What Does It Mean To Be Productive?

 

Over the past couple of weeks the A Mindful Life community has been exploring two themes, productivity and procrastination -- cousins of sorts, and what an interesting exploration it has been. We've held questions like what does it mean to be productive? What does it feel like? What qualifies any action as being a "productive" one? And what's underneath productivity's opposite (or maybe its nemesis?), procrastination, and avoiding what's here? It's been a worthwhile investigation as it debunks many ideas we have on these subjects which, left unexplored, awaken our self-critic. One thing they both need is our kindness and care. 

One of the very revealing comments that came out of the exploration on productivity is that people feel productive when their body is exhausted or when they feel spent. Do we need to get to that point in order to feel we have been productive? When I asked the bigger question -- what truly makes an action/activity a productive one, very different answers came. Rather than checking things off a list or feeling "in control," these answers universally tapped into what really matters to us, to what we value. They were less concerned with what we can cross off, how much we accomplished, or what credit we received. It was quite beautiful to hear what people shared. It felt kinder, wiser, more loving.

At the end of our life, we won't be asking, "did I check everything off my to do list everyday, or did I achieve some position, or make enough money, or travel to all the right places?" I doubt it will matter so much.  When we notice ourselves judging our productivity in a day, a week, or year, it could be a good moment to change our way of evaluating to a more sophisticated one that asks, "in what ways did I cultivate what I believe matters most?" For example, if what matters most is presence, kindness, connection, generosity, healing, ask yourself what you did that was motivated from those places and see what you name. They are not often the big displays, but the smaller moves, gestures, words that accumulate to make a day, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime a "productive" one.

My invitation this week is to keep track. If we don't acknowledge what we have done that feels connected to our values, our life purpose, we will keep rolling through until the end, at which point we won't be sure if we lived how we aspired to. First, make a list of what values matter most to you in living. Now honor all of the acts at the end of a day, or at the end of a week, that cultivated what matters most to you. If you remove the judgement, you will see that there are many. See how much you have given and received from small moments where you complimented someone, drove a child somewhere, took care of your body, were present in a conversation, slowed down to take in a flower or a sunset, gave a project your genuine effort, helped a coworker, made a nourishing meal, planted a seed. 

Next week, I wIll share on procrastination, but until then, enjoy just how "productive" you are when you are living by what you value everyday. You are enough.

🌻
Jean