The fundamentals of productivity

A short history of productivity

The baby boomer generation (born between 1945 and 1960) experienced an industrial approach to productivity. As in the factory, we explained to them that being productive means doing more in less time. And like machines that would be run a few hours longer to manufacture a little more, employees also had to work longer days to produce a little more.

Our generation has seen the concept of productivity evolve. Today, we are immersed in a universe very inspired by startups where you have to make to-do lists and Pomodoro, in other words implementing organization techniques. The focus is no longer on the duration of work (now acquired) but on the use of tools and techniques that are supposed to increase our performance tenfold.

We can see in the United States, because this is often where we import our new ways of working from, that a new trend has emerged in recent years. This one wantsTo be productive is Do not listen to fatigue, not wasting time taking a break, getting up at 4 am and working until late at night and on weekends too, Even if it means having to use drugs to increase your performance at the expense of your health.

Here is a typical example of a Motivational Speaker encouraging us to go in this direction:

Bullshit. That's the recipe for burn-out, not for success.

Perpetual motivation does not exist

Productivist speeches aimed at selling e-books and conferences consider that you should not listen to yourself in these phases of loss of motivation and keep working until it passes.

During my years of teaching in a computer science school, I was able to observe this recurring pattern among my students (800+ each year): loss of motivation, procrastination, anxiety about being late, “leisure” activities to relieve stress, even more delay, etc. It is a vicious circle that exists both in the world of studies and in the world of work.

Instead of condemning these productivity declines, I want to start by saying the following: these episodes are not abnormal. Everyone goes through this on a more or less regular basis. What you need to do is:

• Understand why they are coming
• Take some precautions to make sure they happen as little as possible
• Make sure they get through as quickly as possible when they are there

“Chance is ignorance of the causes”

I no longer know which philosopher said this very correct sentence.

If we consider that these decreases in diet are due to chance, we place ourselves in the position of a victim and all you have to do is wait for it to pass (hoping it will pass). But if we analyze these phases, we realize thatthey are always triggered by one or more identifiable and solvable elements.

Let's take a minute to state the obvious: like it or not, we are a biological body (mammal). The luck we have is that this biological body has the ability to warn us when it no longer works to the best of its abilities. Either our “rational” brain tells us, or our emotions tell us, or our body tells us. In any case, when there is a loss of motivation, it is because something is not doing well. I'm going to choose to call this something one Unwell.

A feeling of discomfort is first indicated by a thought. A seasoned mind will be able to identify these situations without being affected by them. Let's take an example: if I have a background as a salesperson and I am going to make purchases, another salesperson will have a hard time manipulating and influencing me. Why? Because the fact that I am aware of what he is trying to do and how he is doing it protects me. As soon as I detect that he is trying to manipulate me, he loses his grip on me. In other words, as soon as I identify a situation, a context or an operating pattern that is likely to affect me negatively, I can protect myself from it rather than enduring it.

If discomfort is not identified at the stage of rational thinking, it is a second communication channel that is used to warn me and sound the alarm: emotion. You feel discomfort without really knowing where it's coming from or what's causing it. Something is wrong, you are not in a very good mood, or you are not focused, in short, something is wrong. Self-knowledge allows at this stage to become aware that an emotion is there, that it is necessary not to be afraid of it and even less to repress it but:

1. Let her come and do her job as a messenger
2. Listen to it
3. Give it a name (sadness? scared? anger? disgust? surprise? ...)
4. Find out what's causing it.

As soon as we put our finger on what is wrong, that we manage to Describe what is causing problems with specific words, everything is better in no time. We then go back to the rational stage because we go from a vague, vague and chaotic situation to a named, targeted problem. Meditation is a great tool to learn to refocus on the present moment, clear the space around you so you can focus on listening to yourself.

Finally, if the discomfort is still not understood, The negative emotion that lasts causes psychosomatic disorders : heartburn, back pain, fatigue, insomnia, etc. Reaching this stage is serious and it then becomes urgent to take care of your physical and mental health before thinking about being productive. You should not “wait for it to pass”. It will not pass. Our bodies are very intelligent and would not go out of their way to sound the alarm bells louder and louder if it wasn't important. If we ignore it, if we suppress our emotions and if we deny our physical pains, the discomfort will continue to grow and each time it reappears, it will be even stronger.

It is everyone's duty to be kind to themselves and to do the work necessary to get better.. The testimonies of people who have experienced burn-out are unanimous: you should not wait until you are exhausted to take care of yourself. When it is the body that speaks, it is because we have already waited too long. If you have a flat tire, you're not going to drive on the highway at full speed and wait until you're in a ditch to ask for help. Your vehicle is you, your mind and your body. Take care of yourself!

Why am I talking about this? Because theWe often have this defect of looking for performance before looking for well-being. Because we think that only productivity counts, to the point of forgetting ourselves. Because we mistakenly think that personal balance goes against our desire to be the best. Because we are looking for this magical state that we call “Flow” or to be “in the zone”, this state where we lose track of time, that we feel neither fatigue nor desire nor need. Only our work exists and everything flows naturally, everything is fluid. Flow is when you are inspired.

Yes but we are machines. A machine needs certain conditions to function and The conditions must be optimal to function at their best. So as we are mammals, I am not going to advise you to download this or that app, make to-do lists or Pomodoro. Instead of selling you a magic bullet or treating the problem with bad sense, I'm going to ask you questions. I want to get back to basics and invite you to listen to yourself and analyze yourself on different dimensions.

1. Am I physically in good condition?

• ‍I sleep enough‍
• I take a nap during the day‍
• I am hydrating properly (aka. drinking water)
• I eat healthy and minimally processed foods at regular times, without skipping meals, in reasonable quantities.
• I do not consume disruptors or as few as possible (no more than two coffees/stimulants per day and never after 3 pm, no alcohol too frequently or in too large quantities, no sodas or sweets,..)
• I do sports several times a week (a bit of strength training and push-ups in the morning, swimming, biking, climbing, etc.)
• I don't work more than 3 hours in a row without taking a real break (minimum 20 minutes away from any screen, computer or smartphone)

2. Does my environment allow me to work?

• There is not too much noise around me
• They don't interrupt me, they don't call me unless there's a real emergency
• There are no distractions in sight
• If I choose to listen to music, it runs in the background, not too loud, does not disconcentrate me, does not attract my attention
• I have what I need close at hand (water bottle, scrap paper and pencil, tissues, etc.)
• My seat, desk, keyboard, and screen are at the right height, comfortable
• My desk is clean, tidy, as minimalist as possible (the more cluttered it is, the more it clutters the mind)
• It's not too hot or too cold

These two checklists allow us to rule out the majority of the causes that prevent us from functioning properly. Without pretending to be exhaustive, these lists are probably the foundation without which you are sure and certain that you will not be well in your daily life and therefore in your work. These are the real prerequisites for productivity.

Let's go a little further and now let's focus on the “social animal” dimension of Man:

3. Is my life balanced?

• I have interests that feed me outside of work
• I am satisfied with the quality and quantity of my social relationships
• I am satisfied with my love life

Whether we are introverted or not, we all need social interactions. It is scientifically proven that social isolation causes stress, anxiety, depression and reduced life expectancy. So not ideal for productivity. Evaluate the proportion of time you devote to work, your social, emotional, and leisure life and find your balance, the one who you Will do good over the long term.

Consider all dimensions of your well-being

The physiological aspect is essential, work/life balance is essential and listening to your emotions is essential. It is necessary to realize thatTo be productive is first and foremost to be well on a daily basis.

Have a healthy and realistic relationship to what you are above all, a biological machine, and again: Be kind to yourself: take care of yourself.