Blog 25: The Productivity Fallacy

We, as humans, in today’s modern society are surrounded by norms in which everyone’s obsessed with comparison and are fueled by jealousy. This has led to a toxic mindset about productivity. There’s this counter-productive nature that comes with our desire to be productive all the time. Our obsession with productivity is draining. You don’t have to always be doing something for it to be considered productive. I often convince myself that if I’m not continually doing things or if I have a break in my schedule then I’m not being productive enough. I find myself comparing my everyday life and routine to someone I’ve seen on social media and if I’m not doing as much as them I feel worthless. But here’s the thing-- your worth is not based on your productivity. The idea of perceiving yourself simply based on your personal productivity is in fact arbitrary. What makes us unique is not determined by what we check off of our “to do list,” it is determined by who we are as individuals. I truly believe that everyone can have their own version of being productive. For some, getting out of bed in the morning can be a difficult task so when they do so and get ready for the day, they feel productive. This is not to say that spending your day in the comfort of your own home isn’t just as fulfilling. If staying at home and doing your own thing satisfies you and brings contentment then I say go for it. You’re allowed to do whatever completes you, it’s your life. No one knows what you’re going through and your life is your own, there’s no need to compare your schedule to someone else’s. It's easy to look for external things to make us feel worthy, but this approach leads to being constantly on the lookout for the next best thing, but never achieving anything. We need to separate our worth from our productivity. We need to view ourselves and our lives without the incessant need to compare whatever we’re doing to others because at the end of the day, you’ll never feel fulfilled if you’re constantly stuck in a cyclical cycle of comparability. You determine your own productivity just as anyone else can determine theirs. Focus on yourself and your life. You’re doing great. Take it easy.