Summary

The article discusses the pitfalls of strict adherence to productivity schedules and the importance of embracing spontaneous inspiration for creative work.

Abstract

The author of the article shares a personal journey from following a rigid productivity schedule to understanding the value of spontaneity in creative work. Initially, the author adhered to a strict routine, dedicating set hours for work, meals, side hustles, sleep, and personal time, which led to burnout and a creative block. The author realized that inspiration often strikes unexpectedly and that forcing oneself to create within a fixed schedule can be counterproductive. The article argues that true productivity is not about the number of hours spent working or sticking to a timetable but about embracing moments of inspiration whenever they occur, even if it means working at odd hours. The author now prioritizes acting on ideas as they come, leading to more fulfilling and productive work without the constraints of a traditional 9-to-5 schedule.

Opinions

Strict productivity schedules can lead to burnout and hinder creativity.
Inspiration is not bound by a schedule and often comes at unexpected times.
Forcing oneself to work within a fixed timetable may not result in actual progress or productivity.
The societal expectation of a 9-to-5 work schedule does not align with everyone's most productive times and can turn a dream job into a monotonous routine.
Productivity is individual and cannot be universally quantified by hours spent working or the number of tasks completed.
Embracing spontaneous moments of inspiration and working on ideas as they come can lead to one's best work.
The pressure to appear busy and adhere to productivity metrics can be creatively stifling.

“Productivity” Is Making You Miserable

An anti-motivational article.

In the past two years, my battle with self-discipline has become more like a game of tug-of-war.

I used to try following a fixed schedule. I’d read productivity hacks, and believed that having a timetable was the key towards becoming successful.

I tried to wake up early in the morning and spend 8 hours working. Another 2 hours eating. 4 hours working on side hustles. 8 hours of sleep. 2 hours with family and friends.

Having a schedule like this worked for some time.

Then, I started to feel burnt-out and exhausted. I felt my creativity start to fade.

I’d sit down and stare at my laptop for hours trying to write, and words wouldn’t come out. I had deadlines to meet, but it seemed as though all my creativity was depleted.

Inspiration always struck at the wrong time — when I was supposed to be working on something else.

This made me frustrated. I was being disciplined, and I was working as hard as I could. Why wasn’t I making progress?

The problem is this:

Inspiration doesn’t strike with a schedule.

Productivity is very different from what it looks like. You can sit down and stare at your laptop screen for 8 hours without getting anywhere.

I rarely make progress in front of a computer screen. I get answers to the problems I’m facing at random — while making coffee, walking my dog, or playing a game.

This is because inspiration doesn’t strike with a schedule.

You can have a fixed timetable, force yourself to adhere to it everyday, and still not see any progress.

What happens when inspiration strikes at 3am?

When you suddenly wake up with the answer to a problem you’ve been trying to solve the entire week? Or when you get an idea that completely changes the plot of the book you’ve been working on?

Whenever this happened to me, I would tell myself to go to sleep so I could get back to it the next day.

I used to force myself to get some rest, telling myself that I’d work on it in the morning. I’d supress any creative urges that came up.

The next day, I would’ve either forgotten the idea that came up the night before, or I would’ve lost the pressing urge to get it done.

The world around us is filled with people talking about discipline and productivity.

Forcing people into offices from 9–5 and asking them to put in their best work in this timeframe isn’t productivity.

Most of them aren’t actually working. They just look like they are.

Forcing productivity can make a dream job turn into a nightmare.

When I was younger, I wanted to become a children’s author someday, with my books sitting on a shelf at the front aisle of a bookstore.

My dream job has always been one that involved writing. Being paid to do something I loved felt like the best way to live life.

While in university, I once got an internship in content writing during a semester break.

I was overjoyed! I was certain I’d love every second of it.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I had to go to the office at 10am everyday and leave at 6pm. They’d give me a set of topics, and I had to write as much as I could in those 8 hours.

Very quickly, I found myself starting to hate it. I felt like a content mill, being forced to push out as many articles as I could within a certain period of time.

Once work was over, I was drained of energy and inspiration — only to find that I had to wake up and do the same thing the next day.

I have come to the realization that productivity looks different for everyone.

Some people swear by having a schedule and sticking with it.

Some authors on Medium say that publishing one article everyday has helped improve their writing skills.

While a fixed timetable might work for some people, it definitely isn’t the best or most productive way to live life for a lot of us. And that’s okay.

Nowadays, if I wake up with an idea at 3am, I get out of bed and write.

If I feel a sudden urge late at night to solve the problem I’ve been working on all week, I sit down and do it anyways.

Most of my best work is spontaneous. It wasn’t created by adhering to a timetable. It wasn’t forced. It started with a small idea in my head (usually late at night), and I let it flow from there.

I’ve stopped caring so much about the number of hours I spend working each day. I’ve stopped trying to quantify productivity. I’ve stopped trying to feel busy.

And so far, it’s worked out pretty well for me.