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Reducing Your Guilt About Not Being Productive
“Wasting time” also is productive
Here’s a powerful paradox: We are often most productive when we feel it least, when we’re taking a break or relaxing or doing absolutely nothing.
Resist the urge to fill every empty moment with something — “especially if you need to be extra productive or creative for a task.”
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Key Ideas
Productivity guilt
Productivity guilt is a mindset of feeling bad about not creating, achieving or working hard.
The Zeigarnik effect
This is the tendency to have “intrusive thoughts” about a task that we once started but didn’t finish.
It is in our human nature to finish off things that we start and we often hate having to leave a project unfinished.
Some people are very good at maintaining a detachment between their work and their outside life. For others (especially those indoctrinated in ‘life hacks’ and productivity tips), the guilt to be constantly doing something can be a real energy sucker.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Before comparing yourself to that guy over there, realize what he’s sacrificing.
If you’re feeling guilty about your lack of “productivity”, then you’re not going to be truly productive at all.
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Key Ideas
Guilt is an informative emotion
It’s often a sign we’re not acting in accordance with our values.
The guilt of not working stems from two places:
- From the fact that we value working har...
Counter guilt around break time
Reflect on how you need to recharge—and, more than that, how doing good work depends on it:
- How much you value resting your mind so you can do better, more creative work later.
- How your focus will benefit from this attention break.
- How many great ideas come while your mind is wandering (when you’re not working or focused).
- How often your mind considers and plans for the future while you’re stepping back.
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Key Ideas
Inspiration alone is not enough
Just as leaders who deliver only performance may do so at a cost that the organization is unwilling to bear, those who focus only on inspiration may find that they motivate the masses but a...
Inspiring leaders
The leaders that inspire are those who use a personal combination of strengths to motivate individuals and teams to take on bold missions and to hold them accountable for results.
And they unlock higher performance through empowerment, not thorough command and control.
Becoming an Inspiring Leader
- You only need centeredness: a state of mindfulness that enables leaders to remain calm under stress, empathize, listen deeply, and remain present.
- Your key strength has to match how your organization creates value.
- You have to behave differently if you want your employees to do so.