I am one to argue that productivity is not a force to be tampered with, nor to be called upon when the time isn’t right. It cannot be used unwillingly because it has a mind of its own.
As a writer, I find it likes to come at the most unsuspecting of times. Productivity is that one friend who has the worst timing ever. Sure, it has great aspects; it is the catalyst for doing all things good and bad. Sometimes, productivity can greatly improve quality of life.
My productivity is untamed and quite annoying at almost any given interval.
If I was given a quarter for every time my productivity failed me in doing the most basic of tasks, I would be rich. The amount of scoldings I get when productivity deems emptying the dishwasher unimportant or the salt buildup on my car when I forget to wash it, is honestly kind of sickening.
For a lot of reasons, besides this particular one, I would not consider myself a procrastinator. Sure, I do put things off and leave myself a terrifying deadline fast approaching, but I also take my time with things so I don’t end up hating the end product.
Everything I do with my motivation is purposeful. So that means when my good, old friend Productivity is willing to sit down and get something done, I can manage a lot more than I let up.
But that also means I have to take advantage of it whenever it’s willing. For example, I take long showers specifically for the ‘shower thoughts.’ Or maybe when sleep is enriching my consciousness, when the perfect idea strikes like lightning I need to capture it down in a journal.
Crazy enough, productivity is also very picky. When my finance work is getting too mundane, all of a sudden I can whip out a Nobel Prize-winning poem from thin air. I find all of a sudden the reading in my English class is a lot more interesting and provocative than the paintbrush in my hands.
I have to work with my productivity to love my craft. Often, when I find myself up at midnight unable to sleep, sometimes writing massive story plot points brings me closure. Sure, it’s not my late homework assignments, but I am getting things done and feeling accomplished in the process.
I love my dad, but sometimes I wish he’d understand that the outlook I have on completing tasks is vastly different from his. Sure, I can look at it and see how many incredible projects he has finished or how high of a commodity he has made himself for the company. However, when all is said and done, Dad’s nights are filled with nothing but TV and solitaire.
Yes, I know it’s not great to compare myself to an adult who has a full-time job, family to support, and church commitments. But what I also know is that I am taking my time, preventing inevitable burnout, and can enjoy the slower-paced drift of high school before graduation.
In no way do I say that productivity is the same for every person, but I do believe that some people need to stop and learn—know when they have hit their limits, know when nothing pans out, or know when to stop and be satisfied with how they landed.
Be kind to Productivity, because nurturing it can lead to some of the most self-fulfilling moments in life.
