

Get Less Done: Stop Being Productive and Enjoy Yourself - onreact-com
http://zenhabits.net/2009/08/get-less-done-stop-being-productive-and-enjoy-yourself/

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bhousel
I can definitely relate to this. I was following the David Allen "Getting
Things Done" method for about a year, and it was great, but eventually I
couldn't keep up. I just found myself kind of passively rebelling against the
whole idea of productivity -- refusing to look at my next action lists,
playing sudoku on my phone, just wasting time wherever I could. I think when
you get in a situation like that, the only thing to do is a full restart --
reevaluate everything on your plate and decide what's important to you.

Lately I've found that I can avoid burnout by having 2 different projects
going at the same time. But they need to be in completely different domains.
For example, I'm working on a stealth startup and training for a marathon. I
rest my body while working on the computer, I rest my mind while out on my
runs. Yin and Yang. Doing things this way, everything gets done that needs to,
and I always feel like whatever I'm doing is a fun break from something else.

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felipe
I think the issue is the focus on _efficiency_ rather than _effectiveness_.
GTD is great on the efficiency part (i. e.: tracking and execution), but not
on the effectiveness part (i. e.: what should I be doing right now, what are
my passions, what is my mission in this world).

To do lists are important even when you need to relax. For example, I love to
do trip check-lists so I minimize my stress DURING the trip. And, even if you
want to turn-off, you need to plan for that. Just turning off GTD (or whatever
other tool) is not the way to go IMO.

I highly recommend First Things First by Dr. Covey. It outlines a process to
find out what's really important to you, and then how to execute them. I think
a combination of FTF and GTD is ideal.

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mcav
Exactly. One of the primary benefits of using GTD (or being organized in
general) is that you don't have to worry about something popping up at the
last minute, like an obligation you forgot or a task that really needed to be
done earlier.

It lets your leisure be all that more relaxing, since you understand that you
aren't forgetting to do something else during that time.

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cglee
Probably the most important idea I got out of GTD was simply writing
everything down. Now, whenever someone tells me something, it's immediately
going into my calendar - the actual thing itself and all its dependencies. For
example, Oct 24th is Startup school, but I've written down on my calendar all
the dates associated with that event: Sept 15 - submit application; Oct 1 -
app deadline; Oct 8 - accept/reject notification - if accept, book airfare,
arrange for lodging (at that point, that will trigger a separate set of items
on my cal).

The point is, I'm not going to actively try to remember any of that, which
frees my mind up to enjoy every day life. While I don't follow GTD to the
letter, it's been a very helpful attitude change.

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crux
This is magnificent. Zen Habits has managed to squeeze an message against the
facile, uncreative, stultified, by-the-numbers webcock formula directly into a
facile, uncreative, stultified, by-the-numbers blog post.

There is still much waiting to be said to fight back against the lifehacking,
GTD, how to work for only 4 hours a week by being a giant dick and how to
convert all of your farts into actionable GasHacks and become more productive
by making sure you never have an original thought again movement. It is not
said by productivity bloggers with a shitty book to hawk.

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unalone
I hate how lifehacking as a term degenerated. I remember first hearing it in
2005 and seeing instances of really clever "hacks" that I wouldn't have known
otherwise. Using salt water as a mouthwash and baking soda to whiten your
teeth, or learning about effective weightless exercises for staying in shape,
or making cool and attractive piles to store your stuff. When computers _did_
get involved, it was always something neat and small and pleasing - the
FuzzyClock app on the Mac still stands out to me as one of the smallest and
most pleasant programs on my computer, and I'm pretty sure I came across it
via Lifehacker. Teeny tricks to make life better.

Somewhere along the road, lifehacking became focused more on productivity and
less on pleasure. That's when I stopped reading Lifehacker. I know Merlin Mann
had a semi-meltdown of a similar sort two years ago.

Zen Habits once really irritated me - it was list-based and monotonous - but
for the last year it's really been a great source of occasional reading and
relaxation. This article in particular was terrific.

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pvg
It might have 'degenerated' the moment someone got it into their head that the
sort of mathematical cleverness one sees in HAKMEM is somehow transferable and
applicable to wild and woolly fields such as 'life' or 'the economy' or 'human
relations'. It's a tremendously tempting and alluring notion - its lustre is
such that otherwise rational thinkers are eager to leave their critical
faculties in their other pants and toot its every minor or anecdotal random
success as deeply significant.

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flooha
I solve my most difficult problems when I'm not trying. Usually while driving
or napping. If I push myself to keep going until I figure it out, I just waste
a lot of time and get frustrated. Work hard, take breaks.

