The Spiral of Productivity Shame
Productivity shame is a feeling that you are not doing enough, whatever the number of hours you are working, or the number of tasks you are crossing off your to-do list. It also means you feel guilty when you rest or take time off watching a movie or just play around for a while. All of this is harmful and can lead to stress and burnout.
Productivity shame creates a cycle of failure and is a terrible and negative approach towards getting others to work.
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
- We link our products to our self-worth, thinking that we need to get more done, and our self-esteem depends upon it.
- We set unrealistic goals, which can be discouraging for us if we keep on focusing on the end result.
- We compare ourselves with others, who seemingly are doing better and are more productive.
- Disconnect your Self-worth from your achievements.
- Set realistic, effective goals: The three elements of goal-setting are knowing what you want to achieve, how you're going to get there, and why you want to achieve something. If you have a compelling reason and motivation, go for it.
- Appreciate progress: Consistent progress aids productivity better than the achieving of goals.
RELATED IDEAS
Getting Things Done is a productivity system that helps us capture our work in one place and manage where our attention is going to be. The five steps of GTD are:
- Capturing one’s ideas in a tool which is an app of your choice.
- Clarifying each task to its next most easy step that reduces any friction.
- Organizing each task by priority level and due date.
- Review and reflect on your to-do list.
- Engage yourself and get in action mode, implementing the list.
Time anxiety is the feeling that you have not done enough to meet your goals or that you're not using the time you do have effectively.
Time anxiety is more than feeling overwhelmed at times - it haunts your days and causes you to procrastinate on essential tasks.
Plan and lay out tomorrow’s clothing ensemble tonight, and you’ll have one less thing to worry about.
If your first outfit of the day is gym clothes for a morning workout, even better.