If you’ve been reading these posts for a while, then you will know that a few themes stand out. One of those is the theme of how to be more productive. In reality, I think I wasted so many years in my 20’s getting the least amount done possible, that these days are simply catch up.

Recently, though, I am rethinking a few things. Productivity is incredibly important, but it can also be a crutch. The drive to always be productive often crowds out other more important aspects of living a full life.

So, this post is a personal mirror helping me regroup for greater healthiness. I see three critical consequences of our compulsion to always be productive. These may or may not apply to you, but perhaps will be an encouragement to step back and regroup yourself.

Productivity may crowd out adequate time for reflection. Reflection is the heart of growth. Without unrushed time spent looking back, dreaming forward, looking within, we risk becoming robots. This “doing” obsession may move the needle in many areas of our lives but will not likely foster joy and peace. The additional threat is that unless we have regular respites of reflection, we are coaching our bodies to think that constant production is normal. I know people who rarely take vacations, even though they could, simply because they are out of the habit. They have trained themselves to believe that they do not “need” vacation. Reflection creates the needed fuel for perspective, which means to “see through.” 

I have come to realize that I use constant productivity as a crutch to avoid facing my emotions. If I stay busy all the time, I do not have time for grief or insecurity or anxiety. While I understand that becoming productive is needed at times to keep us from wallowing in dark places, the opposite is true also. If we repress or deny our emotions through busyness, they will resurface later in much more toxic ways, such as anger, depression, bitterness, and passive aggressive behavior. Lessening our urge to always be productive creates space whereby we are able to face what is going on inside and heal. 

It seems everyone I know struggles for balance. Intentionally choose to put boundaries on productivity as a way of moving in the direction of balance.One of the best practices we have adopted in our family is the practice of the Sabbath. On one day each week, we do not produce. Anything that qualifies as work, whether for the job or at home, is off limits. Even if practicing the Sabbath is not a religious choice, it is a healthy choice. After practicing the Sabbath, albeit imperfectly for several decades now, I am convinced I am better the other six days of the week. One day to rest, be with those I love, worship, and recharge, makes every day better, and perhaps more productive. Whether you practice the Sabbath or not, consider how the intentional choice to put boundaries on being productive might make your life better in unexpected ways. Life is more than relentless striving.