We’ve created this false narrative that in order to be successful, we must be constantly working. Consistency yields results- yes. But, too much productivity can be a bad thing. We’re not meant to always be working.
HINDZ, my current favorite content creator, instilled this quote into my mind:
“You can be 100% committed for 1 hour of the day, (or 10% of the time.)”
The grind mentality suggests that our days should repeat the following sequence: wake, work, sleep, repeat. It believes this is the fastest way to succeed and fuels from a mindset fixated on achieving goals. However effective, it is exhausting.
Where do we draw the line between productivity and burnout?
There are many hours in a day. Sure, you can plan strategically and utilize all those hours to your advantage. That’s what’s suggested. Make every minute count and fill every minute with intention.
But time isn’t always the issue. You can have time. The issue is energy.
While some people glamorize “the grind,” some people glamorize a healthy balance: working hard while also getting enough sleep at night, taking mental health days, setting boundaries for themselves, etc. It’s not always about filling your days with endless tasks, but structuring your days around the time you do have. It’s about making space when and where you can. Life requires you to constantly analyze yourself so you can figure out what strategies are going to help you succeed, not just the majority.
I’m not going to sit here and write about how you should just push through and do, because rest is just as important as productivity. Rest isn’t something we are rewarded but a basic human necessity. Understand the space between being disciplined and overworking yourself- because there is a fine line. Listen to your body and pay attention to how you feel.
Do you have enough energy? What do you have energy for?
When is your energy at its highest? Utilize that. When is your energy at its lowest? Plan around that.
If you’re not a morning person, being productive at 7 am won’t produce the results you want. But if you’re a night owl, your energy is at its peak at 9 pm. So, you rest in the morning, you work in the night.
Planning is important. It’s good to have a guideline for the day. It’s good to set routines and schedules to keep yourself on track.
Proper planning prevents poor performance.
But we have to get comfortable knowing that not everything goes according to plan. That every day is different, sometimes unpredictable. And sometimes, the energy required to check that last box from your to-do list is nonexistent. That’s okay. Productivity looks different every day. Sometimes it’s allowing yourself to just be.
Ask yourself, “What do you have time for?”
If you can only dedicate 30 minutes to something- then you dedicate 100% of your energy for those 30 minutes. That is dedication. That is leading with intention. Making the minutes you have count.
Don’t let your inner critic steer you to burnout. It cares about the product- not the progress. It will criticize you for putting off that assignment, skipping the gym, calling out of work… It doesn’t understand that without energy, we can’t do much of anything. But you do. So, learn to silence it. Develop a mindset that promotes productivity as much as it values rest and self-care. Your wellbeing is more important than how much work you can get done.
