Feeling Trapped

Productivity Debt

While on the road last week, I listened to an episode from the Big Think YouTube channel.

One of the concepts that resonated with me was the idea that I have a productivity debt to work off. When I get up in the morning, I feel like I need to be at work at a certain time. Then I feel like I need to get a certain amount of work done—though this is more of a feeling than something actually quantifiable, given that I’m mostly a knowledge worker who works in an office. Last week, there were several days when I had less to do than usual, yet I still felt like I needed to be in the office and get work done.

While using less busy days to work ahead is beneficial (which I did to some extent), feeling like I have to work just to pay off my daily productivity debt is not a healthy mindset. As Oliver Burkeman puts it:

“…that is hugely self-sabotaging… because the standard for how much stuff would be enough just drifts upwards, so it gets harder and harder to meet—because the amount of things we could do is infinite.”

He suggests starting with the idea that you don’t need to accomplish anything in a day to feel adequate. Sure, you may need to work to earn a living, but there’s no reason to feel less than because you aren’t meeting a self-imposed productivity standard.

Burkeman also recommends using a “Done List” to keep track of what you accomplish—and I love this idea. Starting at a zero balance instead of a debt ledger is a much more positive approach. Completing tasks becomes a credit to your productivity account rather than a constant attempt to pay off self-imposed debt.

Positive Distractions?

Burkeman touched on the idea that not all distractions are negative. When trying to be productive, I try to focus. One way to achieve this, is by shutting out distractions. This is important if you want to get anything of significance done. But it is possible to go to far.

For instance, in February, I tried to cultivate the habit of reading books. I set aside 30 minutes per day to read, often on the living room couch in the evening. Heidi, my 1-year-old, or Trevor, my almost-4-year-old, would sometimes ask for my attention—“Look, Daddy!” or Heidi asking for attention in a less dignified manner by simply pouting away.

My response was often, “Please be quiet, I’m reading.” While focused learning is valuable, taking a moment to stop and give my full attention to my two sweet kiddos would have been a better approach. In my quest to meet my own rules, I sometimes fall into a rigid, self-imposed box that doesn’t give me any room to breathe. This short video was a healthy reminder, and my mind has returned to it several times over the past few days.

P.S.

In case you want to watch or listen to this 8-minute, 4-second video, here’s the link: Big Think – Oliver Burkeman.