It’s not an overstatement but the meaning of productivity has changed completely.
Gone are the days when I was this white-collar guy thriving in the corporate world, waking up at an early hour, rushing to the office and working all day till late in the evening.
These days it’s all about managing myself, my place, my time and my expectations.
It’s funny, since I moved away from the hustle and bustle of the city life after being made redundant 4 months ago, I’ve become this suburban house husband. Often I can go over the top and do too much housework, way more than I should! Oh well, keeping things organised and in order is just part of my DNA. Sometimes I see it as a gift, sometimes I see it as a flaw. It depends…
Right now I’m home a lot. With too much time on my hands at my disposal, time should be on my side, right? Surprisingly, at the end of day, I hardly get a sense of achievement.
Feeling time-poor? Busy for nothing? You are not alone. OK, it’s tough but let’s not beat ourselves up too quickly. Let’s face it, time is different now. Our world has changed so dramatically in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The number 1 priority is saving lives. All other activities can take a backseat and wait till such a time when the outbreak is under control. Patience is not only a virtue but also a must, it’s just non-negotiable.
Time can slip through your fingers in the blink of an eye. As we’re approaching the winter solstice here in the Southern hemisphere, each day it passes, the daylight hours just get shorter and shorter. It can depress you sometimes.
A few days ago, I felt my productivity was at an all time low again. Later that night I decided to take a moment to pause and reflect. It turned out to be the wisest thing I’d done the whole day.
As I stepped out of my living room and walked into the courtyard to get some fresh air, I began to look up at the sky (so many stars!) and take a deep breath. Slowly and gently I did this breathe-in and breathe-out thing repeatedly 3 times, then I tried to hold my breath for as long as I could. What did I get out of it? In that short space of time, I realized I’d taken something as natural as breathing for granted!
Back inside my little haven, I thought why don’t I make a list of things that I’ve accomplished, if anything. I wasn’t too excited about it but I did it anyway.
Unexpectedly, I stopped after only having come up with one thing. At that point, I knew that constituted a productive day already. And the rest of the day? Yes, I mucked around a bit but hey I wasn’t going to be too hard on myself.
What was that one thing in case you were wondering?
Chatting with my mum on the phone for an hour…
Ted Tsai 