Biased Productivity - Is it Killing Your Sense of Accomplishment?
Perspective can shift your whole view of the world.
“Productivity Is Never An Accident. It Is Always The Result Of A Commitment To Excellence, Intelligent Planning And Focused Effort.”
This week was a definitely chaotic week for me.
Unplanned events.
A scattered schedule.
Appointments sprinkled through the week.
Although ‘productive’ in a sense that I am accomplishing need-to-do things, for whatever reason, i struggle with defining these need-to-do’s as productive.
Why is that?
Why do I see these things as unimportant, not note-worthy or worth patting myself on the back for?
Now, I definitely am one to want to share productivity tips, discuss efficiencies in my workflow and how to adapt them for your own lives, but I also think it is important to recognize shifts in mentality and even discuss my own mental hurdles that I am working on.
In this case, doing groceries, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, running errands, attending appointments, and the rest of those necessities.
They seem like obstacles that take me away from being productive.
Whereas they should be acknowledged or counted as moments or acts of productivity.
More than anything, I think this introspective moment has shined a spotlight on my own judgments and biases. That I see household chores and work as an obstacle or barrier to “success” and “achievement”.
Initially, after reading that Paul Meyer’s quote, I was inspired to write a blogpost talking about how my productivity was derailed, that I never was able to complete my habits, my daily rituals, my routines and that was the reason I was unproductive.
Instead, I feel the need to say that I was productive. That I did accomplish things that were focused effort, that were not an accident, and were a commitment to excellence. Simply, not the excellence I was biased to acknowledge or see - because these habits are so engrained in me.
The habits to cook healthy meals at home instead of eating out.
The habits to eat simply, not too heavy on the fats, oils, sugars, and salt.
The habit to care for my home and my personal care. To have clean clothes, to have a clean home.
Although under-appreciated, these domestic tasks can springboard a sense of productivity, of accomplishment, of value that maybe I wasn’t identifying.
And maybe, in those moments where I shun these tasks for the more glorified ‘work’ productivity that I am biased to desire, I under-appreciate the productive work my family does to support me. To feed me. To upkeep my personal care.
I think that little shift in perspective and view of productivity can do wonders for me to acknowledge and value my time caring for my home. Sure, it can be an intangible or difficult to measure in terms of monetary value, but I have no doubt that neglecting these aspects of my life would ultimately be a detriment to my productivity. Eating unhealthily, sleeping late, drinking soda, missing exercise, wearing dirty clothes, living in filth, not having healthy snacks or foods to eat are a recipe for long-term disaster, limit the longevity of the productive journey and this is my first step towards acknowledging and re-calibrating my valuation of these domestic accomplishments.
I hope that translate or resonates for you too.
To pat yourself on the back for accomplishing those things.
To acknowledge that those duties or tasks are note-worthy, are praise-worthy, are valuable.