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Episode 423 – What does it mean to be productive

• I use the word productive a lot
• A lot
• I like it
• Saying it makes me feel like I am speaking about something important
• And I especially feel productive, and even tell people who ask me – when I got a lot done
  • Answered all the emails
  • Finished my to-dos
  • Ran the errands
  • Simply put – got stuff done
• It makes me feel good when I had a productive day
• But I have begun to wonder
• If we have some kind of addiction to this feeling of being productive
• Because lets be honest – there are always things to do
• Bored is a myth of the past
• When we didn’t have internet and technology that now keeps us entertained 24/7
• There is so much to do that we can always produce this feeling of productive by getting stuff done
• Just answering a few emails that I have been putting off gives me pleasure
• I feel good
  • Getting that month end reports done
  • The laundry
  • The trip to the grocery store I have been pushing off
  • The taxes – my gosh – finally those are done
• Getting stuff done almost gives me renewed energy to do more
• I am motivated
• And this feeling comes from a chemical called dopamine
• Dopamine is a motivator hormone – it helps us jump on things we enjoy
• But dopamine is also refueled when it registers rewards
• Getting stuff done are little shots of pleasure for the brain
• Getting started on them is often a littler harder
• But you may have noticed that once you are rolling, you feel refueled and do more
• I don’t know about you – but I am in constant task mode
• These are quite often things I enjoy – like preparing my podcast episodes
  • Or getting ready for a trip
• But even the chores that I enjoy less – I tackle them – knowing they need to be done and they will make me feel good when finished
• But I realized that there is a trap involved
• Big dreams – once I get myself motivated to start them – quickly turn into tasks
• Some of that is simply part of the process
• In order to purplish my episodes I need to go through several steps
• Steps can be considered tasks
• And the more we are in task mode, the harder it is to get out of it because we get constant little hits of dopamine – that sense of accomplishment
• And more motivation comes from that
• This doesn’t sound bad right?
• We check of a few things we enjoy and with the dopamine that comes from finishing these tasks we tackle the ones that require more motivation to get started on
• Sounds like a good strategy
• In the end I have noticed that all tasks and all striving for productivity blends together
• It all becomes a constant chase
  • We work so we can travel
  • We travel so we can check of the experiences we were told are cool
  • We do so by posting pictures of our travel destinations on SM so the world can see them
  • We train for a marathon so we can lose weight
  • We work our butt off getting the miles in every day
  • We finally run it – we post pictures
  • And we move on the next goal
• All these goals are great
• But my question is – are we to obsessed with a productive lifestyle?
• Is it only about getting stuff done and are we forgetting something important along the way?
• Are we missing out on actually enjoying life at the expense of checking things off?
• Yesterday I went climbing and did my first lead climb
• That’s when I go up first and place gear instead of following my leader
• Its less safe because if I fall, I fall to wherever my last piece of gear was placed
• It was an easy route and it was a sports route – meaning I clipped bolts – I didn’t place traditional gear like cams
• But still – I was super stoked
• I placed all my gear correctly and I climbed efficiently and didn’t backstep
• And all I could think about on the way home was the picture I would post on IG and send to my climbing partner about this accomplishment
• Why – because recognition from others are renewed dopamine shots for the brain and they inspire me to jump to the next task
•  
• I want to be More than just my next task
• I want to be more than just my next IG picture and that pad on the back from my friends
• I want to be more than just Janine who is so focused and so productive
•  
• I realized that when I focus purely on the outcome – I am losing touch with the present
  • the picture for SM
  • the claps from my friends
  • the stories to share with others on how I did it
• this thinking is taking me out of enjoying the moment
• when future thinking is my main focus – my deadlines and my tasks drive me
• when I am enjoying the simple process of working on my tasks – I am in control
• it is actually quite noticeable
• we have this wonderful device called phone and as soon as it is in our hands – we are not present anymore
• you notice it when you speak to someone and they are looking down
