Have you ever felt the pressure and the guilt of not being “productive enough”? 😬
^^^ It can hit you when you see all the other stuff people are accomplishing, from others’ well intentioned questions about what you’ve been up to or from your own internal stories about how much you “should” be doing.
[Before we continue, let’s assume every time I write the word “productive” below, it’s in quotes] 👍
Feeling frustrated, unhappy and upset about what you have or haven’t done can feel like a gut punch sometimes. It can feel like you’re doing something “wrong” because you just can’t catch up to that to-do list and there’s never enough time in the day to get everything you want done. 🤦♀️
Let me tell you: the to-do lists never actually ends (can you imagine if it did…how bizarre would that be?!) and there’s always going to be something else to do.
⛔️ The point isn’t to complete literally everything you ever wanted to do and right now.
✅ The point is that you’re happy with how you spend your time day-to-day, you feel a sense of accomplishment and you know you’re making progress because you’re working on the right stuff.
Being a “productive person” means something different for all of us. You don’t have to be busy-busy-busy all day long in order to be productive. You don’t have to fit into all the traditional definitions of productivity in order to actually be productive.
Productivity has its ups and downs and is a wild ride full of surprises – just because you’re not productive every single day doesn’t mean you’re not a “productive person”. There’s no need to label yourself in order to be a person who gets sh** done and reaches their goals.
Productivity (and life!) is not linear. So it’s OK for your path and progress to be nonlinear too.
We all fall off the productivity wagon once in awhile – don’t let that stop you from making progress and reaching your goals. Keep taking action! Baby steps are where it’s at! 👣
“Have you ever felt the pressure and the guilt of not being “productive enough”? ” YES!! Constantly. I thought it was just me.
Rest assured you’re not alone Julia! ♥ Keeping a record (I use a Google Sheet) of all the things you do, finish and accomplish each day or week can be a super helpful reminder that you are 100% productive enough. 😉
There’s a difference between being productive and overwhelmed. I love being productive in my work and personal life, but when it’s too much, that take the joy away. Sometimes, I need to refocus and look at life balance.
You’ve got that right Laurie! It’s a fine balance between the two and I’m so happy you take the time to refocus!
Totally agree with your point that feeling productive has everything to do with feeling positive about what we have accomplished that day and not necessarily reaching the end of that to-do list (which never ends lol). Thank you for validating 🙂
You’re so welcome Josanne – keep those positive vibes flowing! 😉