Welcome to the Stop Sabotaging Your Success podcast, episode one hundred and nine. I’m your host, Cindy Esliger. This is the podcast focusing on what we can do today to take control of our careers and overcome the inevitable barriers to success that we encounter along the way. 

The pursuit of productivity often becomes a central focus in both personal and professional spheres. The incessant demand for efficiency and effectiveness has led to a prevalent mindset known as the productivity illusion, where the primary goal is to increase output and rack up a list of accomplishments. However, there exists a delicate balance between being productive for its own sake and harnessing efficiency and effectiveness as tools to reclaim precious time for other aspects of life. 

In this episode, we explore the difference between pursuing productivity for its own sake and leveraging productivity to do what will have the most impact, while also carving out time for what truly matters to us. Let’s unravel this productivity illusion and discover how to make our days more fulfilling, rather than just trying to get done as much as we can, in the shortest amount of time. 

For many, productivity is often equated with success – checking off tasks, meeting deadlines, and constantly being seen as busy. But there’s a growing realization that this narrow view of productivity might be leading us away from the very things we value most in life.

The quest for productivity has become a major part of our daily lives. From the moment we wake up, to the time we lay our heads back down, there’s a relentless push to do more, be more, and achieve more. This constant drive is fueled by the productivity illusion, a widespread misconception that equates being productive with the ultimate goal of happiness, success, and fulfillment. This illusion seduces us with the promise that if we can just conquer our ever-growing to-do list, we will find contentment. However, this pursuit often leads us astray, entangling us in a never-ending cycle that doesn’t necessarily bring us any closer to what truly matters. 

The productivity illusion is deeply embedded in societal norms where being busy is often glorified as a badge of honor. How many times have you asked someone how they’re doing and gotten the response, “I’m so busy!”. This mindset can be particularly seductive because it offers a tangible measure of our efforts – how many tasks we’ve completed, how many emails we’ve sent, or how many meetings we’ve attended. It’s a quantifiable way to showcase our dedication and hard work. 

Yet, this fixation on the sheer volume of tasks completed rather than the quality of our efforts or the impact of our work can be misleading. It’s akin to running on a treadmill, where we might expend a tremendous amount of energy moving, but we don’t get anywhere. Our efforts may not necessarily be helping us make progress toward our goals. Instead, we are seen as capable of grinding away, completing a variety of tasks. As the saying goes, “if you want something done, give it to a busy person”. Then, we find ourselves caught in a loop where finishing one task simply means having two more added to our plate. 

But this relentless cycle is not without its consequences. The pressure to constantly be productive often leads to a diminished sense of accomplishment and a disconnect from our true passions and the people we care about. It’s a paradoxical situation where our efforts to be productive can actually hinder our ability to achieve genuine productivity – that is, making meaningful progress toward our long-term goals and living a fulfilling life.

Acknowledging the productivity illusion is the first step in breaking free from its grasp. This requires a critical examination of why we are striving to be more productive in the first place. Is our endless to-do list a means to an end or have we mistaken it for the end itself? Are we seeking to simply do more work or are we aiming to free up time for the activities we genuinely enjoy and the people we care about? This introspection can reveal that productivity, when pursued without a clear purpose, may lead us down a path that diverges from our true desires, possibly leading us toward burnout. 

To navigate away from the productivity illusion, it’s essential to redefine what productivity means to us. This involves shifting our focus from quantity to quality – prioritizing tasks that have the most significant impact on our career goals and well-being over those that simply fill time. By aligning our efforts with what we find meaningful, being productive can be transformed from a relentless chase to a purposeful journey. It becomes a tool for getting the recognition we want at work while also carving out more time for our passions, relationships, and self-care. 

Escaping the productivity illusion requires us to question and push back against societal pressures that equate busyness with worthiness. It involves recognizing that true productivity is not about being busy for the sake of being busy, but about being busy with intention. This perspective shift allows us to set boundaries around our work and make intentional choices about how we spend our time. 

As I said, the productivity illusion is a seductive trap, but it’s not inescapable. By reevaluating our relationship with productivity and aligning our efforts with our deeper goals and desires, we can break free from the cycle of constant busyness. This shift allows us to use productivity as a tool to create a more meaningful and satisfying life, one where we are not just doing more, but are doing more of what will have the most impact. In doing so, we move from a state of feeling perpetually drained to one where we are energized by our pursuits, achieving a sense of accomplishment, not because we’ve ticked off every item on our to-do list, but because we’re making real progress toward achieving what we truly want. 

