Around 20 years ago, I felt like an unproductive, lazy bum in my work as a knowledge worker. Emails piled up, deadlines whooshed by, and my general motto in life was “I’ll do it tomorrow.” It was a never-ending cycle of procrastination and guilt, a vicious loop I couldn’t break free from, no matter how hard I tried. I was drowning in a sea of unfinished tasks and unfulfilled potential, and I knew something had to change.
In an aspirational fit of “I’m gonna turn my life around!” I strolled into a bookstore and bought my very first productivity and self-development book – the infamous “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. As I flipped through the pages, it all just rang a bell. The system, the workflows, the magic of “inbox zero” – I was hooked. This was it. This book would singlehandedly solve all my problems and turn me into a productivity machine. I could already picture myself effortlessly gliding through tasks, a paragon of efficiency and effectiveness. Oh, how naive I was.
Fast forward a few weeks, and…surprise, surprise, I was still the same hot mess as before. Why, you ask? Well, it turns out I conveniently skipped over the most important (and, let’s face it, the most boring) part of the whole GTD system – doing the daily and weekly reviews. Oops. My bad. You see, I thought I could just cherry-pick the fun parts, the shiny bits that promised instant gratification, without putting in the hard work and discipline required to make the system actually stick. Classic rookie mistake.
Another productivity thing is that I’ve got this nifty little thing called a calendar. But my biggest struggle, to this very day, is remembering to actually look at the darn thing in the morning before I start my day. Instead, what do I do? I jump right into the fire, extinguishing one blaze after another as they pop up throughout the day like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. It’s a reactive approach to work, always playing catch-up instead of being proactive and strategic. And the worst part? I know better. I’ve read the books, and I know the strategies, but somehow, in the heat of the moment, all that knowledge goes right out the window, and I fall back into old habits.
Don’t even get me started on the sheer number of productivity books and viral articles I’ve consumed over the years. I’ve read ’em all. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”? Check. “Atomic Habits”? You betcha. “The 4-Hour Work Week”? More like the 40-hour work week, am I right? I’ve devoured these books like a hungry caterpillar, each promising to be the magic solution to all my productivity woes. And yet, here I am, still struggling with the same issues day in and day out. It’s like I’m collecting productivity strategies like Pokemon cards, but never actually putting them into practice.
I’ve absorbed so much productivity wisdom that I could probably write my own book at this point. It would be called something like “How to Trick Yourself into Being Productive While Actually Just Spending More Time Reading About Productivity.” Catchy, isn’t it? I can already picture the cover – a frazzled stick figure buried under a pile of self-help books, reaching out desperately for a lifeline. It would be a bestseller, I tell you. People love reading about productivity almost as much as they love procrastinating.
Here’s the thing: despite all this knowledge, I still struggle. I procrastinate, I get overwhelmed, and I feel like there’s never enough time in the day. It’s like I’m constantly running on a hamster wheel, expending a lot of energy but never really getting anywhere. And the more I try to “optimize” my life, the more I feel like I’m losing touch with what really matters.
So, what’s the secret sauce? Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out myself. But here are a few things I’ve learned along the way, through much trial and error (emphasis on the error):
And finally, if you’re feeling burnt out, find a hobby. Something that steals time and focus away from your “real” work. Something that brings you joy. Because let’s face it, life’s too short to be a productivity robot 24/7. We all need a break sometimes, a chance to recharge and reconnect with the things that light us up inside. So whether it’s painting, hiking, or learning to play the ukulele, make room for those passions. They’re not a waste of time, they’re an investment in your own happiness and well-being.
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