The pandemic this year has impacted pretty much all of us in one way or another. For those of us that aren’t key workers or haven’t had anyone suffer at the hands of Covid-19, then the extent of the impact has been on staying home. From a work perspective that has meant working from home for the majority of the world that can do so.
As a world, how we work, has been turned on its head and for many people that has been positive thing.
· People who normally have commuted for hours and hours, now longer have to
· People can now work a bit more flexibly around families and hobbies (or good weather!)
I read a really interesting article recently called ‘Is this the end of Productivity?’ and it got me thinking about how the notion of productivity perhaps has altered in this new world we are coming into post lockdown.
I think as a society we glorify productivity, as it goes hand in hand with busyness and the notion that
Productivity + Busyness = success
The article talks about how hyper competitive areas in the world such as the San Francisco Bay Area reinforces a notion that “constant work and productivity equals a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life”.
So much of our self-worth is tied to this notion of productivity in both our personal and professional lives and it has definitely become a buzz phrase. However the pandemic has proven to us that the whole world can shut down in a moment’s notice, so perhaps we shouldn’t be rushing back to life as it were before. Instead, spending some time on reflection.
Post lockdown, I see my clients and many others, almost waking up from this old phase and challenging what it means to be productive for them. Re-defining what productivity means for you can take time and as a society it takes a lot of unpicking and it takes time to truly understand that
OUR PRODUCTIVITY DOESN’T DEFINE US!
Here are some questions for you to examine how your relationship with it has changed and evolved:
· How did you view productivity prior to the pandemic?
· How do you view productivity now?
· What would you like productivity to feel like?
· What things do you want to keep from your lockdown bubble?
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