I Don’t Use the Word Productive

The $11 billion dollar self-help industry will follow along too.

I admit this article is coming from a place of anger. This is not anger caused by or directed at people whose aim is to be “productive”, nor at the gurus and creators who make a business out of helping them. Rather, this piece of commentary stems from the normalisation of basing your self-worth on how productive you are.

I was speaking with one of my long-time mentors recently, and they said something that pleased me. They said it as a lighthearted remark, perhaps jokingly: “You know, I never hear you speak about your productivity goals. I can’t decide if that is good or bad”. At that, I could not contain my smile.

“It’s neither good nor bad. Though what it is, is intentional.”

I never use the word productive to describe my work and habits. And I avoid it intentionally. I get raised eyebrows every time I say this, and you might be a little skeptic too. I take the skepticism at my decision as a sign that I am surrounded by ambitious, hard-working people who are set on achieving their goals and improving their lives. However, I started noticing that an attack on the concept of “productivity” in casual conversation usually strikes a nerve.

I couldn’t fathom why, at first. Why would my critique of referring to one’s work, time, and efforts as either “productive” or “unproductive” sour the conversation immediately and put a strain on my relationships? And then it clicked.

When you disregard someone’s preoccupation with productivity, you are in danger of chipping away at their dignity and self-worth.

It’s Not You, It’s Me

I have to admit my dislike for the word “productivity” as an adult started much like my dislike for the pop star and heartthrob Justin Bieber when I was twelve years old. I tended to harbour an intense, irrational dislike for things which:

1. Are overwhelmingly popular
2. Attain a bizarrely devoted following, rivalling a cult.

(Ironically, I am now an Apple enthusiast and I write about Apple products consistently.)

Ten years ago, I was a loner in secondary school with a grudge on the world. I was often bullied and made into the butt of every joke, and this conversation, which I remember with crystal clarity, was no exception.

“What, so you’re just going to hate Justin Bieber because all the girls are obsessed with him?”

My voice exploded with exasperation. “Well, yes! I hate him because he’s overrated and his fans are annoying!”

My usual bullies would gather around me and provoke me into making a fool of myself. My face would get all red from embarrassment and fury, and I would reply to their taunts with indignant remarks, to everyone else’s entertainment. I was always the kind of person to say what was on my mind, even when I knew I would be made fun of ad nauseam.

As I was making my way through the education system, productivity became my new pet peeve. I did not pay any real attention to this instinct, writing it off as another bout of pretentiousness on my part. Baseless and harmless.

However, I soon realised that being critical of the concept of “productivity”, as used by the self-help industry, is neither baseless nor harmless.

Productive, adj. producing or able to produce large amounts of goods, crops, or other commodities.

Productive is not a word I use to refer to doing my coursework, working on my code, or any type of work outside the scope of this handy definition. Perhaps metaphorically, perhaps not, being productive nowadays means more than producing commodities. It means getting your work done, and fast.

Productivity is all about volume. The $11 billion dollar self-help industry is at your fingertips, teaching you how to do more, better and faster, and people eatit up. There’s nothing wrong with thinking that we all have 24 hours in a day, and the difference between you and your peers is how you use that time to achieve more.

However, there is something to be said about productivity and self-esteem. Research has proven time after time that workplace productivity and self-esteem are direct correlates. This is a double-edged sword. Productive workers are also people with good self-esteem. What does this mean when your standard of productivity is imposed by yourself? What does it mean when productivity starts to trickle from the workplace into your hobbies, relationships and family life?

What happens when you cannot meet your standard of productivity, often inspired by social media and a multi-billion dollar industry that capitalises on your desire to do more and faster? Your self-worth takes a hit.

What happens when you cannot meet your standard of productivity with your hobbies, or your relationship? There is no metric that can tell you if you are a good partner, a good book reader or a good footballer. Either are or you are not. It has nothing to do with how to get a volume of things done faster.

Don’t Say The Word

Needless to say, you are more than your productivity output. You are more than how many things you can get done at work or at school. You are more than how many goals you can score in football with your mates and more than how many memories you can make at once with your loved ones.

One way to stop feeling inadequate and driving yourself to burnout is to simply not say the word. Don’t say it. Don’t think about it. Instead, enjoy the process and celebrate your achievements when the process is over.

You might say, “I had a productive morning today. I replied to all my emails and finished the project I started yesterday.”

Instead, try saying: “I stuck to my program this morning and I even did a little extra. It will take a little pressure off me as I get on with the rest of my work for today.”

You might say: “I was very unproductive today. I didn’t get much done.”

Instead, try saying: “I didn’t stick to my schedule today. I should look it over again to make sure I was realistic when organising my day. I might have underestimated how long a particular task might take, or I might have been unprepared to tackle it (not done my research/not prepared my resources). As a result, I didn’t use my time efficiently. Tomorrow I will do better.”

Don’t Be Critical of How Much You Have Done — Be Critical of Your Process

Eliminating the pressure to produce output on a schedule dictated (in many cases tyrannically) by your own brain can improve your chances at avoiding burnout and low self-esteem. Focus on your process and be critical of how you tackle your work, not of the volume of tasks you get done.

In my case, never referring to myself as productive or unproductive works miracles. Firstly, it destroys the mindset that my activities must produce a certain amount of something in order for me to be happy with myself. Secondly, it encourages me to use more humanising language and stop minimising my achievements, big and small, based on how many others there are.

Give it a week and you’ll begin to see it everywhere. The more you refrain from plastering this label on yourself, the more obvious it will become how much everyone does it. And no matter what you do, don’t judge others. Be mindful that productivity is intrinsically connected with many people’s sense of self. My instinct says this will change in the near future, as many people will abandon the rat race to prioritise personal growth and wellbeing. Covid-19 may have been the wake up call to the reality that your job is not your best friend. It is certainly not a substitute for a support system when misfortune strikes.

Soon enough, there will be a gradual shift from attaining the best results faster, to attaining the best results using an organic approach that prioritises your mental health. Whatever the gurus will name it, this new wave of self-help will replace the concept of productivity as it is understood today. For now, I gently advise anyone who’ll listen to me to try to do without this adjective. I have managed to do without it and I don’t regret it.