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aw3c2
The best way for me to crack creative blocks or even programming problems is
to take a walk (for an hour or more). My mind will start working much
differently than if I stared at the screen or even sat at home. Make sure to
carry something to take notes though in case you get too wild with thoughts.

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jcdreads
Does putting on makeup before going to the beach like the model depicted in
the article count as relaxing and enjoying yourself? Just sayin.

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cracki
that's not makeup, that's photoshop. besides, it's an illustration, not an
engineering diagram.

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augustus
That's why the happiest people are those who are enjoying themselves when
others see them as working.

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intellectronica
I strongly doubt that anyone forgot how to be lazy. Laziness is a very basic
innate characteristic of human behaviour designed to conserve energy.

If what you do is interesting and challenging, it can be very enjoyable. If it
isn't, then you need to change. And yes, a bit of balance with time to play
and run outside is definitely a good idea too.

~~~
randallsquared
Being lazy while pretending (possibly even to yourself) to work is the worst
case scenario, though. I wasted immense amounts of time when I worked for
myself, because I felt like I was always "at work" no matter what was
happening, and I rebelled against that by not actually accomplishing anything
some days, while continuing to have all the stress of "being at work".

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robertk
"Are we producing more in order to make more money for corporations? Or to
make more money for ourselves? Or just to hold on to our jobs — jobs we might
not like anyway?"

I'm studying to be able to contribute to the singularity, so that I can spend
a much longer time relaxing than I ever could in this body.

Is that different?

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tungstenfurnace
Hear Hear! Doing nothing --just being-- is a vital part of the creative life.

(and I'm so glad this article wasn't titled "The 10 rules of how to enjoy
yourself")

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dzlobin
Good advice for everyone except maybe yc groups burning through seed capital.

"sorry we didn't finish our demo because we took too many naps and ate Bon
Bons"

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bfung
And as an addendum, I'd like to say that it's really about managing your time
well. There are times when focusing and being productive is important, and
there are other times when it is ok to not be producing. Knowing when to be
which state is the part that can be managed better by everyone, esp. workers
and managers in the US.

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unohoo
at certain times, couldnt agree more. few weeks back was feeling so burnt out
that had to unplug everything and elope on a vacation.

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davidw
I think the key is to avoid burning out like that because ultimately you lose
more time that way. I was pushing myself a few weeks ago, doing 9 to midnight,
and it caught up with me, and I got sick. Oops.

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howdooi
I believe we just pretend to be busy. We think we have so many thinks to do
but in reality we do not, it is all noise. The point is that to dedicate your
time to important thing in your life and cut the rest of noise. 20/80 rule,
just do 20, collect results and enjoy your life. Easy to say you think, but
has to be done to enjoy life

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varjag
For me (and probably many other people), it is much easier to relax and chill
out than to stay focused, concentrated and productive. Add to that economic
reprecussions for slacking and motivations for being competitive workforce,
and you will know why productivity books sell better than relaxation-HOWTOs.

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thaumaturgy
My massage therapist girlfriend insists that I should read this, and I would
love to -- maybe I will later -- but I have to be at a client appointment in
an hour, check in with another client after that, start installing a handful
of gigabit network drops later today at another client while doing a
workstations audit, and we have to do a quick photo shoot for some upcoming
marketing.

Usually I could get all this done a little bit faster even, but I was up until
about 3 last night and up again at 8:30 this morning.

...what?

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10ren
There's much wisdom in this article, but one counter-point is that motivation
often comes _after_ you start. A related idea is that "inspiration strikes he
who is at the typewriter" (a writer's saying).

But perhaps this counter-point is more appropriate for the _chronically
unproductive_ , rather than the chronically productive that article targets.

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tsestrich
I don't think I can do this, lol.

I tried relaxing without work to do for a week recently during a school break
and by the end of it I felt lazy and self-loathing... as if I had spent the
whole week doing nothing but watching Judge Judy and eating Cheetos. I just
think I enjoy having responsibilities and things to do.

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peregrine
its not about being lazy or being lethargic for an entire week. Its about
taking a hour or two, after you've got some work done to relax.

~~~
tsestrich
Point taken, and that's something I can definitely do

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derefr
GTD (or other-methodology-X) is a _how_ , not a _what_ ; it's a framework that
lets you accomplish whatever you like quickly. You must figure out _what_ you
should be doing before you can Get It Done. If you're feeling stressed, make
taking a nap your Next Action.

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onreact-com
I'd argue that enjoying life is also doing something and sometimes it's hard
work to do so.

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c00p3r
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/>

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electronslave
Platitudes: Everything You Already Know (But Don't Care About) Is Reprinted
and Schilled Annoyingly on Your News Source.

