The Issue with Productivity

How Striving For Perfection Can Damage Our Productivity And Mental Health

Every so often, it’s hard to acknowledge when something is wrong. Other times it seems that’s the only thing we notice; something is just not right. Admitting that something needs to be changed is not always comforting. We usually resist committing the necessary actions to fix it, and when we do, it’s challenging not to return to our old accustomed way of doing things. But there is a catch, the more time and energy we invest, the more rewarding the outcome will feel.

Regardless of what we do, there is a built-in reward system in our brain that wires to our emotions towards doing said task/activity/action. It doesn’t have to be something complex like solving a complicated mathematical equation, learning a linguistically and culturally diverse language, or developing a once lacking physical ability. Even mundane actions like deciding what to eat, wear, or where to go can be expensive settlements we need to make.

Imagine getting up from bed ready to start your day and suddenly realizing you slept in –Well, darn. Now I’ll have to rush through breakfast and jump into my car to avoid the late morning traffic. But wait, where did I leave the keys? –If I only had organized my schedule, gone to bed early, and cleaned my room, I would have avoided this situation. Oh, that’s right, I had to stay up late working on my overdue project. Guess I’ll need to concentrate more and procrastinate less. But wait, I also forgot that tonight is game day, and I haven’t bought my tickets yet. I can’t tell my boss that I’ll need more time to deliver the project. OK, let’s call in sick and commit all day to work on my project –that will certainly help alleviate the situation. But first, let’s read the news. Oh gosh, I’m doing it again! Why is it so hard to start working?

This scenario might seem familiar, not just by acknowledging what might have gone differently, but by accepting that it’s not always easy to commit and start working on something. The opposite might also happen. There might be occasions when finishing something is inherently motivating. In those instances, there is a need to feel productive.

What’s interesting is how our society views productivity. Corporate business, startup/indie, academia, and amateur circles alike suggest agreeing that more is better, notably when it comes to generating ideas, content, and products. Our successful role models often emanate an aura of good old-fashion hard work, perseverance, discipline, and passion for their craft. There is a romantic view of top-grade students staying up late studying, top performers working extra hours, and disciplined world-class athletes practicing more than their teammates.

We might even praise our friends and family for sacrificing their free time to meet those critical deadlines and goals. The idea that hard work always pays off is deeply rooted in our culture. A well-known illustration of how perseverance and dedication can help overcome all odds is the classic fable of The Turtle and The Hare. The moral lesson is exquisitely wise, but modern society might benefit from some context to avoid falling to the extreme of obsessive hyper-productivity.

Some individuals might have well-developed talents when it comes to performing certain activities. Those naturally gifted are often called virtuosos, prodigies, geniuses, or superstars. It is undeniably admirable to grasp these people’s features and accomplishments. As long as we deliberately understand that our performance and prowess are unique by themselves. It’s OK to aim for the stars, but in a conscious way that helps us identify and expand our limits.

The reality is that we often fail to support people’s quest for perfection. It’s common to motivate people with phrases such as “Happiness ain’t cheap” or “No pain, no gain.”. But the difference between trying and achieving most often lies in the analysis and planning for earning the best possible outcome.

Strategies go a long way. We can account for this in phrases like “work smarter, not harder.”, where lost causes can end with very different outcomes thanks to the strategy executed by their participants.

Like most things in life, what works for somebody might not work for everybody. The secret is out now; There is no special sauce. Does that mean that the only way to know something is by studying, and practice does make perfect? Most certainly, yes. There are plenty of cases where this theory has proven to be true.

Remember that feeling you get when you finally overcome that obstacle, crack the code, receive enlightenment, experience an epiphany, or discover that “aha!” moment? It’s just glorious, isn’t it?. At that instant, when you cross the finish line and victoriously pronounce “Done!” Your brain floods your senses with that sweet dopamine cocktail triggering a sense of accomplishment that, quite frankly, can become addicting. If completing something, winning at a competition, and overcoming a good challenge feels so good. Why don’t we try to do it more?

