4 solid reasons you shouldn’t try to be productive all the time
especially if you want to be successful
Sometimes we can get into a cycle of being hyper-productive. It’s not surprising really, if you look around in the world today; hustle culture is everywhere. And when perfectionism rains down on a lot of us on a day to day basis, we often feel like if we aren’t constantly staying productive then we will fall behind everyone else.
This fear of falling behind, along with the need to continually be striving to do it all can get exhausting. It can cause burnout, leave us feeling unsatisfied, and overall lessen our quality of life.
But I know from experience how hard it can be to break this cycle. And why should you? If you want to do better and be better, shouldn’t you put as much time and effort as possible into those things?
Not necessarily. As the saying goes, less is more. And the more we can simplify our tasks to make sure we are as efficient as possible in doing the things that truly move us forward, the more energy we will have to take those things on!
So actually, spending time doing things we might view as “unproductive” can help us feel more rested and focused when the time comes to tackle those important tasks.
Following that train of thought, let’s talk about 4 more reasons you shouldn’t strive to be productive all of the time.
1. just existing can be enough
Yes, you are enough just as you are - and it is enough just to exist in the present moment.
That might sound cliche or maybe even a little crazy right now, but this can be an astronomical mindset shift, especially if you struggle for perfectionism.
You might sometimes feel like you always have to making the “best” use of your time in order for a day or even a moment to feel worth it. But let me ask you - worth what?
Ultimately what this comes down to is basing your own self worth and what and how much you can accomplish. I’m here to tell you that whether or not you can function and succeed when you’re at full capacity is not equal to your inherent worth.
Because no one can function and succeed at full capacity.
You are not a damn robot.
And sure, you should make the most of life and try to be your best you, but remember that you are human, and you are enough just when you are experiencing amazing facets of life - things like joy, bliss, pleasure, stillness, peace, excitement, whatever it may be!
The point of life is not to do it all, all the time, and make yourself miserable because you’re too stressed out to actually enjoy anything your doing. Especially if you’re so maxed out that you can’t even reap the benefits of the hard work your putting in.
The point of life is to live it and relish the experience of it all. Yes, that includes hard work and productive use of your time. But that’s only part of the pie, my friend.
If you’re trying to be productive 24/7, then when you settle down to, yanno, actually just be human and experience living, you might feel tend to feel guilty. You shouldn’t feel guilty just for experiencing life and existing!
2. the productive parts of your day are not always the most important
Being Productive isn’t always the most important or imperative part of your day. It’s also important to do purposeful things in your day, and purposeful doesn’t always = productive.
Talking on the phone to your best friend for 3 hours can be purposeful. Taking a bath can be purposeful. Doing your makeup because it’s relaxing and fun for you can be purposeful. If it makes you feel good or you feel like it’s needed, it can be purposeful.
I can’t tell you exactly what that means or how to figure it out, because what’s purposeful to me might not matter much to you and vice versa. What I will do is give you the permission slip you’re looking for to do things that matter to you, no matter how silly or inconsequential they may seem.
Sometimes for me, a purposeful thing can be playing video games for hours because I don’t allow myself to do that very often. Or it can mean breaking my schedule to go take a walk with my husband. It can mean blocking out a day to work on a fun project and taking no calls/reading no emails.
Does that mean you should use “purposeful” things as an excuse to procrastinate all the time? Of course not - everything in moderation my dudes - but those purposeful things are still important parts of your day. It’s important to celebrate those things too.
3. breaks are not just good, they are necessary
If all you ever do is try to be productive, you’re going to get overwhelmed and burn the f out. And if you’re overwhelmed and anxious and burnt out, you won’t be putting your best work forward anyway. You need to let your brain rest! You need to give it space to figure things out when you’re not hyper-focused on finding solutions! You need to let joy inspire you subconsciously.
If you are feeling drained, apathetic, or anxious and annoyed about whatever it is you’re working on, that can be a sign of burnout. Take the time to learn and pay attention to your bodies signals of burnout. Notice them, and ask yourself what’s happening. Ask yourself what you’ve been doing - or not doing - in order to make you feel this way.
Then listen to what your body is telling you and give it the rest it needs. If you don’t, you absolutely will not be as productive or efficient in whatever activity you’re trying to accomplish. Your body is trying to tell you a break is needed.
Over time you will learn to notice these signals, and responding will become automatic.
4. doing things that bring you joy is NOT a waste of time
Let me repeat that - understand that doing purposeful things is NOT a waste of time. It is essential to your own well-being and enjoyment of life. People on their deathbed never say they wished they were more productive or more organized or had a cleaner kitchen. Sure, these things can be important, but they aren’t all-important.
So one thing I want you to stop doing is beating yourself up or wallowing in guilt for “wasting your time” on doing something non-productive that brings you joy.
Catch yourself when you use those words, and change them to something like “you know what I needed that, now I can get back to these other tasks feeling refreshed and in a better state of mind.” You might hear me say this a lot, but I’ll say it again: your words are powerful, use them wisely.
Again, none of this means you should fall into the trap of using it as an excuse to procrastinate on your tasks. A big takeaway here to start paying attention to your own balance and asking yourself what you’re doing too much of and what you need to do more of.
If you have been feeling the need to be constantly productive - or “on” 24/7 - and it’s draining you, that’s a good sign you need to fill your unproductive (or a better word might be purposeful) bucket more.
The more you pay attention, the more attuned you’ll become to your own needs and you will start to predict your own needs rather than only realizing you need a break when you’re already burnt out. In the meantime, plan to have a nice mixture of purposeful and productive activities in your day/week, even if that means you have to schedule it in for now.
Remember - give yourself permission to do things that bring you joy without guilt because those breaks are necessary in order for you to be a full capacity when you return to your more productive tasks.
Before you go - is there a passion project or big goal you’ve been wanting to take on, but feel held back by your indecision, uncertainty, or perfectionism?
If you want this really bad, but feel unsure if - and how - you can tackle it, I have a program that can help you:
Gain clarity around your purpose
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Teach you how to open up more opportunities for yourself
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Use strategies that work, even if you’re a major perfectionist
Stop procrastinating and start making real change
If you feel like any of the above would help you gain your goal, or maybe you’re just looking for someone who truly believes in you that can step in as a mentor, my program might just be the push you’ve been needing.
Learn more and book a free discovery call by clicking that cute little button below<3. I can’t wait to hear what you’re working on!
