Get Less Done: Stop Being Productive and Enjoy Yourself
zenhabits.net
zenhabits.net
Lately I've found that I can avoid burnout by having 2 different projects going at the same time. But they need to be in completely different domains. For example, I'm working on a stealth startup and training for a marathon. I rest my body while working on the computer, I rest my mind while out on my runs. Yin and Yang. Doing things this way, everything gets done that needs to, and I always feel like whatever I'm doing is a fun break from something else.
To do lists are important even when you need to relax. For example, I love to do trip check-lists so I minimize my stress DURING the trip. And, even if you want to turn-off, you need to plan for that. Just turning off GTD (or whatever other tool) is not the way to go IMO.
I highly recommend First Things First by Dr. Covey. It outlines a process to find out what's really important to you, and then how to execute them. I think a combination of FTF and GTD is ideal.
It lets your leisure be all that more relaxing, since you understand that you aren't forgetting to do something else during that time.
The point is, I'm not going to actively try to remember any of that, which frees my mind up to enjoy every day life. While I don't follow GTD to the letter, it's been a very helpful attitude change.
I am still doing a kind of GTD-lite, and I still keep my lists up to date and my inbox reasonably empty. I didn't completely throw away the whole system, but I did need to do a restart and scale it back.
GTD has the concept of weekly review, where you go through all your projects and lists and make sure that everything is where it belongs. I think I got to a point where I wasn't just forgetting to do the reviews, I just flat out refused to do them. It was a conscious rebellion against the idea that we need to be as productive as possible all the time.
Sometimes things are going to be messy or broken or imperfect and I needed to find a way to be ok with that - it was more an issue with me than with the GTD methodology. We broke up, but we're still friends. It's not you, it's me - that sort of thing. I still recommend GTD to people. It's a good first step for getting things under control, but not necessarily for achieving balance.
There is still much waiting to be said to fight back against the lifehacking, GTD, how to work for only 4 hours a week by being a giant dick and how to convert all of your farts into actionable GasHacks and become more productive by making sure you never have an original thought again movement. It is not said by productivity bloggers with a shitty book to hawk.
Somewhere along the road, lifehacking became focused more on productivity and less on pleasure. That's when I stopped reading Lifehacker. I know Merlin Mann had a semi-meltdown of a similar sort two years ago.
Zen Habits once really irritated me - it was list-based and monotonous - but for the last year it's really been a great source of occasional reading and relaxation. This article in particular was terrific.
The important things to remember when reading books like Getting Things Done and 4 Hour Work Week is that they are not written specifically for you. If you read them, take the advice that fit /your/ life from them - then they're pretty good books.
I read this article as basically: If you feel unproductive at times then don't panic. Which seems like good advice.
Reading it and getting mad because it wasn't exactly what you hoped is not very zen. :)
That was pretty distracting to realize.
If what you do is interesting and challenging, it can be very enjoyable. If it isn't, then you need to change. And yes, a bit of balance with time to play and run outside is definitely a good idea too.
I'm studying to be able to contribute to the singularity, so that I can spend a much longer time relaxing than I ever could in this body.
Is that different?
(and I'm so glad this article wasn't titled "The 10 rules of how to enjoy yourself")
"sorry we didn't finish our demo because we took too many naps and ate Bon Bons"
Usually I could get all this done a little bit faster even, but I was up until about 3 last night and up again at 8:30 this morning.
...what?
But perhaps this counter-point is more appropriate for the chronically unproductive, rather than the chronically productive that article targets.
I tried relaxing without work to do for a week recently during a school break and by the end of it I felt lazy and self-loathing... as if I had spent the whole week doing nothing but watching Judge Judy and eating Cheetos. I just think I enjoy having responsibilities and things to do.