Why productivity is a mentality
I’m not going to lie, I’m unsure as to whether or not I’m writing this for you or myself. As I write this, it is 11:30am and I am laying in bed in my pjs. I had intended to be up at 7 or 8 am this morning to have a nice breakfast, work out, work on my blog a bit, tidy up the house, and tackle some homework that is due next week. None of that has been done yet!
(Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.)
At the moment, I’m currently working on my free ebook (the one that will be sent to subscribers on my blog) which is titled, My Guide to a Productive Lifestyle. I felt I was qualified to talk about this topic because I strive to live each day as fully as possible. This has enabled me to do many things:
- I’ve self-published a book
- Created a blog
- Continuously received straight A’s in college
- Have maintained a decent work schedule at target
- Have grown to eat healthier
- Have maintained a work out schedule
- Have two books in progress
- And have submitted articles for freelance work
This is actually A LOT. And I really do mean A LOT. It can become overwhelming at times.
I used to confuse being “productive” with “doing things.” And in a way, productivity IS kind of like that. But my view of productivity was warped. I conflated money with being a sign of a person's productiveness. I also warped the notion that “productivity looks different for everyone.”
Productivity DOES look different for everyone.
But I took this statement a little too far.
Here’s an example: my boyfriend’s productivity includes doing dishes and working long hours at his job. He feels most accomplished after working a 10 or 12 hour shift. My friend, Ariana, feels most accomplished after thrifting some decor from goodwill and completely redecorating her room (which looks stunning, I might add).
My sense of accomplishment is derived from my creative outlets. I feel most accomplished when I have created a few blog posts, written a newsletter, created an ebook, written 1,000 words for my novel, or have created a nice YouTube video. These are the moments where I feel I’ve done something useful with my day.
Here’s the problem:
I started over-associating these things to the idea of “productivity” so much so, that I no longer felt accomplished in my day if I hadn’t done ALL of the above.
Essentially, one blog post was no longer enough, I had to create three! Not only that, but I couldn’t just stop there, I had to write the 1,000 words, create a whole new project, make a video, etc.
This extended so much that after a while I began to juggle EVERYTHING at once and became super stressed. I felt overwhelmed by the amount of homework and house chores piling up. I began to think that since I wasn’t seeing any progress or reward for my hard work, that it wasn’t worth anything.
I connected my sense of achievement with monetary gain.
Ah, capitalism at its finest. Am I right?
There was a moment when I was laying in bed with a throbbing headache, knowing that I had to get up and go to work, write an essay for school, eat something healthy, clean the house, etc. The list went on. In that moment, I realized that I was beyond over invested and overworked.
I cried.
Yes, I’m a big baby!
And you know what? I learned that productivity is not based on how much you do. It’s not even about what you are doing.
Productivity is a mentality.
When you glance back at your day, right before bed, it’s easy to slip into the idea that you have done nothing.
Our society has sort of warped our ability to feel useful. We think that if we are not working our butts off for a company, or earning money, or doing SOMETHING useful for ourselves or society, we feel defeated. (Pretty sure someone told me this sentiment once).
I’m laying in bed right now, typing this ON MY PHONE! And you know what? I can accept that I am productive.
A lot of us struggle with the idea that we are not being society's ideal of “productive.” Especially right now with Covid 19 and self-isolation, many of us are falling into a sense of depression due to our lack of action.
But you know what? That’s a load of BS!
Here are some ways to count your productivity!
- You got out of bed (very difficult, super productive)
- You ate breakfast
- You ate something healthy
- You worked out
- You washed your dirty dishes
- You organized a part of your house
- Maybe you cleaned your whole house? (Good for you!)
- You painted something
- You wrote something
- You did homework
- You practiced your target language
- You went to work
- You called a friend
- You hung out with your family
- You did a puzzle or at home game
- You finished that netflix series (I don’t care what people say, tv series are not just a waste of time. They’re so similar to books except minus the reading and you can become passionate and inspired by tv shows. Don’t relate netflix watching to laziness!)
- You watched a YouTube video you’ve been eyeing
- You read a book (even just a few pages!)
- You went outside
- You smiled
- You did your hair and makeup
- You watered your plants
- Your worked on a passion project
- You found a new song you like
- You made your bed
These things are so simple and you know what? They count as being productive!
Productivity is not about doing EVERYTHING and feeling exhausted afterwards. It’s about thinking “what is one thing that I did today that either a) made me feel good or b) was necessary to accomplish.” I mean, homework does not make me feel good. But it IS necessary. And I can respect myself enough to consider homework an achievement.
I always thought that I had to see results in order to feel productive. But that is such a stupid thought!
Being productive is a mentality. It’s in your head! You decide what productivity looks like for you! Some days, it’s the fact that I went to work and earned my wage. Some days, it’s the fact that I got out of bed. Each day is different.
If you’re struggling with feeling productive, get a journal or a planner. Jot down your daily reflections. Circle the things that made you feel productive or were so in hindsight. You’ll be amazed.
A good place to start is to get a product from Erin Condren or Minted. Find accomplishment on embarking on this little journaling feat.
Check out my post “Beginners Guide to Journaling” if that helps.
Or, subscribe to my newsletter to get a copy of My Guide to a Productive Lifestyle.
Honestly, opportunity is limitless. It’s up to you to change your state of mind about what productivity means to you.
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You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $6.99!
Thanks again
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