How To Change The Narrative On What It Means To Be Productive
Start setting boundaries and stop getting overworked.
For me, productivity has always been a linear equation: the more you are doing, the more productive you are. On the other hand, the less you are doing, the lazier you are. In the past, I’ve been quick to pass judgment on those who spent their weeknights staying in and their weekends sleeping in.
I was convinced that constantly being busy with work and projects was a sure way to lead a productive life.
Maybe because being busy has always been in my nature.
Whether it was balancing multiple activities and sports as a kid, or having a full-time job with two hustles on the side as a grown-up, I have always taken pride in my productivity.
I believed that my output equaled my value.
Despite my to-do list being overwhelming, I felt that the items on it were necessary for me to have an impact on the world and for my life to have meaning.
For every box I checked, I felt more worthy.
There is no doubt that I’m not alone in this. But where did this need to be busy all the time come from? How did associating our productivity with our success and value come from?
For many, it likely started with the need to please our parents, our teachers, and our mentors. Since then, it has been further compounded by our culture, especially in the workplace. We are acknowledged for taking on more assignments. We are rewarded for working overtime (and not getting paid). And we are praised for making sacrifices along the way.
Our culture has conditioned us to associate being overworked with being productive.
This has resulted in the current narrative on productivity in the workplace leading to increased anxiety and stress.
“I’ve been working 12 hour days all week.”
“I only had four hours of sleep last night.”
Or, my personal favourite:
“I was so busy I forgot to eat.”
I mean, who ‘forgets’ to eat??
In our work-from-home world, we have been forced to slow down. And to my surprise, it not only feels good, I’ve personally found that my focus has improved and my energy has increased. I have space in my day to think my thoughts, and feel my feelings.
I have been led to focus on the way I feel at the end of the day, instead of what I checked off the to-do list.
Unfortunately, despite this realization, one thing remains the same: the narrative at work.
It’s time to shift the conversation in order to change what it means to be productive, one step at a time.
Start with your mindset.
I can’t do it all and neither can you.
Mindset matters and it’s important that we accept that we can’t be all things, to all people, all at once — and that’s OKAY.
We need to shift our mindset around how we work and what it means to work hard. Taking time during your day to have lunch, to take a walk, or to close your eyes for 20 minutes, should not leave you with a gut ache.
We can’t associate these activities with being lazy or uncommitted to our work knowing that they in fact help boost our productivity. Next time you walk away for a break from your laptop, acknowledge the things you have done, instead of focusing on the things that remain on your list.
Give yourself credit for a job well done, and then give yourself permission to take a break.
Set boundaries.
Boundaries come in all shapes and sizes and if you’re like me, the word can mean everything and nothing all at the same time. I’ve learned that boundaries are needed in both our personal and professional lives in order for us to do our best work. This guide to boundary setting says it best:
Having boundaries allows you to make yourself a priority, whether that’s in self-care, career aspirations, or within relationships.
Not sure where to start? Do a gut check. When do you feel stressed? What helps you handle stress? The best part is, you can’t get this wrong.
Boundaries are meant to be flexible and can change as you need them too.
Here are a few quick ideas if you’re still stuck:
Create a personal-time, non-negotiable, recurring placeholder in your calendar.
Have an end-of-day work ritual: Close the door to your office. Put a star in your calendar. Give your dog a high five. Whatever works for you to acknowledge a job well done and a commitment to leave your laptop closed until the next work day.
Find a self-care practice that works and make it a priority.
Tell your family when you need space.
And for goodness sake, take your vacation!!
Even if it’s a staycation, log-off, shut ‘er down, and take a break. Believe me, you will not compromise your career. In fact, you’ll be better for it.
Learn how to say ‘No’
You have a right to say no without feeling guilty.
I repeat, you have a right to say no without feeling guilty.
We are only contributing to being overworked and praised for it if we allow ourselves to take on more than we can handle.
My ‘aha-moment’ was on a recent call with a customer.
As a sales account manager, customers are my first (and in many ways, my only) priority. We needed to set up a meeting to get their team and our team aligned. Before I knew it, I was telling the customer I had too many internal meetings and would have to schedule it for the following week.
Wait, what?? Isn’t my job to serve customers? Shouldn’t they always come first? I hadn’t realized how bogged down I was with work until those words came out of my mouth. I knew it was time to speak to my manager about my workload and how it was impacting my ability to do my job.
Tip: the next time your manager asks you to take on more when your plate is already full, ask them what you should move to the bottom of the priority list.
Share your ‘wins’.
Changing the dialogue with our peers, mentors, and leaders, is what will drive real change in how we acknowledge productivity.
It’s time to celebrate 8 hours of sleep instead of 80 hour work weeks. To share recipes for healthy meals that are nourishing instead of forgetting to eat. We need to feel empowered to talk about self-care best practices like meditation and journaling, instead of feeling embarrassed and judged.
We need to have real, honest conversations on the days that are tough and share how we cope with those we trust most at work.
If we are going to change the narrative on what it means to be productive, we need to stand firm in our values and continue to show up as ourselves.
Instead of participating in the praise of behaviours that lead to burnout, we need to shift the conversation to focus on positive change. In taking ownership of the dialogue, we can start to build mindful, healthy, and productive environments both at home and in the workplace.