Some of us do, but to bring another phrase, “The bigger our expectations, the harsher the sense of defeat when we miss our target.”. The question of “To do, or not to do” is met with “There is no trying. Either do or do not.”. That means that the general expectation is to deliver our best performance in all our endeavors. The world is a very competitive place where only the fittest survive.

The effort invested into finishing tasks with the sole aim of feeling productive can be a heavy burden. Several factors can contribute to forming a condition that adores achieving hyper-productivity. For example, there could be a strong sense of responsibility, threat, or even a deep emotional crisis. Self-esteem can be easily damaged when comparing or portraying efficiency. And even worse when analyzing careers.

Some factors can play a detrimental role in generating a feeling of underachievement and non-accomplishment. A noxious combo of unrealistic goals and unreasonable deadlines can trigger such a state, where the only plausible thing is to attempt to land as close to the original target as possible.

The resulting obsession with overachieving and maximizing profit has led to the development of different techniques, methodologies, and frameworks that try their best to address this risky concern. Quite a few of these recommended best practices have proven to be particularly good at specific scenarios and noticeably ineffective or utterly inapplicable in others. Even though renowned subject matter experts and thought leaders agree that establishing and nourishing a healthy environment that promotes meaningful and valuable outcomes over consistent and predictable outputs will help improve productivity. That still hasn’t stopped people from demanding productivity reports in the form of measurable progress towards a hard deadline.

The product of this laborer idiosyncrasy is the cherishing of someone’s complete dedication to achieving something with the inherent sacrifices that said activity conveys. Therefore, failing to meet this expectation is understood as a disappointment and flat-out defeat in the quest for success.

Some societies have unspoken rules that dictate the requisites to consider someone successful. For instance, achieving financial independence in your early twenties; Parenthood in your late twenties to early thirties; Social status or recognition in your early forties; and retirement in your late fifties to early sixties.

The analysis of said rules will yield an understanding of that society’s beliefs and values at the time. It can also provide context to their cultural environment. If modern history can teach us anything, it is that introducing ideas that challenge the status quo will most certainly be initially rejected. Changing our personal beliefs is a demanding task that is considerably complicated to achieve –even with our complete willingness to change. Changing somebody else’s, not to mention a whole society’s beliefs, would be exponentially arduous to complete.

Here is where strategy comes into the picture. Subtle changes that create the most impact can prepare the way for what might seem like Herculean tasks or unattainable goals. What if we start measuring progress as the change in behavior towards a given item or action. Tolerance, curiosity, or interest in an unknown subject can open the doors for more radical changes. Let’s get back to our productivity-focused laborer mindset. If instead of reporting progress towards our societal goals, what will happen if we measure our happiness?

Imagine discovering a newfound passion in an activity that started as a hobby and is now a promising career shift option. Hobbies indeed lose their charm when they become another one of our obligations. But remember, the goal is not to become a world-class craftsman, athlete, or entrepreneur. We are trying to familiarize ourselves with the concept of change and the measurement of happiness.

Thinking of productivity in the sense of not losing interest or motivation while delivering results is a novel concept that will resonate well with most of us. Let’s get back to our original examples of productivity:

• Solving a complicated mathematical equation can be repurposed as understanding new abstract concepts and feeling comfortable reading and reasoning them.
• Learning a linguistically and culturally diverse language can be thought of as the interest in learning new thought processes and being able to communicate simple ideas with essential words.
• Developing a once lacking physical ability can be translated as identifying our physical capabilities and how to fine-tune minor movements or sequences that can evolve with conscious practice.

When you least expect it, your tolerance and interest will allow you to work with calculus equations and theoretical physics, speak basic-level Hungarian and Hindi, and feel comfortable practicing Yoga and Crossfit training. What’s even better is that your self-confidence will increase, paired with feelings of being more productive. And that’s without mentioning your newly earned skills-acquiring abilities will leave you wanting more.

In conclusion, don’t fall into the toxic state of not feeling productive enough. Remember that at the end of the day, what matters most is how your talents help you and society be happy and, as a result, be better every day.