7 HARMFUL PRODUCTIVITY MYTHS WHICH NEED TO BE DESTROYED

Let's face it: our capitalist overlords want to squeeze as much productivity out of us as possible. As a result, there are many harmful productivity myths circulating which benefit them (rather than us). I have identified seven of them below – including the reasons they are harmful – and I discuss ways in which they can be reframed or overcome.

RETHINKING PRODUCTIVITY

Productivity and time-management are buzz-words in the business world, and are likely to be found on a corporate jargon bingo card (alongside ‘collaboration’, ‘impact’ and ‘low-hanging fruit’).

The Oxford Learners Dictionaries (https://oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com) define productivity as:

“The rate at which a worker, a company or a country produces goods, and the amount produced, compared with how much time, work and money is needed to produce them”.

There is a lot of focus in modern society on the importance of maximising productivity and efficiency. Indeed, as individuals, many of us want to be productive with our time so that we're able to do everything we wish to in our lives.

Maximising productivity might make sense for a machine, but (in my view) it doesn’t work as well when applied to the complexity of individual human beings. As important as productivity is, there are limits to its effectiveness, and diminishing returns the more we try to squeeze every last drop out of every minute of our day.

So, on that note, here are seven rage-inducing productivity myths which need to be destroyed. Immediately.

MYTH 1: "WE ALL HAVE THE SAME 24 HOURS IN A DAY"

I see this phrase everywhere and it causes me physical pain. Of course we don’t all have the same twenty-four hours!

If you have children; if you have a day-job; if you have any disabilities or chronic illnesses; if you don’t have easy access to childcare or other paid-for time-saving services; if you’re not from a wealthy background… so many factors directly affect the number of hours you have available in the day for pursuits that matter to you – rather than just the ones which are necessary for survival.

Most of these factors are outside our direct control.

Then you add gender to the mix. Yes, I love being a mother, and I chose to have children. However, take a wild guess as to whether it was mine or my husband's career which was destroyed by this decision? And guess which of us has the greater childcare and household workload? And I'm luckier than many because my husband is actively involved in childcare and household management.

When I became a parent, I quickly realised that most productivity and time-management strategies are as much use as a chocolate stairgate in my situation. Productivity advice is designed for full-time able-bodied corporate individuals without children or other dependents, and whose free time is (mostly) their own. These days, I mostly only read productivity advice from other women and people with marginalised identities, because I already know how the kale smoothie-drinking White dude techbros with six children are getting everything done. And no, it isn't because they get up at 6am and hit the gym.

Some productivity advice can be modified to suit individual circumstances. However, people who write their productivity tips assuming the reader has a flexible, uncomplicated schedule, and people who spout the ‘same 24 hours’ mantra, are doing so from a position of privilege.

MYTH 2: "YOU CAN DO IT ALL; YOU JUST HAVE TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE"

It might appear that others around us are doing and achieving everything. They have a brilliant, successful full-time career; eight perfect, well-behaved children; a large immaculate house; they volunteer in their local community; and they run their own profitable business on the side. Or at least that’s how it seems on their Instagram profile.

We're led to believe that it is possible to have it all and be it all, and if we're not managing to do that then we are failing and not 'doing productivity right'. If only you could manage your time better. If only you could be more productive. Then you too would have time for idyllic family picnics and baking projects with your herd of well-groomed youngsters when you get home from your work as a CEO.

I believe this expectation is placed particularly on women. I feel like something went wrong on our journey to equality with men, and instead of having more choice and freedom, we just ended up with twice as much to do.

However, I am speaking to everyone when I say this: it is not possible to do it all!

I can't say there aren’t unicorns out there who are exactly as described above, but I personally have never met one (and I wouldn’t want to). Even if someone looks like they are living a perfect life, chances are they are not, and/or they have more practical and financial help than you realise.

You don’t get to see the weekend days on which that person was too exhausted to do anything more than leave their kids in pyjamas and order them a McDonald’s while they played Xbox. I (of course) have never done this (cough). You don’t get to see the interior of their house, which looks like Fisher Price, Vtech and Crayola vomited in every room (me again). You don’t get to see the late nights spent trying to catch up on work after the kids refused to go to bed on time (yes, also me).

The point is, doing it all is impossible.

You need to focus instead on doing the things that are most important to you. Anything which isn’t in the ‘most important’ category should be done to the bare minimum standard (if at all).

I would love my house to be immaculate, but ultimately I care more about my writing than about germs. I want the eulogy at my funeral to focus on my smart, incredible children and my many successful books – not on how clean my shower was.

