Reframing Productivity
Something we’ve been thinking about lately is the concept of productivity. That’s probably not surprising since we’re planner people, but given the massive shift in all of our lives over the last year, we’ve been grappling with what it really means to be productive. Of course we believe it’s important to accomplish things—that’s why we love planners! And productivity plays a huge role in breaking down your goals into concrete actions and then knocking out each step. But, we also believe having a narrow definition of productivity can have negative consequences, especially with the ebbs and flows life throws at us. So let’s talk about this—how do we reframe productivity?
(RE)DEFINE PRODUCTIVITY
We believe the first step to reframing productivity is to really sit with what it means. Most people probably have a straightforward definition of productivity: the more I accomplish each day, the more productive I am. From that viewpoint, the more to-do items you check off each day, the more productive you were. But is that true? Are all to-do items created equal? And is productivity about what you finish, not what you work on?
We believe a healthier definition of productivity focuses on effort. Machines finish the same amount of work every single day, but humans have emotions, relationships, and needs that will create variation in what we can accomplish each day. Does that mean we aren’t productive? We don’t think so. We believe that as long as we have focused intentions and put as much effort as we can into our daily tasks, that’s all that matters. We have been productive with what mental, physical and temporal capital we had that day.
So think about this for yourself: What does it mean for me to be productive? How can I see productivity in a more flexible and grace-filled light?
SEPARATE WORTH FROM PRODUCTIVITY
Another problem we’ve run into is tying our worth too closely to our productivity. We get it—it’s hard to not feel down on yourself when you reach the end of a day and your to-do list is still staring you in the face. But this becomes a major problem when our next instinct is to say, “I’m such a waste of space. How did I not check off even one of these items?” That’s not a healthy or motivating way to set yourself up for the next day. Instead, we feel strongly that it’s best to 1) give ourselves grace and 2) completely separate our worth from productivity.
Giving ourselves grace means recognizing that we’re human, so we’re not going to meet our highest expectations every single day. And that’s okay! There are people and responsibilities in our lives that are more important than our to-do lists and when we prioritize what matters most, that sometimes leaves much less time for tasks and projects.
Separating our worth from our productivity makes it easier to give ourselves grace. And of course accomplishments should make us proud of ourselves, but they should never be the only thing from which we draw our self-worth. Sometimes things outside our control get in the way of us meeting our goals and it’s never healthy to draw self worth from something we can’t control. So we have to connect our worth to other facets of our lives, especially facets that are inherent and within our control. We have worth because of the value we add to others’ lives, the lessons we’ve learned and how we’ve allowed them to change us for the better, and our unique perspectives and ideas that add so much color to the world. And we need to make it a daily habit to recognize how these facets of our lives contribute to our worth. (Affirmations are an excellent tool for this!) We are more than a to-do list. If we don't knock out all our tasks each day, we are still just as important, loved, and valuable.
Separate your worth from your productivity by asking yourself: Am I worthwhile because of what I do? Or who I am? What do I love about myself? How do my presence and contributions add value to the lives of those around me?
DECIDE WHAT CREATES VALUE IN A DAY
Another hard part of productivity is that we often assign the most value to the days where we accomplish the most. Again, what we accomplish and when isn’t always fully in our control, so basing a day’s value on this just sets us up for disappointment. We have to reframe productivity by seeing the value in each day, no matter how much we accomplish, and this happens when we focus on the most important things to us. For us, it’s things like time with our families, our mental and physical well-being, and trying our best. Recognizing the value these things infuse into our day means that even on our most disorganized or “unproductive” days, we can sit down and celebrate wins. Did we get to spend some quality time with our spouse? A win. Did our kids say something hilarious? A win. Did we do something uncomfortable but necessary to improve our health? A win. Were we doing the best we could with what the day handed to us? A win.
Deciding what creates value in your day is personal, but it’s an important way to keep productivity a positive and healthy concept. Ask yourself things like: What makes me say “today was a good day”? What value can I see in my most disorganized days? What role do difficult days play in my development?
We truly believe that we have the power to change the story we tell ourselves and find greater happiness by reframing what productivity means and what role it plays in our daily lives. We can find greater satisfaction each day by basing our happiness on our effort and peace of mind, not our production or accomplishments. Working towards our goals is important, but only so long as that pursuit is framed positively and with a healthy perspective.
How do you reframe productivity? What role does it play in your life? Share with us in the comments!