Why Are We Obsessed with Productivity

Three Reasons in Three Minutes

Are you tired of reading about the next best Productivity Hack? Seriously, why do so many people write about productivity? And why do we get so sucked into reading these articles?

While there might be a million reasons we can’t help ourselves, I think its because we want to be successful. Or because everyone is talking about it and we don’t want to miss out. And maybe because it really matters.

Take three minutes to hear me out. (This Section Doesn’t Count)

I just finished writing a series on Medium. Literally, 30+ articles on the topic. There were 21 tips I shared, plus additional posts on my thoughts about Productivity. This will be added to the series, you can check it out here:

Over the next three minutes, I want to share with you why I believe we are obsessed with Productivity.

Minute One: Productivity Does Not Equal Success

First, productivity does not equal success. Productivity is efficiency. And Efficiency can lead to success or more work. What I have learned over the last few months is that your productivity doesn’t prove your successfulness. There are plenty of productive people who are still stuck in the same position, doing the same lousy job, at the same crazy company.

We need to understand what success is to understand how productivity and success work together. In my article below, I share a little about what True Success is in regards to productivity.

Success in Productivity is Creating Margin

Our success is found in margin, not productivity. Productivity is the vehicle to margin in our lives. And so, we need to create margin, and when we create margin, we experience true success.

Ultimately, we all want a little more time for our lives. To read that good book, to spend time with family, to work on a side hustle, or to take a nap. And we only can get there if we are productive and efficient.

This is True Success.

Minute Two: People Are Talking About Productivity

After all, I wrote about it for three months straight. And during that time, I read post after post about producitivity. The best part about reading all these posts is how some agreed with me, and others made me sound like a crazy person.

Here are three articles which I read during my string of productivity posts:

By Liz Huber:

By Larry Kim:

By Michael Thompson:

See, everyone is talking about Productivity. It is crazy. And there are big names and little names. People like me who were in desperate need of increasing my productivity and giants who were refining their systems to shave minutes off their days.

And it is OK to read more productivity posts because people are writing about it. This helps us become more productive.

Minute Three: Because It Matters

I don’t say this only because I am obsessed with Productivity. I say it because it does matter. It matters to our families, ourselves, our bosses, customers, the list goes on and on. And we need to be productive and I believe we all need to find ways to continue to be productive.

Do we need to continually read the latest trends?

Probably not. But we need to be finding ways that work for us. I will guarantee all 21 tips on my list will not be useful to you. Or you may be doing these already in your life. And some of them may not apply to your life or work.

But it matters. And we cannot deny this reality.

Now, Go Be Productive

Ok, time to stop reading Medium and go back to work. Or get back to spending time with your family. And maybe now is a good time to start that side hustle.

Before you go, what do you think? Do you agree with all of these points? Or maybe you don’t agree with any of them. Share in the response below.