{"id":37656,"date":"2017-09-18T04:45:53","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T09:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=37656"},"modified":"2017-09-18T04:45:53","modified_gmt":"2017-09-18T09:45:53","slug":"purpose-of-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/purpose-of-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Problem with Whack-a-Mole Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I started my career, I quickly discovered that I had more to do than I could get done in a forty-hour workweek. So, I worked more hours. I got to the office at 5:00 a.m. and usually didn\u2019t leave until 6:00 p.m.<\/p>\n\n

I often worked on Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings, too. It wasn't unusual to put in sixty to seventy hours a week, or even more<\/a>. But I still wasn\u2019t getting enough done. So I figured I just needed to get more efficient.<\/p>\n

I attended time-management seminars, read books on productivity, and bought a better paper planner. Yet that still wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

My professional life resembled a game of Whack-a-Mole. Every time I checked something off my to-do list, two more tasks popped up. I felt overwhelmed and discouraged. And I secretly began to wonder if the problem was just me.<\/p>\n\n

Productivity problems<\/h3>\n

It wasn\u2019t until many years later that I began to sort this all out. The problem was productivity itself, or rather how I tended to look at productivity at the time.<\/p>\n

The old productivity paradigm was all about greater efficiency<\/a>. How do you get more done in the same amount of time? It was the old factory model, applied everywhere<\/a>. The goal was to increase throughput, rev up the line, speed the plow.<\/p>\n

This model may work with machines, but it doesn\u2019t work with humans. It crushes our spirits, leading to burnout or even worse. The Japanese even have a word for it: karoshi<\/em>, or \u201cdeath from overworking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Productivity and freedom<\/h3>\n

What I eventually discovered was that the only kind of productivity worth pursuing isn\u2019t simply about getting more done. It\u2019s about getting the right things done with a specific goal in mind. Ultimately, real productivity leads to greater freedom.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, the new paradigm for productivity is about more freedom. It\u2019s about how you can get more done by working less<\/a>, so you can enjoy life and invest in the people and priorities that matter most. Doesn\u2019t that sound better?<\/p>\n

Any productivity gains worth striving for\u2014what I call \u201ctrue productivity\u201d\u2014should help enable us to enjoy each of these four freedoms:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The freedom to focus\u2014<\/strong>where all the important work is done (hence the name of my Free to Focus\u2122 course<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
  2. The freedom to be present\u2014<\/strong>instead of thinking about work or other things when you\u2019re with your family.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n

    The freedom to be spontaneous\u2014<\/strong>to have room on your calendar for the fun and interesting opportunities that crop up.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    The freedom to do nothing\u2014<\/strong>to shrug off the unrelenting busy-ness of life and just be.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Italians have a phrase for this last freedom: dolce far niente<\/em> or \u201cthe sweetness of doing nothing.\u201d I experienced this firsthand on my recent sabbatical<\/a> to Italy.<\/p>\n

    Gail and I had three weeks, unplugged from the office. I didn\u2019t check my email or Slack. I didn\u2019t create a daily task list. I didn\u2019t have any meetings to attend.<\/p>\n

    It was glorious. And it was only possible because of the freedom that real productivity makes possible.<\/p>\n\t\t