7 things I quit for productivity
The CEO of H&R Block Jeff Jones asks, “Why don’t we redefine productivity as a commitment to becoming our better selves?”
This made me curious.
We often aim our productivity at the outside world - getting things done for our jobs, serving our people, and making things better for companies.
Sometimes, we're not aware that's all our productivity is.
Do we leave room in our productivity for ourselves? The lifelong project of us as humans, as leaders, as artists?
It occurred to me that I must stop doing things that feel productive but no longer serve me, and will not serve the person I hope to become.
So entering 2025, here are 7 things I'm quitting to consciously redirect productivity toward myself:
I quit the attachment to meritocracy. I quit keeping score, attaching a value to every single good or bad thing that happens to me as a sign of my worth.
I quit hiding in perfectionism. I quit seeing things in black and white. I quit being afraid of saying I do good work, even when I know I made a mistake or have shortcomings.
I quit seeking affirmation from others. I quit people-pleasing as a way to feel better about myself. I quit waiting for approval from gatekeepers. I quit wasting time and energy on haters. I quit needing permission to have my artistic ideas, to write my blog, to be my flavor of a conductor and leader.
I quit applying old stories to new situations. I quit expecting new professional relationships are going to end in hurt like the previous ones. I quit using the past to measure the potential of my future. Instead, I'll give people a chance to prove they won't hurt me.
I quit trying to prove to those who treated me poorly they were wrong. I quit the fantasy that they will apologize and right their wrongs.
I quit making up for my deficiencies. I quit associating my lack of progress with me as a person. I quit pretending to be extroverted. I quit toning down my seriousness and depth. I quit feeling embarrassed to be a thinker.
I quit the need to control what I cannot control. I quit deadlines for goals I can't control. I quit expecting outcomes I can't control. I quit the false belief that I could make anyone do, believe, or value anything.
These things have made me busy and productive. Maybe even successful to some extent.
But did they make me better? No. Actually, they were counterproductive. They wasted my energy and my time. They created doubt in myself. They kept me stuck.
I hope quitting these 7 things will help me redefine productivity as a commitment toward my better self.
Which of these resonate with you? How could you redefine productivity for yourself?
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