8 Unproductive Reflections on Becoming More Productive
and how I took a step back
1.
When drawing inspiration from our lives, zooming out to look for patterns is more useful than wrestling with which AI tools you use, how well you spend your day at work, or how you do things in general on a daily basis.
One pattern I found is my quest to become more productive.
2.
I was 20.
I just came home after finishing my Associate Degree in the US.
After several random jobs, I found myself working overnight shifts on a cargo plane at the airport. I was on a downward spiral.
One morning after work, I didn’t go straight home.
I wandered on the streets, struggling with an unsettling feeling in my stomach. A few soul-searching questions popped into my mind:
What the heck am I doing?
Why don’t I know where I should go?
How can I get better?
Things are clearer in hindsight.
Deep down, it was a sense of shame for not having my career figured out after studying abroad. It felt like wasting all the money my parents had spent on me. The privilege I had became an invisible burden on my shoulders.
On that random walk, I knew I needed to get better. And what I settled upon was to become more productive.
3.
Over the next decade, I tried everything from:
Setting up email filters to help me save time from spam
Applying the 80/20 rule to focus on things with the highest leverage
Blocking time in my calendar for deep work, rest, and family time
And I studied those who seemed to have figured it out:
I read James Clear’s Atomic Habits and even gifted several copies to my friends
I listened to podcasts as if the act of listening would automatically change my life
I subscribed to newsletters from the likes of Tim Ferriss, Cal Newport, and Greg McKeown
I picked up self-help books for timeless wisdom on productivity and time management
Little did I know I was going in the exact opposite direction of who I naturally am.
4.
The tide started to shift when I became a dad in 2020.
Becoming a dad forces me to rethink just about everything I think I know.
When I turn away from the laptop and look at my kids, what I see is this constantly changing mirror of my behaviors, thoughts, and feelings.
Everything blended in a way that is very hard to describe with words.
Day by day, everything looks about the same. One day, when you look back, everything is different.
5.
It was like hitting a reset button.
On the one hand, you take a good look at who you once were, and you can barely recognize that person who was actually you in the past. On the other hand, you are constantly navigating some unknown territory as your kids grow up at lightspeed.
What worked yesterday is probably not going to work tomorrow.
I know it’s time for a detour from my path on productivity.
6.
Having children is the most unproductive act in this hyperproductive society.
No productivity hack can survive a 3-year-old who gives you that look, and all they want is a hug.
Forget about getting into the flow, deep work, and focus time. The minute you are ready to sit down to do some real work, it’s time to change some diapers, prepare snacks, and break up another fight.
This whole parenting thing led me to these questions:
After all, what does it even mean to me to be productive?
What am I sacrificing in the name of “being productive”?
What might happen if I only value my time in quantitative terms?
What’s enough?
How much about productivity I know is actually second-hand knowledge distilled by people who are playing a different game?
If I am doing what I love as my nature guides me, how much does productivity matter?
When I ask myself these questions, I learn that life is not something I need to hack my way through 24/7.
I scale back and enjoy the time doing nothing with my kids - goofing off at the park, watching sunset by the sea, reading the same set of books over and over again - all highly unproductive but meaningful to me.
7.
Okay, I do love the idea of having a structured workflow and effective ways to manage my tasks, time, and everything in between. I am not denying it. We live in a much better world today because of the level of efficiency we have.
But the narrative around productivity is often anchored on HOW you do things on an individual level - saying no to unnecessary tasks, calibrating settings in your favorite software, learning how to write better AI prompts, or sequencing your daily routine so you don’t miss your nutritional intake, exercise, or sleep.
If you scale this notion to a national level, you end up with something like the Department of Government Efficiency in the States.
When I take a step back, I see the missing pieces of the WHAT and the WHO.
What do I really want to do?
What am I naturally good at?
What gives me the most joy and purpose in life?
Who loves me the most in this world?
Who will remember me when I am gone?
What would happen if I am being super productive on the wrong thing with the wrong people?
When you ask a different set of questions, you start to see things differently.
8.
Productivity is the means and not the end.
When I look for patterns in my life, I often find the best stuff in the most unproductive moments - going for a random walk, folding some clothes, doing nothing during downtime, playing with my kids, and the best of all, having a siesta.
After all, it’s all about finding the balance that works for you.
I will leave you with a question:
What is the one thing that you want to do for the rest of your life without the need to consider how productive you are?
Until next time.
- Franco
This newsletter is for those of you who want to live a more meaningful, intentional, and slower life.
Your presence means so much to me. I am curious to know how you feel about my work. Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts with me.
Hello my friend! I hope you remember me, I am Fernando. You hosted me and Sofi at your place in HK back in 2017 (i guess 😅) It beautiful to read your blog, so full of insight and very humane moments! I am glad that you decided at some point in life to share your thoughs. Regarding this particular post, I would say society have trained us for a very long time to do and to be productive. Just the phrase “doing nothing” have its roots on productivity. But the moment you defy that “true” about productivity, about what “doing nothing” really means you get to that point where you start understanding the path of the being and not so much of the doing. I remember you as a guy that had things figured out, back then, I guess we never really talked about it, maybe i wasnt ready for these kind of talks, but I remember you as a friendly, kind and open hearted man. I remember your lovely family, the time spent with the dogs, our walks to the nature, the beach. I remember those days, as the very beginning of a person within me that understand that life is now, every single moment, that as long as I love life, life will love me back. And I always remember you, as an important part of that realisation. I am happy that you take the time to enjoy your kids, the park, time with your wife. To stop and listen to yourself in a world that keeps comparing us to others. Thats the ultimate revolution. Hanging out here, in the present moment.
We must not forget, that life is not about us, but about them. Who are “them”? Easy, just everyone else! Love and regards for the whole family, from argentina! Your friend, Fernando! 🙏🏼
Your experience as a father has shifted your world view. Being present for your kids makes a difference in your priorities, doesn't it?
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)
This quote inspired me to focus on the emotional impact of how I treat others and de-emphasize productivity or efficiency.
If I didn't have to care about productivity (a requirement to survive in this capitalistic system), I would read and garden and make art all the time!