Productivity

Being busy is sometime counter productive. It’s easy to schedule a day and plan being busy but harder to actually be productive. Yep, Productive. The ability to produce or even progress (uh, not Websters definition). Did I do anything to propel me closer to my career goal? Did I say anything encouraging, uplifting, reprimanding or redible? Did I strengthen my bond with family, friends or God? If not, then my day may have been busy but doggone unproductive.

Looking far back as 2015, I used to drink a lot of milk. I'm a few years older and Milk doesn't treat me the same anymore. I’m no Cow-ologist, but I would imagine that a cow that does not produce quality milk nor off spring is a burden to the farm. I’m sure not even the coolest of cows can moo it’s way into convincing the farmer to keep it around. With no productivity the cow will soon get the boot. Or possibly even become a boot. In our lives we are placed in positions that require us to produce. On our jobs we are required to produce gains. In sports we are required to produce a victory. In relationships we are required to produce a nurturing bond. Whenever we don’t produce we create obstacles, challenges and distance. Each day let’s challenge ourselves to be productive.
Whether it’s moving closer to a goal or strengthening a relationship.

We are creatures of consumption, so we are being productive in the minimal sense of turning food into waste!! :woohoo:

But we also get energy out of it to continue to gather food, and as a result we also get to achieve some measure of longevity to do other things. So how do we value that!?

Maybe it's a good idea to prioritize effort in terms of its relationship to productivity itself!

For example;
1. physicality - healthy food, air, water, environment - maximum longevity in sustainable productivity (if we are not functioning physically, we cannot be productive)
2. homesteading - a supportive social bond, a stable self identity, an effective social capacity (if we are not functioning psychologically, we cannot be productive)
3. aspirations - constructively relating to the unknown, be they contradictions (understanding), discovery (safe), pleasure (more), pain (less), (if we are not embued with values and morals we have no capacity to understand productivity)
4. application - improving of capacity to be productive (being productive)
5. productivity itself - a measure of progress is required to orientate oneself in a practical context to resource expenditure (being better at being productive)

For most of us it seems the focus tends to be on 2 and 5, or rather 5 for 2 (work to live), which leaves 1 to falter, become afraid of 3 and slowly grow 4 in the limited scope of 5.

I dunno if they translate to the fictional Trials of Knighthood, skill, insight, spirit, flesh and courage, but perhaps so to some extent.

Good that you put this out here , its been bothering me a lot too , although i am busy , i am not always productive, Its a point of interest to me , thanks for reminding me ...

Reminds me a bit of the 8 circuit model or other reality models. The 8 system or 8 circuit model was first posited by Dr Timothy Leary and has since been revisited by others... Robert Anton Wilson and Antero Ali being notable theorists.

Great clip. Thank you. Worth watching. Lol

I think being too focused on measuring productivity as an equation of success/effectiveness, can itself be counter productive.

I love that video that Manu posted. Has me wanting to move to Australia. I've been struggling a lot with the idea of productivity lately because in April of this year I had an anxiety attack and since then I have had a hard time keeping my life in order. I also have clinical depression and have been going to counseling since then, and one of the things they are working with me on is teaching me to get myself organized. For one thing, before going to counseling I had this idea that I was lazy and that is why things weren't getting done. What my counselor had me do was write down everything I did in a day and I realized that I actually do a lot of work and I am very ambitious, but I don't seem to give myself credit for what I do accomplish and instead I focus on what I do not accomplish. After seeing that, I was feeling better about it and have been working on listing my desired goals, breaking those goals down into smaller steps, and putting the steps on a calendar. In this way you have a plan to follow and it is done with your priorities in mind. I can't say I've perfected this art yet, but I have learned a lot in the attempt. For one thing, there are days where I realize that it's just not happening. On those days I've come to realize that there is no point in trying to force myself to keep with the schedule. If I try to force it then it just backfires because I screw things up when I'm like that. Then I spend even more time trying to fix what I screwed up. So I've learned on those days to just kind of let go and relax as much as possible because I think it is my body's way of telling me it needs rest and recreation. Then I pick it up again later when I feel stronger. I think relaxation is as much a need as food, clothing, warmth, etc.

There;s an observation in your post that I really like, Magdelene:

"For one thing, there are days where I realize that it's just not happening. On those days I've come to
realize that there is no point in trying to force myself to keep with the schedule. If I try to force it then it
just backfires because I screw things up when I'm like that."

Social and industrial pressures applied in a cookbook fashion tend to drive us as close to maximal productivity all the time as possible. But we are not necessarily designed to work in this way. There are cycles of activity and rest inherent in our physical existence - some of which are known to us (like the circadian cycles of day and night), and some of which we are probably unaware (say, perhaps, biorhythms or stellar radiation and such).

We do best, I think, when we honor our periodic needs to slow down. Creative types seem to be especially susceptible to this rule; sometimes the best cure for a case of writer's block can be to stop writing for awhile and go rake the leaves.

I like what you've learned here!


-- Todd