As I have learned more about myself and what “being productive” means to me, I want to share some observations I have made about productivity and the burnout that follows. My worth doesn’t change, no matter how much or how little I accomplish in a week. One thing I’ve had to learn is that my value is not based on my productivity.

Productivity burnout happens when you compare your worth to the biggest task on your to-do list. My tasks might’ve all looked the same in a list, but that doesn’t mean they all required the same level of effort. But as I started to review the actual tasks I’d completed, I realized that this week was full of big, important, time-consuming projects. Taking those numbers at face value, it looked like I had slacked off. I had accomplished six tasks! But then I saw the 17 tasks I had accomplished the week prior, and the comparison immediately made me feel bad. I was sitting at my computer one Friday afternoon, looking back on my week and feeling proud of myself. Constantly trying to do it all, be the best, and accomplish the most… it’s exhausting.

What makes someone feel productive differs from person to person, as does the impact of “being productive.”įrom “quiet quitting” to “productivity burnout,” many people are finally discovering that there is a limit. When I tell someone I work at Evernote, I’m typically met with responses like, “You must be so organized!” and “You must be such a productive person!” But something I have come to realize is that everyone’s definition of “productivity” is different, and productivity itself is extremely personal.

Evernote calendar template 2019