So, ultimately, focus on what matters most TO YOU. You should pick no more than three priorities which come above all others, and only tackle the others when it is absolutely unavoidable. For example, I accept that I have to clean my bathroom occasionally, but I laugh out loud at those adverts which talk about the ‘weekly clean’. I can live with stray pieces of Lego in my hallway: as long as my boys are happy and healthy, and as long as I can work on my business and writing. And as long as I don’t step on the Lego.

MYTH 3: "YOU MUST BE PRODUCTIVE AT ALL TIMES"

Humans – especially those of us at the bottom of the wealth pile, i.e. most of us – are viewed as wealth-generating units feeding a few individuals at the top. In other words, it is no accident we're taught to believe that if we are not spending every moment of our lives working, generating income, and improving our time-management then we are worthless failures.

I used to work in a profession with a ridiculous workload which did not respect the health or personal time of its employees. In fact, the number of hours worked was almost considered a badge of honour, and it was glaringly obvious if you dared to leave the office ‘on time’. I was younger and more naïve back then, and I didn’t yet have the confidence and self-assurance to push back against this toxic work pattern.

It scrambles my brain how ‘ordinary people’ can glorify capitalism and the linked problem of obscene working hours. Unfortunately, none of us can single-handedly change the system, but by recognising and being aware of the problem, we can take small steps to reduce the impact of this problem in our lives.

Rest and self-care are essential, not a 'reward' for working really hard. Rest helps us enjoy life, helps us stay healthy in mind and body, and even increases our productivity overall.

As a parent, rest and self-care are even more difficult to come by. However, they are still essential and should be treated as such. Society likes to trick parents (especially mothers) into thinking that food, sleep or a shower count as self-care.

Activities which are the bare minimum required for biological survival ARE NOT SELF-CARE. Please please please look after yourself and make time for yourself. You will be no good to anyone (especially yourself) if you burn out.

We all need to rest, to think, and to reflect. We all need time for activities which bring us joy. We do not have to spend every waking moment working our arses off and wrecking our physical and mental health so the fat cats at the top can make a few more quid. If you're working your arse off, at least make sure you’re doing it for you: for something you enjoy and are passionate about.

MYTH 4: "IF SOMETHING DERAILS YOUR DAY THEN YOU FAILED AT PRODUCTIVITY"

I need to get better at dealing with this myself! A major challenge for my neurodivergent brain...

For example, as a parent:

• The hours are brutal (i.e. 24/7).

• You don’t get paid.

• There are no holidays.

• There are no sick days.

• The bosses are cute, but they’re demanding and temperamental. They expect to be fed, cleaned and entertained at all times. But don’t let them get tired. Or over-excited. Or (more frequently) both.

• And don’t forget the constant interruptions, demands for snacks, and Minecraft monologues.

There’s the sleep deprivation. There’s the time deprivation. There’s the energy deprivation. All the deprivations.

Your small amount of free time is easily swallowed by basic survival activities and life admin.

Having germ-riddled, accident-prone, unpredictable children in your life means there are infinite opportunities for something to T-bone your day. If your kid sleeps badly then so will you, and there is nothing you can do about it (other than pour yourself a gin and swear continuously under your breath). If your kid is ill (which, let’s face it, is every week) then forget getting anything done! Even if you send a healthy child to school or childcare, there’s a reasonable chance you will get the dreaded phonecall about a head injury and spend the rest of the day in Accident and Emergency. I speak from experience.

If you have a disability or chronic illness then these also provide infinite opportunities for something to derail your day. I'm planning a future blog post about how I handle time-management with being autistic, but for now I'll summarise by saying anxiety and autistic shutdown are constant companions. Some days it takes all my energy just to do the bare minimum required for mine and my children's survival.

Even with the best intentions and the best productivity strategies in place... sometimes shit happens (whether figurative or literal) and there’s nothing you can do about it. Accept the chaos, do the best you can, adjust your goals if you need to, and (most importantly) be kind to yourself.

MYTH 5: "CHILDCARE IS NOT PRODUCTIVE"

This one is specific to parents and care-givers.

Of course, because caring and child rearing are traditionally viewed as ‘women’s work’, they are systematically devalued in society. In the UK, there is no financial incentive to stay at home and raise your children. If the parents can't afford full-time formal childcare, then guess which parent usually 'takes the hit' with their career and finances?

People are only perceived to be ‘contributing’ to society if they are ‘working’, even though being a stay-at-home parent is one of the most difficult (and under-appreciated) roles in the world! I have had days of non-stop work and days of non-stop childcare, and I know which version leaves me more shattered and drained than the other.

