April 25, 2008

Is Productive What You Really Want to Be?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 6:51 am

I've been thinking . . .

about being productive.

I am competent. I get things done well, on schedule. I keep my promises and keep my clients happy. I don’t spend time on things that don’t move the game forward. I don’t spend time on things that get me looking in the wrong direction.

Is that productive? It seems so.

When I hear the word unreliable I get an image of a boy skipping his chores and sleeping under a tree. I sure am not unreliable. I just couldn’t bail when I knew someone was waiting for something I’m supposed to do. I value my credibility.

That’s probably productive too.

On a Friday when the sun is shining, I wonder whether I get so invested in productive endeavors that I forget to refuel. Do I really have to be productive every minute of every day?

I’ve slept under a tree. It’s a most relaxing way to spend time. Maybe this weekend I’ll be unproductive. Unproductive sounds like a synonym for free.

Are you productive? Can choosing to be unproductive be a good thing?

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26 Comments to “Is Productive What You Really Want to Be?”

  1. April 25th, 2008 at 7:21 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    How very typical! You’ve been thinking about productivity at almost the same moment as my good friend Richard C. This morning I arrived in my shop to be welcomed with another of his blogposts on…. That man Parkison = productivity ;-)

    Now, after lunch I come here for a refreshing cup of coffee and what do I find: productivity!

    Two reminders from two friends in one short day? I’ll better get some work done then ;-)

    Karin H. (Keep It simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

  2. April 25th, 2008 at 7:25 am
    Karin H. said

    But on your question: when is one unproductive? When you let your thoughts flow free and they guide you unrestricted to the very answers to a problem you were searching for?

    It might look you’re unproductive from the outside, but the inside - head, heart - are freely working ‘overtime’ ;-)

    Karin H

  3. April 25th, 2008 at 7:40 am
    Jesse Petersen said

    Interesting that you’re thinking about this now. I was just thinking last night about whether to do something career-advancing or to recharge my batteries playing World of Warcraft.

    What did I do?

    Both, of course. I went to be at 1am surprisingly recharged.

  4. April 25th, 2008 at 8:13 am
    Cath Lawson said

    Hi Liz - I think re-fuelling helps you to be more productive. Last weekend, I was exhausted and I wound up sleeping a lot and not doing any work at all. By mid-day on Monday I’d got heaps done and I doubt whether I’d have achieved so much if I hadn’t had a rest.

    So you go and sleep under that tree - it will do you a world of good.

  5. April 25th, 2008 at 8:21 am
    Robert Hruzek said

    Howdy, Liz! Hey, great question! How about some insights from the manufacturing world…

    Every manufacturing facility is focused on productivity. I mean, they’re purpose is to make stuff, as many hours a day as they can, right?

    The main goal of the facility’s Operators is to keep the plant running. Downtime is expensive; in some cases, the loss of production of only one day can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

    However, no matter what they make, at some point they all have scheduled downtime for maintenance, upgrading, rebuilding or whatever. It’s expected, anticipated and planned for on a regular basis.

    Why? Because if they don’t, they’ll not only end up less productive (due to costly unplanned breakdowns and interruptions), but it will also shorten the effective life of the plant.

    Why should we humans think we’re immune to the same phenomenon?

    Er, sorry ’bout the lecture - I’ll get off my engineering soapbox now. :-\

  6. April 25th, 2008 at 8:29 am
    Karin H. said

    Howdy Robert

    Are we talking JIT or TOC here? ;-)

    “Planned downtime phenomenon”, feels like a new word for what I call my daily (if the sun shines) ‘garden-holidays.

    Karin H

  7. April 25th, 2008 at 8:44 am
    SpaceAgeSage said

    Wayne Dyer says if we base our self worth on what we do (produce), when we get older or sick and can’t do as much, we will think less of ourselves. My mom has memory deficits from stroke and Alzheimer’s, but she still thinks she has to clean things to be productive since she spent her life at home doing just that. I have decided to focus my life less on “doing” and more on “being.” This actually has increased my productivity because the energy I used to put into manically making sure I did things right is now channeled into creativity.
    Liz, it looks to me like you are quite capable, competent, and caring and do not need to prove yourself to anyone! Relax. The world would be a better place if we all got to skip some stones and take a nap under a tree.

  8. April 25th, 2008 at 9:32 am
    Jason Heath said

    I hear you, Liz–I get so consumed by being “productive” that I often think I’m letting my life pass before my eyes while being so focused on getting my daily tasks done.

