{"id":30373,"date":"2020-04-20T12:21:33","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T10:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/?p=30373"},"modified":"2020-04-20T12:21:33","modified_gmt":"2020-04-20T10:21:33","slug":"being-busy-being-productive-are-two-very-different-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/blog\/being-busy-being-productive-are-two-very-different-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Being Busy & Being Productive Are TwoVery Different Things"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Being busy seems to be the most desirable state of mind and is often contrasted with being lazy and unproductive. It\u2019s easy to fall into this downward spiral<\/strong>. I\u2019ve even seen articles on how to look busy when you don\u2019t have anything to do at the office. Sounds crazy, but raise your hand if you\u2019ve never opened Excel and copy-pasted meaningless cells like your life depended on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies show that by saying \u2018I\u2019m busy,\u2019 we actually engage in doublespeak<\/a>. What we really mean is: \u2018I matter,\u2019 \u2018I\u2019m important,\u2019 but also \u2018I feel guilty\u2019 or \u2018I suffer from FOMO.\u2019 Not to mention that being busy is a great excuse not to do something you don\u2019t want to do<\/strong>. (Or is it? I feel like it\u2019s so overused that no one believes it anymore.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know I may sound like a lunatic, but hear me out, because I\u2019m here to bust that myth of powering through your day like you\u2019re on steroids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being Productive: The Urge To Do More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t live under a rock, you\u2019ve probably seen thousands of articles on how to boost your productivity, learn a new skill, deep-clean your house, declutter your wardrobe or complete a long list of DIY projects during the COVID-19 quarantine. People on social media seem to nail that concept of being busy at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the world on lockdown, most of us work remotely<\/a>, but this doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019re not expected to bring in results of our day-to-day tasks<\/strong>. Juggling work and private life while locked within four walls can be a real challenge, especially since telecommuters are said to struggle with logging out of their jobs. There seem to be two sides of this \u2018quarantine\u2019 period: one claims we should use this time to unwind, relax, implement a \u2018slow\u2019 lifestyle, get closer to our loved ones, etc. The other is all about cramming as many tasks as you can into this strange time. Productivity tools seem to be on the rise, online classes are more popular, and articles on how to keep boredom at bay grow like weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"To<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whether you admit it or not, we\u2019re all prone to suggestions<\/strong>. Reading and hearing about people doing, like, 1000%, inspire us to do the same. Or, rather, make us feel bad for not even doing 100%. A typical reaction to this would be taking a pen and writing down a long, long to-do list. Or, going even further, scheduling your entire day to make sure it\u2019s packed with productive, worthwhile tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may feel tempted to turn your world upside down right now. After all, we have more time now than possibly ever, so perhaps it\u2019s the best moment to tackle some projects you\u2019ve ignored for months. But the strive to achieve more isn\u2019t purely connected to the quarantine period. It\u2019s been there for years and isn\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Productivity Is Not Everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most intense periods of my life was a couple of months when I juggled graduating from college (that included writing a giant master thesis) and organizing a massive relocation to a country halfway across the world. Looking back at this time, it all seems like a blur, but what happened at the end of it was the greatest adventure I\u2019ve ever had. And I knew from the start it\u2019s going to be amazing once I go through that \u2018prep\u2019 period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your \u2018why\u2019 when it comes to productivity? What do you get out of it? If you work towards a specific goal (like I did), working hard resembles a marathon: once you cross the finish line, it\u2019s over. But for many of us, it\u2019s hard to point at a justification. I feel like it fades with time, and what was once a phase becomes the new normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you struggle to find a decent reason for being productive, here\u2019s one: efficient work gives you more time to live your private life<\/strong>. Productivity should be about doing what you have to <\/em>in less time rather than doing more<\/em>. It shouldn\u2019t be about who does the most or who is the fastest. Heck, it should never be a race to finish, but a \u2018hey, let\u2019s all meet there, everyone at their pace.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Productivity<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So\u2026 What Productivity Really Means?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my previous article, I\u2019ve used the metaphor of scrubbing a bathtub with a toothbrush as an extremely unproductive task.