This blog was originally sent as an email to my subscribers on April 5, 2023. This is an archive, so it’s possible some links are missing or expired. If you want me to deliver these emails directly to your inbox, click here to join my email list.
Subject: “productivity hacks” won’t change your life—but this might
When’s the last time you tried a new “productivity hack”?
I spend my days dodging an onslaught of well-intentioned tips and tricks that promise to “10x my productivity” while “getting more done in less time”.
Promises, promises, promises.
All based on the premise that I want NEED to do more, do it faster, and do it better every day FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. 🤯
The cult of productivity is sneaky, seductive, and ultimately, totally exhausting.
And hey, I’ve tried them all…
– use a Pomodoro timer
– set quarterly / monthly / weekly / daily goals
– use a bullet journal
– wake up early / stay up late
– stick to a magical morning routine
– log out of your email
– use this app that stops you from opening other apps
– sell your soul in exchange for unlimited energy
I’m not saying these strategies aren’t helpful. My bone to pick is that these strategies do nothing to heal the root cause of our chronic overwhelm.
I don’t need a tomato-themed timer to help me do more. What I need is a nap and a culture that doesn’t bully me into treating my body like a machine!
But here’s the tricky part…
After I set aside my insatiable hunger to produce by giving myself space for deep rest and recovery, my natural ambition is going to bubble right back to the surface.
And what then?
How do I re-engage with the world, honor my ambition, and create something deeply meaningful…without landing right back in hustle culture?
Ready for the answer? Prepare yourself…
The answer is to do less and think more.
That’s it.
You need space.
To focus.
To think.
To walk around.
To take a nap.
To write something down.
To talk something out.
What we need is space to focus and create!
But sadly, our productivity-obsessed society views spaciousness as a waste of time and focus as a luxury we cannot afford.
All of the “productivity hacks” in the world are not going to help you become deeply rested and wildly successful. They might help you do more, sure. They might even help you make more money. But at what cost?
The “secret” I’ve discovered to being deeply rested and wildly successful is creating space in my schedule to focus!
In other words, it’s prioritizing space for deep work. (If you haven’t read Deep Work by Cal Newport, I highly recommend it.) This requires saying NO to being highly productive; saying NO to more meetings, more projects, more client appointments; saying NO to busywork and superficial tasks. (If you haven’t read Essential by Greg McKeown, I highly recommend it too!)
I don’t want to help you do more.
I want to help you do way less in service of creating luxurious spaciousness in your schedule so that you can think deeply, focus on big ideas, and create something truly magnificent.
Here are 2 ways I can help you do that this week…
✍️ Join me on Thursday for my FREE weekly writing studio, Express Yourself.
Every Thursday, we gather with the sole purpose of focusing and creating. I give you a prompt, you write for thirty minutes, then we connect and reflect before moving on with our day.
Here are a few quotes I grabbed from the chat during our session last week…
Click here to register for Express Yourself. You’ll be able to add our upcoming dates to your calendar, and I’ll email you every Thursday morning with a reminder + Zoom link for the studio.
Okay, the moral of today’s story?
Do less. Think more. Prioritize space to focus and create.
If you need help, I’m here for you. We’re all in this together.
Warmly,
Maegan