What’s the point of productivity?

A lot of productivity gurus are full of shit.

Their advice is often impractical for all but the most senior-level, white collar workers — men (they’re usually men) with complete control over their own schedules and wives at home performing the invisible, unpaid labor of household management and childcare.

Productivity gurus also have a decidedly narrow definition of productivity. In this area, I can’t really blame them. Collectively and culturally, we have a narrow definition of productivity. 

At its core, productivity is a measure of output relative to input. In the context of work, we’re talking specifically about labor productivity — the measurement of gross domestic product (GDP, output) relative to total hours worked by employees (input). Businesses try to increase productivity by generating more value (money, goods, services) per working hour.

But in a society shaped by capitalism and a growth imperative, the effort to increase productivity literally never ends. Any time “saved” by increased productivity/efficiency is used to produce more value, generate more wealth. 

The goal posts just keep moving. Call it a hamster wheel, a treadmill, a rat race — it’s a never-ending cycle of ever-increasing productivity. 

As an employee with a traditional 9-5 job, I definitely felt pressure to be ever more productive. It was exhausting, and I got burned out. And as much as I love being a freelancer, that pressure to be productive increased tenfold when I started working for myself. 

The lines between work and life are blurrier than before. I’m constantly tempted to hustle harder to be more productive and earn more money. And it’s much harder to fully “clock out” and stop thinking about work because I’m so entwined in it.

Avoiding burnout and the never-ending productivity grind requires consciously broadening our definition of productivity to include activities that don’t generate monetary value.

I love the example of “memory dividends” in Bill Perkins’s book Die With Zero. (I mentioned this concept a few weeks ago, but it bears repeating.) 

When we invest time and money into experiences (vacations, time with loved ones, etc.), we receive memory dividends in return. You know that warm nostalgic feeling of looking at old vacation photos or reminiscing with friends? That’s a memory dividend. 

Memory dividends, like monetary ones, continue to pay out over time. When I’m 80 years old, my college spring break trip to Fort Myers Beach with my best friends will have “paid” memory dividends worth far more than the plane ticket I could barely afford at the time.

Vacations don’t generate monetary value for the vacationer. They actually cost money (duh). But they do generate memories, which are often worth more than money.

Vacation is productive.

Hobbies don’t generate monetary value (if you don’t monetize them), but they do generate delight and satisfaction.

Hobbies are productive.

Naps don’t generate monetary value, but they do generate energy and peace.

Naps are productive.

Doing absolutely nothing with your best friend doesn’t generate monetary value, but it does generate love and connection.

Doing absolutely nothing is productive.

Challenging the traditional, financially-driven definition of productivity feels like swimming upstream. I’m just a little salmon, straining against the capitalistic, hustle-culture current. 

I see other fish swimming in the opposite direction. The “right” way. Look, there goes Tim Ferriss.

But there are many salmon leaping up the rapids next to me, resisting the status quo because we know there’s more to life than accumulation and grinding. 

See you next week,

Kara

Out of Office

What I’m doing when I’m not working

• I had a wonderful time at my friend’s family lake house in Minocqua, Wisconsin, last week! We enjoyed reading by the lake, listening to loon calls, eating, and resting. We also went to our favorite Wisconsin “supper club” that serves boozy ice cream drinks. My favorite is the “Pink Squirrel,” made with chocolate liqueur and amaretto.

• Harvest is underway for my husband and in-laws. They have been harvesting lentils and are moving on to the durum wheat (also known as pasta wheat! 🍝). Harvest is exciting, by I’m lowkey mourning the end of summer.

• I’m feeling an itch to spend more time on my creative hobbies, but I feel overwhelmed. Do I start a sewing project? Knitting? Drawing? Painting? Linocut print? Can anyone relate? GAH.

P.S. Got a question about self-employment, anti-hustle culture, business books, or something else?

Kara Detwiller is a writer and creative based in small-town Saskatchewan. She specializes in long-form content writing for enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and manufacturing clients. She is also working on her first novel, among other creative pursuits. To connect, reply to this email or find Kara on LinkedIn. To support her work on Wishful Working, share this email with someone or buy her a “coffee.”

Why Wishful Working? I write this newsletter because I want to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.