Productivity:
I have just unlocked the hack to productivity
Source: Pinterest
See, if the title moved you to open this newsletter, then it is really for you. You keep seeing videos and books on how to be productive, but you just never seem to unlock that part of you. Well, worry no more because I have just found the hack for you.
Pause and Reflect
Before we move on, I want you to ask yourself two questions:
Why do I want to be productive so bad?
What do I understand by productivity?
It might actually take a long time for you to find answers to these 2 simple questions. You might even never find answers.
You know why? It is because you just want to follow the trend.
What the Internet Shows You
Hold on, before you nod your head in disagreement, what does the internet say about productivity?
One day I was on Instagram doomscrolling when I came across a ‘spend a productive day with me’. The video had timestamps and her day started around 3:30am or so. Honestly, to me at least, the day was not productive other than the fact that she woke up super early, there was nothing else to it.
Another example is the viral video of the bulky man that wakes up 3am-ish. What is it that that man achieves that is productive?
So, if that is the definition of productivity, then it is pretty overrated.
Redefining Productivity
Let me change your perspective on what productivity is.
Literally, productivity is “the efficiency of converting inputs (time, labor, resources) into useful outputs (goods, services, goals), generally calculated as output per unit of input.”
Productivity is pretty relative. Your day is productive depending on your goals. For example, my only goal today is to write this newsletter. My day would be productive if I am able to write it completely.
Do I need to wake up by 3am to achieve said goal? I don’t think so.
What Actually Works
Don’t get me wrong. You can have an early morning routine if it works for you. When I say, “if it works for you”, I don’t mean if you can do it. There is a difference.
Are you able to function throughout the day? Is the day truly productive?
There are times one wakes up as early as 4am and by 1pm, you have achieved pretty much everything you want to for the day, and you can take a nap. This is functional and okay.
It is not, if you are the type that does not nap in the afternoon or has appointments in the afternoon.
Depending on your life, schedule and goals, I expect your daily routine to differ. So, instead of looking for videos and books that will make you productive, I think you should sit and understand what works for you.
If you are an early bird, then maybe an early morning routine would work for you. If you are a night owl, I believe you should work towards a night routine. Whichever way, it is still a productive day and your goals were achieved.
Forcing Productivity
You know what else baffles me? People forcing productivity.
I am telling you, you don’t have any business being obsessed with productivity unless you have a lot you are juggling.
You are just a student, and you keep reading books on productivity. What are you productivitying? Nothing!
My dear, read your schoolbooks and sleep well.
Rest Matters Too
Lastly, you don’t have to be productive every day. Give yourself rest days. Sleep and eat well.
Okay, I am sorry to break your heart but by now you should know I have not unlocked any productivity hack. I just needed you to understand this.
This is the end of this week’s newsletter.
Forever,
Ariya💜