<\/a> Let\u2019s dig a little deeper into this problem and finally set up the difference between busyness and productivity, so you could feel a huge weight lifted off your shoulders and get rid of that guilt for not doing \u2018enough\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often associate productivity with being busy: that image of a person constantly in the middle of something, working nonstop, stuck in a pile of duties instantly pops in front of our eyes. A productive person is someone who does a lot<\/em>. Simple as that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all know these superheroes, multitaskers, people who never seem to blink an eye, let alone have some sleep. These individuals are usually intimidating to others. I sincerely envy a friend of mine who can survive on 4 hours of sleep and looks great. I\u2019d love to have this many hours in a day, but it seems I\u2019ve never grown out of this teenage phase when you sleep for eleven hours and still crave more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, these people do a lot in their day. But before you try to join their ranks, think about what they actually achieve during this time. Are they productive or are they just busy? Do they have the time to do what they truly love or just spend their days chasing deadlines and catching up on everything?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you look up \u2018unproductive\u2019 in a dictionary, you\u2019ll see something along the lines of \u2018not worthwhile\u2019, \u2018not beneficial\u2019, or \u2018not leading to practical or beneficial results\u2019<\/strong>. You won\u2019t find anything about \u2018doing nothing\u2019, \u2018being lazy\u2019 or \u2018not doing a certain amount of things throughout the day\u2019. That\u2019s because productivity means doing something that\u2019ll give you benefits – let it be money you earn at your job, the skills you need, foreign language you\u2019ll speak while abroad, etc. If we\u2019d come back to that metaphorical bathtub – it probably wouldn\u2019t fit into that criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Step At A Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I feel like the second we decide we\u2019ll be productive from now on, we jump head-first into a bunch of different projects<\/strong>. It\u2019s rarely the case of \u2018I need to accomplish that one thing so I\u2019ll work hard towards it and nothing else\u2019. Working out every day? Sure, schedule that in the middle of the day because scientists say it\u2019s good for your brain. Learning a new language? Squeeze that between yoga class and organizing a garage sale. And then add cooking a fancy dish from scratch every night, followed by a one-hour reading session and some meditation before bed. Somewhere in between, you\u2019ll develop a new skill, spend some quality time with your partner and help your kids grow up to be awesome people. If Beyonce can achieve so much in her 24 hours, why can\u2019t we do the same?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"You<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Well, let\u2019s leave the Queen out of this and think about our goals instead. The projects above sound great and everyone would praise you for striving to be more fit, healthy, accomplished, intelligent and closer with your relatives. The trouble is, you only have so many hours during the day, and you need to sacrifice some of them for a good night\u2019s sleep (no, really. Never ever assume you\u2019ll sleep when you\u2019re older). There\u2019s no way you can handle twenty priority tasks at once, so try to eliminate some of them, at least for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you aim to learn a foreign language, that\u2019s really cool, but why<\/em>? Do you need it for work or travel? Or did you pick up a class because you feel guilty that you\u2019re not broadening your horizons?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel like the latter is quite common nowadays. The culture of being busy leads us to weird places. Places we didn\u2019t even want to be in. Don\u2019t get me wrong – it\u2019s great to have multiple skills in your arsenal. Post-grad schools, workshops, and certificates can do wonders – as long as you actually want to do them, not feel like you should because everyone else does. Before you jump right into another course that\u2019ll eat up a solid few hours of your week, think if it can actually help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kraken might have its powerful tentacles, but we only have two hands and one brain, and there\u2019s only so much we can do during the day. Trying to squeeze in too much can lead to a declined focus and increased stress, not to mention that overwhelming feeling on your shoulders<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Being<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Take A Breather<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like I said in the beginning, the urge to do more, especially in these times, can be overwhelming. Falling for it is easy, but it\u2019s even easier just to bury yourself under a pile of blankets and feel guilty because you don\u2019t have the energy or the willpower to engage in multiple projects right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key here is to separate actual productivity and the vague concept of being busy with stuff that brings you no benefits and no joy. Productivity should mean doing what you have to do so you have the time to do what you want to do. Don\u2019t fall in the trap of never-ending chores. Take a breather<\/a> instead and think about how you can turn in your busyness for more time to relax & enjoy your day. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Mighty Kraken may have numerous tentacles, but you only have two hands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":30384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[92],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30373"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}