Effective > Productive

Anne-Laure Le Cunff (@neuranne)

Many people think productivity is about getting work done. But it’s not. Instead, it’s about making intentional progress. Sometimes that means taking a break, making time for thinking, exploring ideas, chatting with a friend.

Productivity is often a distraction. Don’t aim for better ways to get through your tasks as quickly as possible. Instead aim for better tasks that you never want to stop doing.

Let’s be honest: Nobody really wants to live a productive life. We want to express ourselves, connect with others, and explore the world. Productivity is just a means to those ends; it should certainly not come at the expense of actually living life.

Productivity is the deliberate, strategic investment of your time, talent, intelligence, energy, resources, and opportunities in a manner calculated to move you measurably closer to meaningful goals.