Obsessing Over Productivity Doesn't Work: Create Breathing Space in Your Biz

For a while now, all we’ve been hearing in the online business world is that increasing productivity is the best way to be successful. Heck, I just scrolled past yet another IG post with the same ol’ “how to increase your productivity” hook.  And since everyone seems to be saying it, it must be true. Right? 

Uhh… no. 

I get it. Most of this advice is coming from a good place. If you get more done, you can win in life—easy peasy advice. But, not only does one way of doing things not work for everyone, it’s a quick way to exhaustion and dissatisfaction.  

Also, how do you know that the productivity hacking pros are actually getting great results from focusing their biz life on doing the most?

And how does it feel to, everywhere you turn, get the message that you’re not doing enough. It can feel frustrating or like you’re  a failure because productivity hacking isn’t working for you when you’re not the problem! 

I know because back in the lockdown days when I was starting my own online business, I would do wellness and mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation, and while they helped me manage mounting stress, I still needed big pauses in my day for clarity & pivoting, rest, and taking care of my toddler. I didn’t become a productivity machine overnight because of it. 

In fact, any time I did something, like use a to-do list app or mute notifications, those things would actually make me less productive because they were interrupting my natural rhythm and flow. So I started actually looking at the expectations I had related to my business journey and how realistic they were or not. The lil’ reality checks really hit home and helped me trust more in the fact that I would indeed get done what needs to be done in my own way and if I don’t, that means I don’t have the capacity atm and some adjustments need to happen. 

I also didn’t feel like I was being authentic when I was trying to do all these bro’ed up rigid cheat codes to “success.” And as a creative, there’s no faking the funk when it comes to doing things your way. Believe me, your clients can tell when you’re not being authentic. 

Remember this: your creative projects thrive, not because you found a way to do more sh*t but because you’re doing things in your unique way. 

What’s Not So Great About Productivity Hacking 

Here’s the thing. focusing on your productivity won’t get you closer to all those things you’re putting behind an imaginary finish line. For example:

• You won’t be able to rest better AFTER you do all the things you’re trying to increase your capacity to do. Spoiler alert: there will always be something else to do
• You won’t feel more accomplished and successful because you’re doing the same amount of work that a computer can do—you’ll just keep moving on to the next thing and the next thing 
• Forcing yourself into a productivity box gets you mired in busy work instead of executing on your big picture vision 
• It may work for those who are disconnected from their creativity, but hyperfocus on being productive takes creatives away from the soul essence that fuels their work 

So what can you do to create breathing room in your business without burning the whole thing down? Fortunately, there’s a better way. Instead of patching things together with sterile and stale productivity hacks, try something else. 

Wouldn’t you rather spend your time operating your creative biz in a way that feels like you and your creativity are flourishing that’s also mad effective at getting the things done that matter the most? Well, now you can. And it doesn’t have to be confusing or overwhelming. 

A Better Way to Flourish in Your Creative Business With Space to Breathe 

What I did to get all the things done in my business that had to happen in order for my big picture vision to come to life? Nah, not productivity hacking. I MANAGED MY EXPECTATIONS. Read that again. Let me show you how. 

#001: I Let Go of the Expectation for Instant Business Success

I definitely fell for the promise of making money in my sleep that comes with the whole “passive income” spiel. I got got. I quickly created an intro course to meditation (as if there aren’t thousands out there already) without doing any marketing research, without having any type of clarity on my audience or what differentiates me from the rest and without a successful content creation strategy. 

I failed, hard. But then I educated myself and realized the tons of work that goes into getting to this point of passive income and it’s hard work, it’s not passive at all. 

A decision had to be made: do the hard work or go back to government work. I decided to do the hard work and it’s taken me two years to do it. And I’ve never felt so fulfilled and aligned.

There’s this underlying tow of a promise of instant gratification that permeates the online business world that secretly hides the absolute necessity for long and deep work that creates a business that is sustainable and actually reflects who you really are as a creative. 

Now that I’ve uncovered the secret, I’m not pushing myself beyond my limits to do more and more and more. I’m more confident in the pace and way that I work. I don’t need it to happen fast, I need it to happen in a way that feels right for me. 

Imagine not feeling like you’re obligated to do more and more with this false promise of instant success.

#002: I Consistently Managed the Expectation that I Can Do It All 

It’s such an attractive expectation. It’s so easy to slip into adding this, oh, and that, oh, and just one more thing. At the base of it all, I was working under the belief that if I say “yes” to opportunities, good things will come. As a business owner, I realized that I had to let this go and consider that good things would still come if I say “no,” too.

When the list just gets too long. I go back to my big picture vision and my list of priorities and I trim and skip as needed. I have 2 kids with minimal support. I just am unable to do it all and what’s more—what does “doing it all” really achieve? 

It keeps you in a cycle of busywork that’s not very easy to come out of. It’s like an addiction once you get used to it. It starts to feel wrong to sit still for longer than 3 minutes. And you’re hearing htat steady hum of dissatisfaction in the back of your mind. And we often block that hum with more work, more productivity and we become less and less fulfilled with being our true selves, connecting to what matters most to us.

Letting go of obsessing over productivity can help us let go of unnecessary doing with greater ease. We can allow spaciousness in our lives and in our businesses. We don’t absolutely need to make 3 more courses and whatever other distracting work there is. We have more energy to do the work that fulfills us. 

#003: I Stopped Operating Based on What I Thought Others Expected of Me 

This was a habit that died hard. After managing my “do it all” expectations, I noticed something else was happening. The people-pleaser in me was anxious about my family seeing me as a failure, my friend seeing that I was a loser because I gave up my promising museum career. These things kept pushing me to work harder. 

And while I’m ok with hard work, very often I found myself working on things that actually didn’t move the needle forward in my business. I was definitely busy, worrying about others so much, feeling I needed to hurry and produce something, anything—this actually moved me further and further from achieving my goals. 

Once I noticed this, I became even more focused on my creative vision and making sure I executed that vision in a way that would also support me financially. I let go of what other people think, or better yet, what I perceive that they’re thinking. This not only brought major clarity and energy to my biz, but it also keeps me connected to myself in a powerful way. 

Whenever I decide to take on a new project, I now ask myself: 

• Is this something that feels fulfilling to me? [Habit #1 and why it’s important]
• Is this something that will help me achieve my desires / big picture vision? [Habit #2 and why it’s important]
• Is this something I’m feeling pressure to do based on what I perceive others think? [Habit #3 and why it’s important]

Next Steps

So if you’re feeling the need to be more productive to be successful, stop first to explore what expectations you have on yourself and your business first. You might be able to gain clarity and free yourself up from busywork and create more space in your overcrowded biz. 

Check out some of my other posts and keep challenging yourself to manage your creative life in a way that rings true for you. 

If you want more help here, get on the waitlist for my upcoming 1:1 service, Care As Creative As You, made just for creatives like you. It’s a personalized three-month experience designed to help you recharge, refocus, and rediscover what it feels like to live in balance. 

There’s plenty of perks for waitlisters including a private podcast, access to hot-seat coaching and more! 

Click here to jump on the waitlist today! 

Questions? Comments? Drop them below. I can’t wait to hear what you think!