Why we should be less productive.

Many people in EA value personal productivity highly, and make it a goal to complete as many tasks on their to-do list as possible in a day. Some people (myself included, in the past) seem to tie up their feeling of self-worth with how productive they felt that day.

I think that increased productivity should mainly be used to reduce the amount of time we work each day, and not to get more things done. To live a truly fulfilled life we need more unstructured, unproductive time when we can be ourselves and do the things that we find inherently valuable and enjoyable.

Here are some things that I find valuable in themselves, and not particularly productive:

Running along a river or canal in the morning

Reading a history book in a café

Listen to classical music on the radio

Prepare an elaborate dinner for my girlfriend

Try all the different types of cheese from my local shop