The paradox of productivity is a phenomenon many professionals encounter yet seldom pause to fully understand. At its core, this paradox presents a counterintuitive scenario: as we enhance our efficiency and become more adept at managing our workload, we often find ourselves burdened with even more tasks, where our reward for improved productivity is simply more work. This cycle can be particularly frustrating for those who aspire to climb the corporate ladder, as the qualities that make us an indispensable part of the team – efficiency, reliability, and the ability to manage a heavy workload – do not necessarily align with the attributes that lead to promotions. 

The traditional notion of productivity emphasizes doing more work in less time, which means the relentless pursuit of completing tasks. In the workplace, this approach can lead to a scenario where the most efficient and productive employees become the go-to resources for additional work. This can create a double-edged sword: on one hand, being recognized as capable and reliable is flattering and may lead to immediate rewards such as praise and maybe bonuses. On the other hand, it can trap us in a cycle where our primary role becomes handling an ever-increasing volume of the same kind of work, rather than focusing on strategic tasks that challenge us to grow and could propel our careers forward.

This paradox highlights a critical flaw in the traditional view of productivity. The reality is that those who are busiest or produce the most work are not always the ones who advance in their careers. Promotions often go to those who are seen as leaders, visionaries, or strategic thinkers, qualities that require time and space to develop. These kinds of qualities are hard to cultivate when you are constantly bogged down by an endless stream of tasks.

Shifting our perspective on productivity requires us to be more intentional about how we manage our time. It’s about identifying which tasks contribute to our long-term goals and which are merely busy work. Instead of striving to do more of everything, we should focus on doing more of what will have the most impact. This means delegating or deprioritizing tasks that do not significantly contribute to our career objectives while dedicating more time to building relationships and alliances, and contributing to the work that is more likely to be noticed and rewarded by upper management.

This approach to productivity emphasizes the importance of having greater visibility and strategically communicating with those who make the career-defining decisions. Being productive in a way that advances your career isn’t just about what you do, it’s about how you communicate your achievements and align them with the goals of your organization. It’s about making sure that your efforts are recognized and valued and that you are seen as a key player in the future of the company, not just as a workhorse. 

It’s easy to get swept up in the latest productivity hacks and strategies promising to help us achieve more in less time. The internet abounds with tips on how to optimize every minute of our day, from planners and time blocking techniques, to the latest apps that promise to keep us on track. While these tools and techniques can be useful, they often miss a crucial component of true productivity: intentionality.

The essence of being intentional is understanding why we’re striving to be more efficient and what we hope to achieve with the time we save. Without this clarity, we risk becoming efficient machines, churning through tasks without purpose. This approach can lead to a sense of overwhelm as we find ourselves perpetually busy, but disconnected from the outcomes that truly matter to us. 

In the workplace, it’s not about doing more for the sake of doing more or simply because someone asked us to do it for them. It’s about focusing our energies on doing the right things, those activities that will have the most significant impact on our careers. This is where the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, becomes invaluable. It suggests that 80% of our results come from 20% of our inputs. Applied to productivity, this principle suggests that a small fraction of our tasks and activities are responsible for the majority of our achievements and job satisfaction. 

To move beyond mere productivity hacks, we must first identify these activities that will give us the most bang for our buck. This requires some self-awareness. What are our long-term objectives, both personally and professionally? What tasks bring us closer to these goals and which ones are merely filling time? By answering these questions, we can begin to prioritize our activities more effectively, focusing on the 20% that will yield the most substantial results. 

Once we’ve identified these key activities, we can then apply productivity strategies with intentionality. Rather than indiscriminately trying to speed up all tasks, we can selectively apply hacks and tools to those that may give us the best return on the investment of our time and energy. This focused approach not only makes us more effective, it also reduces the overwhelm that comes from trying to do everything at once. 

Aligning our productivity efforts with our values also allows us to enjoy the time we free up. Instead of using every free moment to cram in more work, we can choose to spend our time on activities that increase our visibility with decision-makers, pursue a hobby, spend time with loved ones, or simply resting. This balanced approach ensures that our pursuit of productivity leads to something we actually want, rather than just a longer to-do list. 

Our quest for productivity often leads us down a rabbit hole of generic hacks and strategies, so the need for a more personalized approach has never been more critical. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. What works for one person might not work for another, and that’s okay. Experimentation is key here. It might take leveraging the hybrid working arrangement available to you to determine whether working from a bustling open-concept office environment enables you to be more effective than a quiet home office space. It also might depend on the type of work you need to do that day.