  9. April 25th, 2008 at 10:52 am
    Robert Hruzek said

    Karen, sounds like a “PDP” might be just the ticket, not to mention a great euphemism for a short nap under that tree. I hope it’s a big tree, though; looks like a lotta folks are gettin’ in on this one! Hope Liz brings the Klondike bars; I’ll bring the lemonade. :-D

  10. April 25th, 2008 at 11:42 am
    LaurenMarie - Creative Curio said

    I like what Robert said about scheduled down time. It’s so true! The more exhausted my mind gets, the less productive I really am. But it’s difficult in this day of much un-needed busyness to be still and refresh (I very much guard my morning yoga time). I always feel like I’m so far behind on everything, but if I let those thoughts get too out of control, it is most detrimental to my ability to get said things done!

  11. April 25th, 2008 at 11:47 am
    Julie said

    I’d call it absolutely necessary and never unproductive. But you have to own it. You have to make a decision to walk away from the computer and do something fun and feel good about it. If you worry and stress the whole time than it is a ridiculous waste of time.
    On Wednesday, after working my buns off for weeks, I decided to just drive around and look for prints for my new office…I passed by a new eco store that looked very cool, wandered in started talking…long story short - they may turn into huge clients for me.
    I made a decision to have some me time, I dove into it with every ounce - and I was rewarded and, as luck would have it, incredibly productive!

  12. April 25th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
    Joanna Young said

    I wonder if creative isn’t a more compelling word than productive: we can be busy and effiicent and hard working to create things - creating value, networks, conferences, businesses, friendships, words - but we’d be an awful lot clearer that to be creative we needed to spend time sitting under the tree and dreaming :-)

    Hope you get some time to be Liz this weekend

    Joanna

  13. April 25th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
    amypalko said

    Surely it’s not unproductive, rather that you are producing something that is less easy to quantify. When you stop and take a time out, you are actually producing a relaxed and receptive state within yourself, which leaves you open to developing new ideas, new connections and new energy. Sounds extremely productive to me!

  14. April 25th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
    kristarella said

    Relaxing is good. It has to be done some time.

    Unfortunately I’m not really productive at the moment, I’m procrastinating - it’s a bit different to clients though, it’s an enormous assignment for uni and the only person I’m letting down is myself… funny how redesigning a website is always more interesting when you’re supposed to be doing something else!

  15. April 25th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Everyone!
    Please don’t think I left you here to talk without me. I was taken away to be “productive” somewhere else. Then I returned to read all of your wonderful, inspiring comments. They pointed me to the fact that the migraine I was having was telling me it was indeed the right time get a little sleep under that tree.

    Thank you all for your great conversation on this.

  16. April 25th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Karin!
    I agree that we have a synchronicity in bringing our friends just what they need. We also have a sensitivity to hearing what we need to hear. :)

    Wish I could have shared that cup of coffee with you. :)

  17. April 25th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Jesse!
    Great choice to do both!
    We need our escapes to recharge us. :)

  18. April 25th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Cath!
    A very good friend taught that lesson to me once a long time ago. I can take a day or two and come back to do three days work in one. Just as you describe, it’s the time off that makes the real productivity and creativity come together in an amazing way. :)

  19. April 25th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Robert!
    How wise you are to give me such a practical analogy. And how well you know what will work. . . .

    However, no matter what they make, at some point they all have scheduled downtime for maintenance, upgrading, rebuilding or whatever. It’s expected, anticipated and planned for on a regular basis.

    Everyone of us has to come to terms with our humanity and the realization that it includes the need to make sure that were running on our best rest and in functioning order. :)

  20. April 25th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi SpaceAgeSage,
    It’s a wise choice to focus more on being than doing. Looking only at the work leave the people, including ourselves, out of the mix. Head and heart together can’t happen when we do that. So we separate rather than integrate and wear ourselves out.

    I like your way a WHOLE LOT better. :)

  21. April 25th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi LaurenMarie,
    You’re so right. We’re not very productive when our minds are exhausted. A little time off and we can come back faster, smarter, and way happier with where we are. :)

  22. April 25th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Julie!
    What a wonderful story!
    Yeah, your joy and the fact that you gave yourself room to be who you are let yourself shine. I’m delighted that you got new clients that way!

    Thank you! Thank you for bringing that tale here. :)

  23. April 25th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Joanna!
    I like creative more too! Maybe creative is the heart word for productive in my head. I’m thinking that Liz is coming out already. :)

  24. April 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Amy!
    I think that you’re most productive at getting me to turn my view just a bit to see in new ways. I so like that about you!

  25. April 25th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hi Kristarella,
    I think your point is true about almost anything. We can find something very interesting in the most exquisite detail if it helps avoid something we’re trying not to do.

  26. April 26th, 2008 at 11:15 am
    Michael Martine | Remarkablogger said

    I wonder if it’s more important to be valuable than “just” productive?

    You sparked a post idea for me, Liz! Thanks! ;)

    (see you in a week)

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