Productivity for the sake of productivity is dumb, but so is performing your indifference by doing nothing.
This isn't meant to be another sermon on optimizing your life—you can find plenty of those online. This is actually the complete opposite. In my experience, cutting yourself some slack when you need it is way more helpful than trying to push through fatigue. But if you always give yourself a pass, you won't make much progress. So aiming for the happy-medium has helped me a ton.
Some is better than none. Lately I’m reminding myself that the most important thing is simply doing something—however small. I track some of my habits and stuff, but mostly I focus on how they contribute to broader trends in my life… Like, I know I’m a happier me when I read before bed, go for walks in the morning, and journal regularly. So I try to prioritize that stuff and things like them.
I'm not trying to downplay myself here—after all, I do make spreadsheets for fun. Yes, I've touted tracking before. I'm sure I will again. But, I've also found that tracking daily habits feels far less important to me when I’m in a rhythm of doing that stuff without thinking.
After years of trial and error, I now stay accountable through the swells and lulls of motivation. I’ve learned to be fine with gaps. It's when I start skipping things I know bring me joy that I find my mental health starts to crumble. And that’s exactly when tracking becomes really, really helpful... because it gives me a place to start. Which, is usually the hardest thing to do when I'm in need of getting back on track.
"Everything in moderation, including moderation."
I’m not sure if that's a known quote, but my grandfather always says it. I think it fits here. Coach yourself when you need to keep pushing and when it's important to rest, too. It's a pendulum. Flexibility makes it possible, because ebbing and flowing is how this whole thing works. Trying to push against the pendulum is how you wipe yourself out.
Something else my grandfather says is “have fun, be safe… and if you can’t be good… be careful." I've always liked it. It's a great reminder that not everything needs to be perfect. Sometimes getting things wrong creates the best memories.
Do you feel like rest is something to "earn" or something that's an inherent part of the process? Where'd you learn to think about it like that?
onward.
-dmac