Personalizing productivity means crafting an approach to time management and task completion that aligns with your unique circumstances, preferences, and goals. It’s an acknowledgement that the rhythms and routines that benefit one person could be overwhelming for another. The goal is to find a system that allows you to reclaim control of your time, enabling you to dedicate energy not just to work, but to the passions and people that enrich your life.

The journey towards personalized productivity begins with understanding your priorities and your work habits, so that you can then identify the productive strategies that resonate with you. This could mean choosing to work in short, intense bursts, followed by breaks, or identifying the times of day when you’re most energetic and scheduling your most challenging tasks accordingly. 

Personalizing your productivity also means recognizing when less is more. In the pursuit of efficiency, it’s easy to overcomplicate our systems with too many tools or overly rigid routines. Sometimes simplifying your approach and reducing the number of tools and techniques you employ can make a big difference. It’s easy to fall into the trap of adopting what’s popular rather than what’s effective for you. 

Ultimately, it’s about more than just getting things done; it’s about crafting a life that is both productive and fulfilling. It’s about making time for work that matters, yes, but also for play, rest, and relationships. It’s about being efficient in a way that enhances your life rather than consumes it. This tailored approach requires ongoing adjustment, as what works for you now might not work in the future.  But the payoff – a life that balances achievement with enjoyment – is well worth the effort.

In essence, personalizing productivity is a dynamic ongoing process of self-discovery and adaptation. It’s about finding what works for you and adjusting as your life and priorities evolve. By focusing on effectiveness in a way that resonates with your values and desires, you can create a more satisfying and fulfilling life where we have the space to enjoy our free time, guilt-free. 

The cornerstone of this approach is the recognition that time is a finite resource and arguably, one of our most valuable. Yet, all too often, we find ourselves squandering it on tasks that do little to move us closer to our personal and professional goals. The key to reclaiming our time lies in a deliberate shift in perspective: viewing time not as something to be filled with work but as something to be curated with care, ensuring that each task we undertake is meaningful and aligns with our broader objectives. If not, maybe there is someone else better suited to the task, or perhaps it doesn’t really need to be done at all. 

This mindset shift begins with a rigorous assessment of how we currently spend our time, identifying when we are most productive and when we are merely busy. It involves setting clear, achievable goals that reflect what we value most and mapping out a path to reach them through focused, impactful work. By applying strategies like the Pareto Principle, focusing on the 20% of tasks that will yield 80% of the results, we can start to distinguish between what is truly important and what can be automated, delegated, delayed, or deleted from our schedules. 

Strategically increasing productivity, then, is not about cramming more tasks into our day, but about streamlining our focus toward those high-impact activities. This might mean setting stricter boundaries around work hours, using technology in a way that minimizes distractions, or simply learning to say no to commitments that don’t serve our greater purpose. 

We have to let go of the notion that we need to be ‘everything to everyone’ in order to succeed, unless, of course, we want to remain a grinder forever. It also involves embracing practices that enhance our well-being, those that refresh and invigorate us, recognizing that downtime is not wasted time, but rather a crucial component of a productive life. Sometimes, adding something more to our plate makes everything easier, assuming that that additional something is energizing for us. 

As we begin to implement these strategies, we’ll find that not only does our work become more efficient and satisfying, but we also unlock pockets of free time we didn’t know we had. This time can then be spent on activities that bring us joy, whether that’s pursuing a passion project, spending quality time with loved ones, or simply enjoying a moment of solitude. The beauty of this approach is that it allows us to enjoy our free time without the nagging feeling of guilt that often accompanies the idea that we should always be doing more. 

Reclaiming our time is about making a deliberate shift in how we view and manage the limited time we have. It’s about prioritizing impactful work, setting boundaries, and allowing ourselves the space to enjoy life. This perspective change is not just about improving productivity; it’s about reshaping our lives into something more balanced and fulfilling. By intentionally focusing on what matters most, we can transform our perception of time, making every moment count, both in our place of work and outside of it. 

And that’s it for this episode of Stop Sabotaging Your Success. Remember to download your Guide to Intentional Productivity at cindyesliger.com/podcast, episode one hundred and nine.

Thank you to our producer, Alex Hochhausen and everyone at Astronomic Audio. Get in touch, I’m on Instagram @cindyesliger and my email address is info@cindyesliger.com.

If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you have to come check out The Confidence Collective. It’s my monthly coaching program where we dig a little deeper into what’s holding you back in your career, and we find the workarounds. We help you overcome the barriers and create the career you want. Join me over at cindyesliger.com/join. I’d love to have you join me in The Confidence Collective. 

Until next week, I’m Cindy Esliger. Thanks for listening.