When productivity is no longer the goal Jake LaCaze

Would we need therapy if we knew how to slow down and unplug? How to stop distracting ourselves from ourselves?

Convenience has robbed us of these opportunities. As certain tasks have gotten easier, we can now more quickly move to something else. We can more easily switch contexts in the name of productivity.

But is productivity always the goal? Maybe if you’re a widgetmaker. But any widgetmaker who stumbled upon this post has likely clicked on to something else.

What do you do when you’ve been productive enough? Pushing alone can take you only so far.

At some point, you need something else to take you to the next level. A fresh insight. A dash of creativity. Brute force can’t be the only option in your toolbelt.

Insight and creativity aren’t easy to measure, like widgets produced. But insight and creativity are every bit as crucial as pure effort for sustained success.

So what do you need to slow down?

Maybe a comfy chair. Place matters.

What about time?

Sure, time can be hard to find, but it’s more doable if you’ve cut out doomscrolling and those streaming services that are becoming more and more like cable television, the very thing you sought to avoid when you cut the cord.

What if the thing you need to do to improve your life is nothing?

Could you do it?

Could you find the space?

Could you find the time?

If you can’t, fine.

But if you can . . .