Feb 9, 2022
Welcome to episode 105, where we look at the downside of productivity.
While it’s helpful to be mindful about how we invest our time and attention, a focus on productivity as a goal can have some serious downsides. When we set productivity as our goal, it’s the same as chasing happiness - both are temporary states and can leave us feeling unfulfilled if we believe we should be that way all the time.
Instead, we present productivity as a lens through we can can examine our life helping us to decide how to prioritise and understand what’s possible. As we point out, our time here is finite - so we can’t do it all.
We always love to hear from listeners, so tell us: what’s your approach to productivity? How does a focus on this help you? Has it ever had a downside for you? Let us know. You can contact us on Twitter (@MyPocketPsych), via email (podcast at worklifepsych dot com) or leave us a voicemail (https://camflare.io/studio/61308a654fd12/).
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Ep 104: The power of the weekly review - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/104/
- Video: How to do a simple weekly review - https://youtu.be/lsp6QrZheTE
- Our approach to productivity - https://www.worklifepsych.com/productivity
- Blog post: Productive prioritising - choosing with intention - https://www.worklifepsych.com/choosing-with-intention/
- Oliver Burkeman’s ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ - https://www.waterstones.com/book/four-thousand-weeks/oliver-burkeman/9781847924018