Whether you’re feeling buried in data or dialogue, that sense of not being able to make the difference you want can feel all too familiar. We’ve rounded up some resources to help you not only be the change but also galvanize the change you wish to see in the world.
“I have to work every day, every second, every hour, every minute, day in and day out. What am I?”
It was meant to be a fun riddle, a joke, but for many people who are feeling the strain of burnout in our overly busy society, the question actually hits a bit too close to home.
Instead of just being able to have fun with the riddle, those feeling bogged down by busyness may instinctively think of one-word, knee-jerk responses such as stressed, anxious and exhausted. Rather than offering a bit of fun wordplay, the question ends up bringing on a tide of stress full of tales of busy weeks, hectic schedules and a general “what’s the point of it all” feeling.
As a society, we tend to equate productivity with time management skills and doing as much as — or, quite often, more than — is humanly possible. There are countless articles and books detailing how to efficiently complete as many tasks as possible within the 24 hours we have in a day. Creating a daily schedule ranks highly in most “Top Time Management Tips” listicles, and there are plenty of people who swear that the key is to set a time limit to each task. No distractions, no daydreaming, no time-wasting — because, regardless of the fact that it has also been proven to use diverse parts of the brain and lessen stress, we’ve been told that to daydream is to waste precious productivity time.
Time management as we know it — according to acclaimed Guardian writer, Oliver Burkeman — has failed miserably. The more we race through our to-do lists, the more space is made for us to add more to them. But, as Burkeman so rightly states, “Good luck finding a time management system that makes any room for engaging productively with your fellow citizens, with current events or with the fate of the environment.”
At Correlate, we believe that packing in dozens or even hundreds of tasks each day and ticking off endless to-do lists isn’t what productivity should be about. As we see it, the key point of productivity links back to the why. You can rush through tasks like a mindless drone, but when you’re connected to the why behind the activity — no matter how downplayed or revered the activity itself is — it’s easier to feel that what you do actually matters and is significant. And, even though that perhaps isn’t measurable in line with traditional productivity KPIs, it definitely should be a key component of actually feeling productive. Productivity isn’t only about — or at least shouldn’t only be about — tangible things. Purpose isn’t just about doing, doing, doing or “having something to show” for your efforts.
Sure, that might mean adjusting the way we think of productivity, but we think it’s about time for such a change. And it’s not just down to individuals. Busyness and burnout are systemic issues, which is why they call for system changes. In a society that valorizes meritocracy and tells us we have to prioritize traditional productivity over purpose, it’s easy to feel lost, overwhelmed and undervalued. We get it, and it’s why we’re working so hard to change it.
If you found yourself nodding along throughout this, check out these resources to help:
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- We must shift: 2022 King holiday observance (The King Center) by Dr. Bernice A. King
- Five ways to boost your career through targeted reflection (Forbes), by Rebecca Fraser-Thill)
- Introducing the Eisenhower Matrix (the Urgent-Important Matrix)
- How to make a positive impact: giving back to make a positive impact and improve your community by Tony Robbins
- Shifting priorities to create the Beloved Community (PeaceHealth) featuring Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia
- When dismantling power dismantles you instead (Vice) by Marie Solis
(Oh, and if you’re still thinking about the answer to the riddle, it’s clock.)
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