The Dark Side of Productivity: When “Getting Things Done” Gets Out of Control

Get things done only if you get them done right.

“I survived on only 4 hours of sleep each night because success never rests!”

Have you ever aspired to adopt such challenging routine claims of people you inspire?

Late-night coffees, early morning yawns at laptops, and restless work hours — are these the routines you admire?

Beware! These are not motivational triggers but threats to your mental health, physical fitness, and overall well-being.

What is Productivity?

In this tech-driven world, whether it’s me, you, or your boss, everyone is racing towards the same goal — nothing else but productivity.

Every productive day brings you inches closer to your goals and dreams.

Organizing tasks effectively, tracking progress, managing time, and minimizing time waste are all golden productivity rules.

However, the meaning of productivity could stretch over broader horizons. Having small gossip with colleagues and midnight get-togethers with friends may not sound productive.

But what if these small conversations untie knots of creativity in your mind or push you out of the box to think?

That means productivity can be hidden behind seemingly unproductive things, and it’s not always productive in how we consider it.

Productivity dosage can be fatal if overdosed!

No doubt, the proper dosage of productivity could make or break your success.

However, when this relentless pursuit of productivity is overdosed, it leads to the “getting things done” syndrome.

Isn’t your physical and mental health too high a cost to pay for the sake of your productivity?

Over-productivity can be disastrous — to the extent that it can make you hate your once-loving job. Pushing yourself to do more and even more can cause burnout, depression, and anxiety.

You may see your aspirations getting blurry, and continuous restless nights may empty your mind of all the innovative ideas it could have.

Every business strives to keep its employees at the edge of productivity. Still, sometimes, the quest for improvement by being more and more productive can result in deteriorating performance and low-quality results.

Not only for your body, but over-productivity can also negatively impact your loved ones and destroy your relationships.

“Stop measuring days by the degree of productivity and start experiencing them by the degree of presence.” ~ Alan Watts

How do you avoid the dark side of productivity?

Before making a long to-do list, think twice about your core values and goals.

Not everything must be added to the list if it doesn’t matter much to you. And it’s okay if you miss one or more ticks any day.

Remember, “It is quality rather than quantity that matters.” Set milestones that you can achieve without compromising on quality.

While scheduling your to-do list, keep self-care, your health and well-being, and your relationships at the top of your priorities. Engage in activities that please you.

“Give yourself time to just be.”

Take regular breaks, practice mindfulness, and plan a healthy balance in every aspect of your life that matters to you. And it’s okay not to get things done sometimes.

“Be productive only until it’s productive.”

In the end, remember, there is a subtle boundary between productivity and over-productivity; once you cross it, things start getting worse instead of getting better.

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