More Productivity Isn’t The Answer To Your Problems
Hi everyone, I hope you’re doing well and finding ways to enjoy what is shaping up to be strange summer.
To keep this succinct, I’d like to share 2 ideas I’ve had on life over the last month.
I — More productivity isn’t the answer to your problems: I’m astounded by how much “productivity” material is out there, where so many of the same tips and advice are shared over and over again. We’re obsessed with it because so many of us directly associate it with our own sense of self-worth.
Unfortunately, “productivity” isn’t a final destination. It exists on a continuum. As I have explored in previous works of mine, we’re already unbelievably more productive than all of our ancestors. Sending or receiving messages takes seconds now, not days or weeks or months like it used to.
I believe this society-wide drive to be more productive comes from a place of dissatisfaction, because you wouldn’t care about it if you already feel fully satisfied with your life.
If you never explore why you’re seeking more productivity or efficiency or hustle or whatever the buzzword is, then it will never be enough. The answer isn’t because you just need to pass the next hurdle, because there will always be more hurdles. It’s deeper than that. It’s more emotional.
I think there’s a better way to approach life and avoid this “self-improvement” trap.
II — The fleeting nature of memories: I recently came across the idea of Transactive Memory (I believe Malcolm Gladwell deserves credit here). In my very layman definition, it’s a theory that individuals can serve as external memory aids to each other.
You don’t have to pay attention to or remember things in detail if someone else you know already does.
This makes me wonder to what degree the way we constantly take and share photos and other media online is superseding the way we traditionally remember our lives.
That sounds scary, but it’s not necessarily all bad. I maintain that documenting my life and sharing art based on my experiences is a beautiful process and has helped me better understand myself. I do however think we need to be mindful of where this can go and not get carried away.
Sometimes just being there is enough.
Bonus + Updates
→ The news has weighed very heavy this year (for Americans in particular, and it’s far from over), so I decided to make a video on curiosity.
→ Here’s a fantastic song to listen to if you’re riding your bike through the city and want to pretend you’re living a scene in a movie.
→ This guy never ceases to amaze me.
→ A little thank you to a stranger.
→ The mental clarity forest is growing! We have now planted 113 trees which will remove nearly 20,000 kg of CO2 from the atmosphere. If you’re interested in contributing to this project, you can do so here.
Thanks for reading,
Nathaniel Drew
