This is great, thank you Benjamin - and it’s inspiring to think that authentic content will win out in the end. I’ve certainly found that these pieces of my own are the most popular; while it’s tempting to bash something out, it often comes across.
I feel so much better about taking naps after reading this too! Seriously though, I discovered this summer how valuable this downtime is - relaxing and having a break is a crucial part of the creative process - an extension of the ‘getting ideas in the shower’ idea.
I think we’re going to have to align happiness and satisfaction with something other than productivity if we’re going to stay sane, avoid burnout and overwhelm.
You are totally right. There pushback against hustle and grind is growing steadily. I think we've grown accustomed to think of ourselves like computers which is just very unhelpful. We are not machines
I really like this sentence/thought you wrote: "...have to align happiness and satisfaction with something other than productivity if we’re going to stay sane, avoid burnout and overwhelm." -- you nailed it. This is it!!
I completely agree with you. I think your perspective aligns nicely with the concept of mindfulness. To do more meaningful and better work, we need to give ourselves the time and space to reflect.
I’m reminded of a quote from one of my favorite series, Mad Men. Don once said that the success of their agency comes from ‘letting our creatives be unproductive until they are.’. True!
Write for 2 hours a day. Review and take notes during another part of the day. This sounds like a brilliant idea to me as that means I’ll be writing 14 hours per week alongside a 16-hour part-time job. That means I am working for 30 hours per week with time left to reflect…
Man this was a great read. It opened up some old wounds of mine when I remembered my “full steam ahead!” + “create, create, create!” approach to my content creation for a good 6-8 years of my life. Eventually drowned in it all of course (and lost a lot too). Thank you for writing this. I wrote some thoughts down while reading it and might try to shape it into an article of my own
Thank you Hayden. That really means a lot🙏. It’s something I’m processing at the moment and have a few more articles coming on the topic…I can say that it does help to write about it 😀
It’s sad how easily so many of us slipped into the machine. It took me four years to return to socials following my grind —> burn out era. I look forward to your articles. It’s a topic that definitely needs more attention
If being productive just means "do more, at all costs", it's wrong and unhealthy.
But as always the definition is far more nuanced and personalized. There always are
- your goals
- your resources
- a baseline "volume" you need to get to your goals.
If your resources don't allow you to produce that baseline volume, you want ever reach your goal.
For example, if you publish an article every 2 months on Substack, and don't do anything else to grow, you'll never find an audience for your message.
That's way optimization comes into play. You try to make the most of what you have, exactly because you want more time and Energy to create your best work, and enough of it.
"This is exactly what I’m trying to achieve as well! Your insights are really helpful—thank you for sharing! I have a bad habit of feeling guilty whenever I’m not working, something I picked up in college, where productivity is often seen as a badge of honor. Being tired, burned out, or constantly busy has almost become bragging rights, and I’m now working to break free from that mindset.
Yeah guilt is actually the topic that I’m tackling next. It’s so counter productive and makes us feel so bad about ourselves that it’s something we need to change
This is an interesting idea. I write about productivity too from the perspective of a person who is diagnosed with anxiety, OCD and depression. I find with those three things a routine is actually very valuable, but you don't focus on what you produce, just on having blocks of time for what you do which I think is similar to your idea here. But what you achieve is the time you spend doing the thing. Which gives you a sense of value and self worth. I think people with mental health challenges have to have even more leeway and adjustable schedules but if we don't have some construct to fall back on then we would never get anything done or so I find. And I'm talking about people who are so depressed they can't get out of bed most of the time or have OCD so bad they check their door to see if it's locked multiple times a day. Routine makes it possible to live a more normal life. Routine = doing something = i did something today worth while (even if all it is is coloring a picture) = winning/productivity..
Hi Selda. If it works for you that’s fine. It hasn’t brought me the results that stepping back and allowing things to develop naturally has but we’re all different. The main thing is that we experiment and find out what works best for us
YES to all of this! I love your fresh view in a world of hustlers and grinders. I also love the definition of "diffuse mode thinking." I have never read it like this and it's very useful. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to reading more of your words!
Thanks a lot. I wish people would talk more about diffuse mode thinking. It’s fundamental for creatives and yet most of us focus on grinding out productivity
I think someone could have an entire substack on this topic alone it is so powerful.
I think you’re right. I have a lot to say on this topic. Definitely have at least another 3 letters planned on it
You basically pulled the last two years of searching and creating out my head.
This was more reassurance for what I’ve already been ruminating on.
Great read man.
Thank you for commenting. That means a lot and even more that it helped 🙏
This is great, thank you Benjamin - and it’s inspiring to think that authentic content will win out in the end. I’ve certainly found that these pieces of my own are the most popular; while it’s tempting to bash something out, it often comes across.
I feel so much better about taking naps after reading this too! Seriously though, I discovered this summer how valuable this downtime is - relaxing and having a break is a crucial part of the creative process - an extension of the ‘getting ideas in the shower’ idea.
I think we’re going to have to align happiness and satisfaction with something other than productivity if we’re going to stay sane, avoid burnout and overwhelm.
You are totally right. There pushback against hustle and grind is growing steadily. I think we've grown accustomed to think of ourselves like computers which is just very unhelpful. We are not machines
I really like this sentence/thought you wrote: "...have to align happiness and satisfaction with something other than productivity if we’re going to stay sane, avoid burnout and overwhelm." -- you nailed it. This is it!!
Thank you! I think there may be a post in that 🤣
And thanks for subscribing to my Substack. Appreciate it! 🙏🏾
yep!!! indeed!!!!