No matter what your gender identity is: looking after your family members, and being present and engaged in your family life, is not ‘being unproductive’. You might be looking after an older parent so they can have the best quality of life possible. You might be raising the next generation of humans: humans who will hopefully be kind, happy, well-adjusted individuals because of the love, care and attention you gave them throughout their lives.

Whether you're employed, self-employed, full-time, part-time, a carer, and/or a stay-at-home parent, you are contributing to your family’s happiness and wellbeing, and the time you spend with your family is precious.

MYTH 6: "YOU MUST PRODUCE CONTENT QUICKLY AND REGULARLY"

This applies to most lines of work, although here I discuss the issue in relation to writing.

As ridiculous as it sounds, I often fall into the trap of comparing my writing speed and output to authors in very different situations: authors who don’t have children; or who have been writing and publishing for longer; or who are neurotypical. While this type of comparison can provide inspiration, it can also be dangerous to creativity and motivation.

We are all at different stages of our careers and our lives. No two writers are dealing with identical life, family and health circumstances. No two writer brains are the same. It is useless to compare apples, bananas, oranges and grapes.

The thing is: I know this in theory. However, I still fall into the trap sometimes, and I’m more prone to falling into it when I’m feeling stifled by the demands of parenting life. It happens when I haven’t been able to write for two weeks because every member of the family has a stomach bug. Or when I’ve spent an entire writing session working through a plot hole. Thinking time is a necessary part of the writing process. But, again, society tricks us into believing that physical output (or word count) is the only thing that matters.

Sometimes I sit and ponder all the story ideas in my head and wonder if I’ll ever have time to write them all. I wonder how other authors write as much as they do and publish as many books as they do. I sit there, wondering why I can’t draft an entire manuscript in a month, when the answer to that question is literally wrapping his arms around my neck and trying to lick my hair.

We are each on our own unique journey. Ultimately, our race is only with ourselves.

MYTH 7: "YOU HAVE TO ACHIEVE EVERYTHING NOW!"

Time goes fast. Life is short. And we never know what could happen in a few years, or a few weeks, or even a few minutes from now. It sounds dramatic, but tomorrow is not guaranteed.

After losing my father to cancer as a child – when he was only a few years older than I am now – I know this better than most people!

However, this doesn’t mean we should throw ourselves headlong into every challenge life presents because ‘you never know what might happen’. If we did that, then our minds and bodies would be worn out and riddled with health conditions before we reached our forties.

Like anything else in life, this is a balancing act. This is another reason it’s vital to know ourselves and our priorities. Yes, we might 'achieve more' in the short-term if we push ourselves hard. Then again, we might burn out and need to pause for months – or years – if we don’t look after ourselves.

One of the most unfortunate consequences of our capitalist society and its emphasis on productivity is that many of us no longer know how to rest, and how to live in the moment, and how to truly enjoy the lives we've been given.

We all have a limited (and unknown) amount of time in this world. Shouldn't we focus on enjoying that time, and on prioritising the goals and pursuits that are important to us?

CONCLUSION

Productivity strategies are useful to an extent. There is even well-meaning sentiment behind many of them. However, in my opinion, productivity mantras and expectations can harm people, and they have harmed me on the days when I don't feel like I'm 'getting anything done'.

Someone who is a single mother working a full-time job does not have the same opportunities and resources as a businessman with a stay-at-home wife who is single-handedly raising their six children. The businessman who, incidentally, is often one of the people spouting tone-deaf productivity advice, while failing to mention the real reason they can get all that stuff done.

In conclusion, take productivity advice with a pinch of salt, especially if you have many competing responsibilities in your life. Pay attention to the strategies which work for people in similar situations to yourself. Focus your energy on the parts of your life that matter most to you, and do everything else to the bare minimum standard (if at all). It sounds morbid, but what do you want your loved ones to speak about in your eulogy?

We ruin the limited subjective experience of our lives in order to produce output that (in nearly all cases) will not matter (or even exist) long-term anyway. Yes, use the time-management strategies that work for you to do more of the things that you love. But don't let them rule your life, or allow them to be an extension of society's attempts to exploit you.

BEFORE YOU GO…

Are there any other productivity myths which should be obliterated right away? Please join in the discussion (contact details below).

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I do not use generative AI to produce or inform my blog, my images, or my fiction. All of my content is generated by the chaotic firing of my own (human) brain! (I have access to some images through my Wix subscription). I do not consent to the use of my content, images, or fiction to train generative AI models. Please contact me to discuss permission and compensation if you wish to use my content in this way.