that I lost sight of what I really wanted out of life.
What I truly longed for was some white space.
Time for more white space
I would fantasize and dream about an ideal day, always reserved for future me. Future me was carefree and happy and had escaped the gripping anxiety.
She wasn’t doubling her output. In fact, she was doing less. She was living in the moments of white space.
White space to sip coffee while watching the sunrise.
White space to journal while daydreaming and brainstorming the next big idea.
White space to take an unplanned detour to walk the dog in the middle of the day without the crushing guilt of wasted minutes.
Productivity is a means to an end.
The goal of being more productive should not be so you can do more work.
The goal of increasing your productivity is so you can do the work, in less time. So you have more time for the things you want to fill your life up with.
More time for white space.
3 steps to more white space
What does your fantasy white space look like?
More time for that painting class.
More time to read that book.
More time to linger in your Shavasana after a peaceful yoga class. (Namaste.)
It’s time to start making more room for this white space.
To start you down that path, here are 3 steps to improve your productivity (gross, I said it) to get to your white space moments:
Step 1: Remove distractions for the tasks you don’t want to do
It’s time to get to work.
Pulling together that quarterly report may not spark the joy you hoped for out of life. But, it still needs to get done.
Close the door. Turn off notifications. Put on your headphones to drown out the background noise. Whatever you need to do to avoid distractions.
Distractions and interruptions force you to start over. Who wants to constantly start and stop the work you just want to be done?
Give yourself a chance to get the task cranked out in a single sitting. So you can move on.
Removing distractions will help you not only get it done in less time, but you’ll feel more productive while you work because your attention won’t get pulled in a million different directions.
Time also flies by faster when you are in a state of undistracted flow. The flow that lets you create with self-confidence and drive. The resistance to the task you aren’t so thrilled about spending time on will melt away as you just focus on done.
Check! Ready for some white space.
Step 2: Take short breaks to avoid long unplanned breaks
After your distraction-free work time (see Step 1) get up from your desk.
Take a breather. Give yourself a chance to recover before you move on to the next thing.
Finding more white space also includes giving yourself margins during your working hours. Little pockets of white space to make the day feel like less of a grind.
When you don’t take these real breaks, you take fake breaks.
You suddenly find yourself with phone in hand scrolling Instagram or pulling up Slack to see if you missed any messages or checking your email for the eighth time in the last 10 minutes.
All of this “busyness” actually prolongs the time you’re giving to your work, delaying the white space you’re hoping for.
So schedule time to get up from your desk. Schedule bathroom breaks between meetings. Hell, even schedule the Instagram break!
Give these breaks a time limit. Take the break. Then get back to completing your work.
Step 3: Have a plan for your white space
Finally. The white space time is here. But now what?
When you aren’t used to having white space in your day, it can feel heavy at first.
It can disguise itself as boredom or even guilt of not keeping to the grind.
Your initial impulse may be to fill the space with mindless busyness. Wiping down the counters. Organizing that drawer. Pulling back up the work emails just in case you missed something.
Give yourself a plan for your white space.
Write down all the things you constantly lament you don’t have time for: reading a book, walking the dog, baking, coffee with friends. Make a list of white space tasks you can easily pull from and plan into this time.
When you have a plan to pull from, you won’t waste time with restless busy (that’s inevitably less than relaxing.) And you’ll, in a way, feel like you’re “being productive”, but this productivity is on those tasks that create that soul-filling energy we all want more of.
Conclusion
The relentless pursuit of productivity is a flawed approach.
Life is not about doing more. It’s about creating room for what truly brings you joy. For what makes you hopeful when you open your eyes to greet a new morning and fulfilled as you lay your head on your pillow at night.
Embracing this perspective shifts your focus from mere output to a more intentional focus on the quality of life you want to live.
If you are ready to get serious about getting more done at work, in less time, so you can finally carve out more white space, check out Never Work Overtime Again. This course is designed to help take back control of your day so you can start living the intentional and meaningful life you’re longing for.
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About Me
Hi, I’m Kara. I’m a former workaholic turned time-management expert. I help women stressed out in their 9-5 get more done, in less time, so they can get back in the driver’s seat and start living a life they love.
