Edit: This blog post turned into its own productivity system. You can learn more about how it works.

If “productivity” means “getting things done,” we need a new concept within productivity to start addressing a broader set of aspects that matter.

The concept of “getting things done” is way too exclusive. It too easily works against the grain of human psychology. When you fail to “get things done,” you are being “uproductive,” and you reach for labels like “procrastinator.”

There’s always something a person is not “getting done.” So why keep pushing this button? It’s madness. Meaningless madness.

Productivity, given such limited definition, easily becomes a baroque guilt mechanism, almost like a medieval torture device. A quiet killer, difficult to move around in, and excruciating.

Here is a broader set of the aspects that matter:

• Getting things done
• Getting things felt
• Getting things out
• Getting things up
• Getting things said

Each one of these aspects can enable “Getting things done,” in a way that focusing only on “Getting things done” can’t.

We need tools that help us to stop torturing ourselves.

I’ll call this set of things “Whole Productivity” for now, and return to it later.

Filed in: Productivity /119/ | Control /110/