There are all sorts of life hacks intended to help you use your time in a way that generates output. Productivity makes us feel good, like we’re moving the ball forward and having an impact. But sometimes making a decision or taking an action doesn’t need to be “productive.” We’re accustomed to categorizing our choices as entirely productive (valuable and results-oriented) or pointless (frivolous and unnecessary due to lack of results). This is a false juxtaposition, especially when it comes to your own sense of play, fun, and happiness. Plenty of choices exist in the latter category that are worth doing and exploring, and in the same breath, you can do a hell of a lot of productive things that aren’t very “meaningful” at all.
Think about what you liked to do as a kid—or if you’re around kids, think about what they might do in terms of playing and having fun in a “non-adult” way. It can be planned or totally spontaneous. I’ll give you an example. Most weeks my husband and I get home and immediately launch into productive activities: a load of dishes, wiping down counters, throwing laundry in the dryer, prepping dinner. But one day my husband opened a FedEx box that included a ton of bubble wrap. Messy, noisy, distracting. Instead of throwing it away—you know, the responsible, productive thing to do—he laid all of it out on the floor to make a path for our two-year-old to run and stomp all over it. And you know what? We had a blast.
TRY THIS
Pick an evening where you have nothing going on: no plans, no commitments, no truly serious obligations to take into consideration. Then refrain from doing anything productive, like household chores or meal prep or catching up on work emails. You’re probably going to feel guilty, like you’re “wasting” time—which you are. That’s the whole point. You can afford to spend a couple hours as a human being, not a human doing. For every impulse to do something or shift into worker bee status, tell yourself, “My only job is to be myself tonight.” That’s it.