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There is no productivity
There is a quote that I love from Pierre Reverdy (a French poet):
“There is no love; there are only proofs of love.”
This quote applies to a lot. Take airport security, as an example. Over the last month, I’ve gone through airport security more than I care to admit. Each time, the theater of airport security becomes more apparent: when I crossed security recently in London, I was pulled aside by an agent who wanted to swab a tiny capsule of lip balm, that I had just gotten from the British Airlines flight I was on! The capsule even had the British Air logo emblazoned on the side. There is no airport security; there are only proofs of airport security.
I think productivity is the same way.
One nuanced part of productivity that not enough writers hit on is that it often doesn’t matter how productive you are. I equate productivity with how much you accomplish—the more you accomplish over the course of the day and week, the more productive you are. Productivity isn’t about how busy you are, how many emails you answer. Your accomplishments are what you’re left with at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, though, in the working world, when you work more thoughtfully, like by intelligently responding to emails, saying no to things so you can focus on your most important tasks, and taking more frequent breaks to cultivate your energy levels, you might feel less productive. You may even be perceived as less productive because your work isn’t as visible. (You’ll also get a crazy amount done, and won’t suffer from burnout, but that’s beside the point.) Productivity can sometimes feel a lot like love, or airport security:
“There is no productivity; there are only proofs of productivity.”
As another example, take disconnecting from the internet. Studies show that you spend about half of your time online procrastinating. This is a colossal amount, which makes it worthwhile to disconnect when you’re working on your most important tasks. But disconnecting also makes you feel less productive, because your brain becomes less stimulated—and if you’re less accessible, others might perceive you as less productive as well. Meditation is similar—every minute you spend meditating is a minute you don’t spend being busy, which can lead to you feeling less productive. But meditation helps you bring an enormous amount of attention to your work, which lets you get more done in less time. When you meditate, you gain back more time than you spend on the practice, because you spend your time that much more efficiently.
The same holds true when you cultivate your energy levels by exercising, getting enough sleep, or taking breaks. All three take up precious time—time that you can’t spend working or living. But at the end of the day, all three strategies let you recharge and bring more energy to what you do. This makes your work more meaningful, helps you work more efficiently, and lets you get more done in the same amount of time.
Two things to keep in mind
There is so much to be gained from cultivating your focus and energy that these types of productivity tactics are worth their costs. In the long-term you’ll be rewarded, and feel better about yourself and your work. At the same time, though, it’s important to keep these two things in mind in the short-term:
- That cultivating your energy and focus can make you feel less productive.
- That other people may perceive you as less productive when you do less busywork.
Both points stem from the same idea: that as you invest in your productivity (the right way), you may feel and be perceived as being less productive—until people see how much you get done. When you equate productivity with how much you accomplish, rather than how busy you are, these short-term costs are worth it many times over.
