Take Your GTD and Shove It
Maybe it’s just me. Probably is, but I think there’s too much talk of productivity these days. I can’t go a day without reading or hearing one piece of news about how to be more efficient and productive, be it coming from my RSS reader, the radio, TV, newspaper, the tiny three toed elves I keep as slaves, whatever. I happen to think measuring happiness or success by how productive you are is idiotic. Granted, I’m one hundred proof Broken Bum, and I giggle like a school girl when I reply to one email. So take my opinion with a block of salt, but productivity talk is chap ass.
Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with getting off because you’re an efficiency slut, or a productivity pimp. If this makes you happy then fine. All the power to you. Be a productive worker, get things done, all well and good, but don’t think that productivity is the answer to a satisfactory work life. I mean, if you don’t like what you’re doing then doing more of it in less time is about the worse advice you can get. “Yeah, this job sucks ass man. I think I’ll do more of it in less time, and seeing as how I’m here until Five this just means I get to do even more of this soul sucking crap. Awesome.” Which is exactly the attitude a capitalist would like you to inherit. I am not a cog that needs to be properly oiled in order to hum a tone of economy.
Anyway, the article that inspired my reactionary minor rant came from a Lifehacker article that linked to an interview with Entrepreneur Jason Fried. Jason explained how proximity kills productivity. Here is the money quote they give,
Proximity is an invitation to interrupt somebody. And interruption is the biggest enemy of productivity that there is. When everyone is sitting together, everyone’s at the same desk or nearby. It’s really easy to shout something over to somebody or tap someone on the shoulder or whatever. That can be useful at times, no doubt. But for the most part, it’s interruption.
I read the article and I thought I must be a freak or something because I see interruption as a time for inspiration. Sure, if some jackass keeps interrupting you with tales of his weekend bowel movements that can be a problem, but a simple, and well placed karate chop to his nuts gets the message across.
If you’re working with people you enjoy interruption can be a grand relief. You know, shooting spit-balls at people’s heads, knocking a dodge ball off someone’s face, stopping to make fun of a coworkers attire, all these are opportunities to bond and channel creative energy in a different direction. “Dude, did you see how that spit ball exploded off of Melvin’s glasses. Here, let’s make a sling shot out Julie’s bra and try it again.” This is creative energy. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not. Which could be sad, so I’ll stop here.
The point is productivity is an economic term. It does not measure happiness, joy, spiritual worth, or peace. It can be a small piece of happiness, but mistaking it for the real thing is what traditional Suit Marketing and Capitalism is all about. You are what you produce. If you can produce more, you are more. Bullshit is what I say.
Further Reading
So Sorry
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