7. On productivity
Just no.
We’re way past that point.
You are ENOUGH.
On reflection
Can you identify where doing ends and being begins?
Here are some more challenging prompts:
Work hard play hard/ Just get on with it/Take the good with the bad/You give what you get, etc. Underneath the rhetoric: What is YOUR attitude about life?
Does your to-do list (material or metaphorically) antagonise you or motivate you?
How does your busyness align with your mood and self-esteem? Do you feel anxious if there’s an unplanned day? Do you feel out of sorts if you realise after 3 weeks running, you haven’t had enough ‘me time’?
What are you like when you are off the clock (from work/childcare)? How much do you have to offer to your relationships or are you merely providing leftovers?
How do you measure your wellness (exercise, meditation, nutrition, self-help, etc) as fulfilling versus optimising?
Who or what are you in service to?
How to move away from capital to CONNECTION
Next time someone asks what do you do for a living, try asking them, How they are? Or how about, Would you be happy to tell your friends how much you earn?
When asked, How are you? Notice the refrain to say: We’re keeping busy/I’m sooo busy, etc… And, if someone invites you to spend time together, try to tell them when you are available (not listing all the reasons you are busy on the days you are not available).
How do you encounter others versus expect certain qualities and experiences?
How does your comfort and satisfaction take priority over other people’s sovereignty?
How does your need to be right or heard preclude a possibility for real connection?
Resources
Play: 100 Questions (School of Life)
After Neoliberalism? The Kilburn Manifesto Edited by Doreen Massey, Stuart Hall, Michael Rustin (2015)
The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch (1979)
The Happiness Industry: How the Government and Big Business Sold Us Well-Being by William Davies (2015)
Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection by Ximena Vengoechea (2021)
The Lost Art of Good Conversation: A Mindful Way to Connect with Others and Enrich Everyday Life by Sakyong Mipham (2017)
When your authenticity is an act, something’s gone wrong (Psyche)