You're welcome! (If you subscribe back you may see my post on this 😉)
subscribed! 💪
Aw Thankyou so much! I can’t wait to read your posts and write about this theme 😊
I completely agree with you. I think your perspective aligns nicely with the concept of mindfulness. To do more meaningful and better work, we need to give ourselves the time and space to reflect.
I’m reminded of a quote from one of my favorite series, Mad Men. Don once said that the success of their agency comes from ‘letting our creatives be unproductive until they are.’. True!
Haha that’s a great quote. Totally agree
'Sales' is another word that has a negative connotation like productivity.
To the point that they go to great lengths to use different names: business development, GTM, revenue operations, etc, etc.
It's sales.
But I don't think either word should create such reaction.
It's throwing out the baby with the bath water.
Sales and productivity are great things when done like you said Benjamin:
- Has to work for you: simplicity.
- Has to empower you: freedom.
- Has to create joy: progress.
Software, sheets, apps and methodologies are merely tools to enable you to do what you want with peace and joy.
Productivity should be like this:
“Habits are safer than rules; you don’t have to watch them. And you don’t have to keep them either. They keep you.” ―Frank Hall Crane
If it doesn't then it's not productive and should be changed to something for your goals and within your values, and that works for you.
But not abandoned.
My 2 cents.
I agree. there are no one size fits all. We are so different that we need to find what works for us best
Bingo
Exactly!…and I love that quote! The important thing is to realize when you went too far in your “productivity”…
Write for 2 hours a day. Review and take notes during another part of the day. This sounds like a brilliant idea to me as that means I’ll be writing 14 hours per week alongside a 16-hour part-time job. That means I am working for 30 hours per week with time left to reflect…
On point.
Thanks Nico
Man this was a great read. It opened up some old wounds of mine when I remembered my “full steam ahead!” + “create, create, create!” approach to my content creation for a good 6-8 years of my life. Eventually drowned in it all of course (and lost a lot too). Thank you for writing this. I wrote some thoughts down while reading it and might try to shape it into an article of my own
Thank you Hayden. That really means a lot🙏. It’s something I’m processing at the moment and have a few more articles coming on the topic…I can say that it does help to write about it 😀
It’s sad how easily so many of us slipped into the machine. It took me four years to return to socials following my grind —> burn out era. I look forward to your articles. It’s a topic that definitely needs more attention
I want to play devil's advocate here.
If being productive just means "do more, at all costs", it's wrong and unhealthy.
But as always the definition is far more nuanced and personalized. There always are
- your goals
- your resources
- a baseline "volume" you need to get to your goals.
If your resources don't allow you to produce that baseline volume, you want ever reach your goal.
For example, if you publish an article every 2 months on Substack, and don't do anything else to grow, you'll never find an audience for your message.
That's way optimization comes into play. You try to make the most of what you have, exactly because you want more time and Energy to create your best work, and enough of it.
Sure I don’t disagree with any of that.
Different people need different messaging.
There’s a lot of advice out there that you just need to be consistent and write everyday.
That’s fine if you want to practice writing for the sake of it.
But I think that we know this will not grow a newsletter.
growing a newsletter has little today with being an amazing writer it’s more to do with networking, marketing and promoting.
Meaning hard work is finding and meeting “the right people” - which most would not define as hard work.
So yeah I fully agree it’s about your goals and what you are trying to achieve .
My worry is that to many people are trying to grow by just writing more and more…which is a recipe for frustration and giving up.
"This is exactly what I’m trying to achieve as well! Your insights are really helpful—thank you for sharing! I have a bad habit of feeling guilty whenever I’m not working, something I picked up in college, where productivity is often seen as a badge of honor. Being tired, burned out, or constantly busy has almost become bragging rights, and I’m now working to break free from that mindset.
Yeah guilt is actually the topic that I’m tackling next. It’s so counter productive and makes us feel so bad about ourselves that it’s something we need to change
That sounds fantastic! I'm looking forward to reading it
This is an interesting idea. I write about productivity too from the perspective of a person who is diagnosed with anxiety, OCD and depression. I find with those three things a routine is actually very valuable, but you don't focus on what you produce, just on having blocks of time for what you do which I think is similar to your idea here. But what you achieve is the time you spend doing the thing. Which gives you a sense of value and self worth. I think people with mental health challenges have to have even more leeway and adjustable schedules but if we don't have some construct to fall back on then we would never get anything done or so I find. And I'm talking about people who are so depressed they can't get out of bed most of the time or have OCD so bad they check their door to see if it's locked multiple times a day. Routine makes it possible to live a more normal life. Routine = doing something = i did something today worth while (even if all it is is coloring a picture) = winning/productivity..
Yeah that is quite a different matter for those with this diagnoses.
Hi Benjamin.
For me, productivity is merely a tool. A tool to make space for the things that are important to me.
Those things change regularly. But one thing remains - without making the best use of my time, I simply cannot live the life I want to live fully.
Hi Selda. If it works for you that’s fine. It hasn’t brought me the results that stepping back and allowing things to develop naturally has but we’re all different. The main thing is that we experiment and find out what works best for us
Productivity is an addiction!
I think you might be right. One which can take years to break
Love this. #4, yes….I mean No :) it has saved my life! #6, exactly what I attribute any success I have and my new blog will incorporate this.
great stuff. excited to see what you come up with
I really like this direction a lot of us are taking that productivity is not the end all be all.
I took us forever.
YES to all of this! I love your fresh view in a world of hustlers and grinders. I also love the definition of "diffuse mode thinking." I have never read it like this and it's very useful. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to reading more of your words!
Thanks a lot. I wish people would talk more about diffuse mode thinking. It’s fundamental for creatives and yet most of us focus on grinding out productivity