The problems with productivity
First, focusing on productivity tends to narrow our view. This can be demotivating for several reasons. A productivity-above-all lens tends to put our attention on the details and nitty-gritty parts of our task, rather than the big picture. Counting hours, widgets, or rows of the spreadsheet won’t get you excited about your work. If you want to find meaning in what you do, you need to focus on why you’re doing it in the first place. That’s the kind of thing that will get you up in the morning.
Note: Wow. Need this every day.
Focusing too much on productivity can also be detrimental because it adds pressure. That can be extremely paralyzing. When something feels too big, too much, or just generally unreachable, we’re less likely to try to accomplish it
When I say that you should stop obsessing about productivity, I’m not telling you to stop being productive. What I am saying is to find other things to focus on instead. Here are some ideas.
Focus on what you enjoy: I get it, not every task you do will make you want to jump up and down with excitement. But as much as you can, zero in on the aspect of that task that you enjoy. When you love what you’re doing, it feels less like work, and you’re more motivated to tackle a task or dig in.
Curate your work: The way to do more of what you love is to raise your hand for projects that motivate you. Fill your plate and your list of responsibilities with things that add value for the company, and that makes you excited to go to work in the morning. Then you’ll naturally have less time for projects that aren’t your favorite, and those can go to others who are more excited about tackling them.
Don’t get too caught up in tedious work: For the things that must get done and are just not going to be stimulating to you, focus on muscling through. Just get them done so you can get on to the more exciting tasks and juicy work.
Take small steps: Focus on taking small steps forward. You’ve looked at the big picture and how your work contributes to it. Now, focus on taking one step at a time to get there. Sometimes it even helps to tell yourself you’re just going to work on something for 10 minutes.