Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.
-- Nathanial Hawthorne

The internet is filled with articles and apps on how to tweak or hack some aspect of our lives to eek that extra bit of value out so I won't be covering any of that today. You might be asking, what could be more important than "hacks" or tips like keeping a checklist, time blocking your day, or minimizing distractions? In my humble experience, nothing is more important than the mindset you approach your work with. Approaching productivity with the wrong mindset can lead to burnout, poor results, and a declining mental state. There are ways to remain productive and live a balanced life but first we must answer the question..

Why Bother Being Productive?

The question seems silly, doesn't it? The obvious answers to this question are:

• Get more done
• Have more time
• Make (more) money

The not-so-obvious answers take the obvious ones a layer deeper. What do I mean by going a layer deeper? An example of this is gravity - one could simply explain it as "what goes up, must come down" but when we examine this simple statement further with "why does gravity make things go up and go down?" we see just how complex things can become. This hidden complexity is everywhere and especially within us, human beings, the most complex organism to ever exist (that we know of).

By examining our motivators for being productive we gain clarity and direction. Let's take our obvious answers and expand on them to see how much more complex our motives really are:

• Why do you want to get more done?
• Why do you want to have more time?
• Why do you want to make more money?

If we take our time to answer these questions we can clearly define our motivators and what drives us. Without knowing why we're really doing something it's hard to be productive. It's kind of like being in the woods at night without a compass (or gps).

Visualize Your Purpose

When we visualize something in our minds, we bring it to life and make it real sense. We can connect to it and is in these connections that can draw inspiration and strength.

I can tell you why I want to be productive. I want more time in my life to spend with my loved ones, to gain prestige, to enjoy my hobbies, and to have the freedom to do what I want when I want. All of those reasons can be summed up in a sentence but in my minds eye I can see the faces of my loved ones, I can see the results of my work bringing joy to customers, I can feel my guitar frets underneath my fingers, I can smell the fresh air in the park on a sunny day. Visualizing our purpose brings it to life and anchors us emotionally to it.

Finding Balance

There is a fine balance that needs to be struck when hopping on the productivity and goal setting train and that's ensuring we don't become obsessive to our own detriment.

Going from 0 to 100mph and never pulling your foot off the gas is a recipe for disaster. It's one thing to be passionate but when we go overboard we only end up setting our selves back. Our work needs to be sustainable over our lifetimes we can truly enjoy the fruits of all our efforts.

At the same time, the truth is we're not always excited or passionate about our work. Daydreaming about finishing it and being somewhere else while your work is in front of you won't do much good. Deadlines are around the corner and products need to be shipped. Slacking off and not putting your best concentrated effort forward only makes the work harder in the long run.

Borrowing greatly from Eastern traditions, I would describe the right balance as attached non-attachment. Be attached to your motivators for getting things done but at the same time remain non-attached when it's time to hustle. Work won't always be easy and it won't always be hard, the universe has a way of balancing itself out in the end.

Every Battle Is Won Before It Is Ever Fought

Next time, before starting the pomodoro timer or jotting down another task on our checklist, it might be worth reflecting on why you're in the game to begin with.