When do you feel most productive?
I used to feel that life was a game. There are stages of life that are individual level with different things we need to learn and complete before moving on.
In the early years of our life, we learn right and wrong and how to use the restroom properly. We learn to be decent people and respectfully interact with others in school. We learn to be partners and parents, and we gain patience. As adults, our learning slows down, but it doesn’t stop.
For a long while, it felt like I was stuck and watching others go on faster than me. I was doing nothing, unable to pass go and collect my $200. I wanted to give up multiple times, but I’ve learned it’s easier to think about ending things than actually doing anything.
Life is not a race.
Why should I or anyone stress ourselves out for life? I’m so tired of hearing, “Life is going to pass you by,” because I’m not doing things other people my age are doing.
I may not be crossing things off my bucket list, but I’m being productive.
If I asked you what being productive means, every person reading this would have a different answer.
Maybe having a full schedule? Having babies and a house by a certain age? Crossing things off a never-ending checklist?
I used to think that’s what being productive was too.
To me, being productive isn’t about getting ALL the things done.
Being productive means making progress.
I love checklists, and I love the feeling of accomplishment. Finishing things off and putting a check in the completed box is satisfying. But some days, you can’t always get everything done.
Sometimes I don’t think it’s the accomplishment I want, but control. Life is so crazy sometimes that I can control how my day will turn out if I have a list, which isn’t true.
So by just starting, I feel in control. Tackling minor problems makes it easier to handle everything else.
I see myself as being productive if I spend my time in a way that aligns with my values.
That doesn’t mean getting everything done.
Im not comparing myself to others anymore. I’m taking the steps to have the life I want and deserve.
I don’t get up earlier or give myself a strict routine to follow. I spend my time intentionally. Between school and work, it is hard to do anything. I make time on my days off and work on bettering myself in my free time.
I told myself that If I had time to doom scroll on social media, I had time to do something productive. I still use social media sometimes, but I limit my time there.