Productivity is less about what you do with your time and more about how you run your mind.
– Robin S. Sharma
There are a million ways to measure a day.
Productivity is only one of them.
Yes, box-ticking and inbox-mastery make it easy to measure our efforts and make us feel like our day adds up to something.
It’s a valid one, but it’s an overrated default.
The truth is, for many of us, box-ticking and achievement pads out the hollows of our self-worth, to try meet a deeper need for worthiness and validation – and that vast, pervasive underlying fear of I’m-not-enough.
Productivity and achievement are cheap and convenient fillers, ways to top up our cup of self-worth.
And while I’m all for being focused and making the most of our days, I think we could all use a reminder that how we measure productivity – or, more to the heart of the matter – our self-worth – needs a little rejigging.
So, I present for your consideration, a list of 9 more meaningful ways to measure your days:
- Presence
How present were you with the people you spent your day with? Did you listen well?
Did you look them in the eye?
Did you put down your phone when they were speaking to you? Did you find opportunities to single-task and make presence your primary focus?
- Service
Were you of service to others in some way?
Did you show up for someone?
Did you offer something?
Did you give a gift or buy a coffee or lend a shoulder or rub a back?
Did you volunteer your ear or make a meal or carry a bag of groceries?
And how about you? Did you do something in service of your soul or your own self-care?
- Gratitude
How much was there to be grateful for?
What went well?
What was beautiful?
What was nourishing?
Make a list.
- Connection
Did you have moments of true connection and intimacy with other humans? With yourself?
Were you vulnerable and available?
- Courage
How much of your day was spent staying true to yourself?
Did you prioritise your authenticity?
Did you speak up?
Did you put yourself out there?
Did you stretch yourself and get outside of your comfort zone?
- Truth
How clearly did you speak your truth?
Did you honour the truths of others?
Did you see the truth in a situation, regardless of whether it was in disagreement with your preferences or personal comfort?
- Compassion
Did you find occasion to put yourself in someone else’s shoes (especially before jumping to conclusions)?
Did you consider the perspectives of others?
- Forgiveness
Did you catch yourself doing things right, instead of always feeling like you are wrong?
Did you forgive yourself well and often?
Did you put petty b.s. to bed and forgive others fully?
- Joy
YES, joy!
How many hidden treasures of happiness did you unearth today?
How many moments of remembering your freedom, your agency and the big freaking stroke of luck you had just by being born? Did you laugh (ideally at your own jokes)?
Did you crack a smile?
Tally up the joy.
Now, that’s the way to measure a life that matters!!
If you’re willing to test out a new way to measure your productivity, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
I hope this has served you in some way.
As always, thank you for being here. I’m deeply grateful I get to walk this path with you.
In full support of you,
