
Technology never sleeps, and apparently, neither do many of us. We have an endless to-do list that is in control of our sense of accomplishment. We’ve all been there. You are working, and working and working; suddenly, its midnight, you’ve hardly moved a muscle all day and had no meaningful contact with friends or family. And sleep? Fugeddaboudit!
Here is a shocking revelation: Productivity does not equal self-worth. Consider instead this thought from Henry David Thoreau, “It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?”
Set a work limit, and stick to it, no matter what you have to do. Take some breaks, get some exercise and eat a vegetable or two.
Even in his day, Thoreau knew it’s all about quality over quantity. Why? According to Kyla Roma’s blog Hey Overachiever! Five Reasons why Productivity does not Equal Self-Worth, you are better than your to-do list. Let’s check out the reasons.
1. Rushing leads to poor work and time lost. Cramming your day full of tasks only does one thing: It takes you out of the moment. You are always looking to the future and planning what you need to do next. How does this hurt you? You are missing out on the events around you, and worst of all, aren’t focusing on the task at hand. That can directly affect your work quality. Roma suggests focusing on your senses for 5 to 10 minutes as needed throughout a day to ground you back in the here and now.
2. You buy your own BS. No one is better at fooling us than … well … ourselves. If you tell yourself you are crazy busy and don’t have time to even breathe, it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Tame the Neurotic Nelly within. Set boundaries and make decisions with your best interests in mind. Set a work limit, and stick to it, no matter what you have to do. Take some breaks, get some exercise and eat a vegetable or two. Continue reading →