Leo over at Zen Habits has a post up today called "Get Less Done: Stop Being Productive and Enjoy Yourself" Now, I'm a big fan of Leo's, but I think he's missed the mark on this one a bit. (Despite our disagreement on this topic - see the comments of his post - I still highly recommend you read Zen Habits daily. Just a great blog.)
I totally agree that we could all use more simplification, relaxation and enjoyment in our lives. But I don't think the right way there is to stop being productive. As I talked about on my employer's blog, the key is to not let meaningless "stuff" get in the way accomplishing what's truly important. (That post is specifically addressing PR agencies, but the principle holds true here, too.)
Maybe self-made success Leo has created puts him in a unique position to not be productive at all and still be able to have the financial security and freedom he needs. If so, more power to him. But the majority of us have mouths to feed, bills to pay, diapers to change, etc. Doing nothing all the time isn't feasible.
Nor is it really desirable for most people. Generally, humans like the feeling of accomplishment. It adds value to our lives. Again, I believe we should all slow down and simplify. The key is to identify what is truly important in your own life, which gives you the freedom to ignore the rest. Do I want more 'down' time? Absolutely. Do I want only 'down' time? Uh...just kill me.
What about you?
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I was glad to see that you provided some debate on Leo's comments. Makes a change from "great post" etc that most people write!
ReplyDeleteAlthough if I was to express my opinion, I would say that both you and Leo are wrong! :)
The key is balance. Productivity AND rest.
Thanks for your comment, Kaizan. Yes, I agree, the sucking up in the comments on most well-established blogs is horrible!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm not expressing myself correctly, then. Because I AM advocating balance. My point is to get through the crap that you *need* to do as efficiently as possible so you can spend more time on the stuff that you *want* to do (whether it's resting, reading, playing, working out...whatever!). I think the major disagreement Leo and I have is over the definition of "productive". To me, it means "worthwhile" not just "getting work done".
I think that a lot of people reading Leo's post will just let go everything instead of focusing on what's truly important for them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that being productive it's essential and that if you are trying to get more done of what you don't like, that's not the same as being productive.