• and you notice it when you admire a beautiful building and then interrupt yourself by pulling your phone out to take a picture
• subconsciously we constantly checking off things
• hence –we always plan, we create, we build, and we DO
• because we want to feel productive
• it feels good
• it gets us recognition
• and that feels good
• so we rinse and repeat
•  
• But the trap we fall into – that I see myself falling into – that I exchange my big dreams for small tasks
• And that accomplishing those small things becomes more important than the actual big objective I set out to do
• In pursuit of one big dream – I end up chasing the next goal, the next metric, the next objective, the next project
  • I track my steps
  • I log all my climbs
  • I write down all my workouts
  • I check my word count when I write
• And if the numbers at the end of the day seem satisfying – I feel accomplished
• And yet – I don’t
• I feel good, yes
• But it’s a fleeting feeling that needs another hit to last – another short term goal
  • Beating the steps from the previous day
  • Another climb planned
  • Higher weights on my next workout
  • More words written the next day
• A constant chase
• And its only though a sudden pause, maybe during meditation
• Or when I am disconnected, out of range, in nature
• That I wake up
• To my bigger objectives
  • Walking as a way to move more and feel invigorated
  • Climbing as a way to challenge my body and my mind and to be in nature
  • Working out as a way to be lean and strong and extend my life
  • Writing to put my thoughts out into the world and help others
• My bigger tasks are about me
• My dreams, that I want to explore
• Me – whom I want to get to know and challenge
• My life – that I want to create
• Small daily tasks get me there
• But when I get caught up in just checking them off they become part of a chase for something else – not me
• Rather – a chase for being better, being enough, fitting in, measuring up, ascending the ladder and being worthy
• My big dream comes from a place on the inside
• Self-expression
• Self-realization
• My dream to change the world with my words, my actions, my being
• So how can we get out of this cycle of tracking, recording, checking off and get back into true productivity?
• Here is what I realized:
• We undergo the constant chase because we want to feel better at the end of the day
• More complete, more worthy, more enough
• Dopamine helps us with that
• But why do we need to feel better?
  • We are already great
  • We are already enough
  • We are already worthy
• That’s why we are alive
• We don’t have to prove anything to anyone
• All we need to do is live a meaningful live that we enjoy and leaves a positive impact on the world
• And to create such an impact we don’t need claps, and metrics and checkmarks
• We don’t need the daily chase
• The stress
• The deadlines
• The awards and the money
• All we need is us
• Our heart in the right place and strong urge to make a difference
• When you do your stuff because it matters to you – then you are productive
  • Not because your App tells you
• Productivity is getting done what is important to you
•  
• Do it because it matters to you
• And do it every single day
  • Yes – find tools that help you stay on track
  • Yes – share your successes with people
  • Yes – feel good when you reach milestones
• But the next morning, when you get up and start a new day – remind yourself WHY you do it
• When it gets hard and when you run into obstacles – remind yourself Why you are on this journey
• When other things that seem easier to get done come your way – stick with your WHY and pull through
• Do what is most important to you and do it every day
• And be clear on what is actually important
• I shared some of my bigger objectives of you
• Know yours
• Make sure they are truly yours, and not someone else’s
• And when we pursue those – with consistency and with joy – then I feel – we are truly productive
• No matter how many tools I use that prove that I have DONE what I needed to do – at the end of the day – the only thing that matters is what my heart believes
• And to know what that is – I need to become present with my journey
• I need to check in with myself from time to time:
  • Am I still going in the right direction
  • Am I still pursuing my dream or am I chasing something else
  • Am I still moving forward with purpose and intent – or am I just running for the finish line?
• Being productive is about my life
• Not about the expectations of others
• Keep this in mind today my friends as you run into your day, your to-dos, and your action items
• Stay present and mindful with yourself and you will notice that some of the things you thought were so critical lose importance and others you have put on the back burner may become more pressing
• Go after yourself – that is where you find your best productivity

Much love