Do You Have An Unhealthy Obsession With Productivity?
Maybe you don’t know it yet.
It’s that time of the year, you know!
India’s biggest festival, Diwali, is celebrated in my home city of Delhi for weeks. Lots of parties with friends and family until the primary day in mid-month last November.
Post-mid-November is the wedding season because the weather in our tropical city starts cooling down — the perfect time to wear out heavy and glittery outfits.
And soon, the holidays kick in in December.
It’s also a time I realised that my obsession with productivity is making me inflexible.
Thriving on routine is okay, but not being able to survive without it and being messy in your head isn’t. Because that’s what life is, it’s darn unexpected.
I tried something new in November — slowing down.
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi
I stopped waking up with alarms nearly a year ago. I train harder now, and if my body needs more rest, I let it be. This is the luxury of WFH and self-employment, so I know this isn’t for all.
But what I’m about to say is.
I feel like most of us impose a self-induced timeline and keep rushing through.
Moreover, some of us are productivity nerds, and we take pride in it. I love being productive.
While I thrive on a routine, the world will not adjust around it, and it’s okay to let loose.
I see many productivity enthusiasts who experience this.
Last month, I kept telling myself, “I have enough time”.
One thing I know is that I’m more creative in a relaxed mind. But the self-sabotage of feeling that I don’t have enough time doesn’t make me work better at all.
Telling myself that helped me get adequate rest, be more optimistic, and get things done.
When you tell yourself you have enough time, you calm down. You just know you’ll get things done, and that’s a better feeling than rushing to do things because you think you’re running out of time.
You also get things done faster because you’re not overwhelmed, and you escape decision fatigue this way.
So November was full of festivities, trying new things, and naps — but I got sh!t done so well, too.
If you resonate with the self-sabotage bit, maybe this message is that it’s time to slow down. Slowing down mentally can help you be more productive and get things done while your mind isn’t all over the place.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Lao Tzu
I hope being slower, kinder, and calmer helps you be efficient but also happier.