Why aren’t we productive?

I’ve narrowed down reasons why I don’t seem to want to get things done.

• Fear of the unknown,
• having gotten used to not being active, and
• being overwhelmed by the complexities or aspects that cannot be altered.

Lost momentum from the aforementioned

Building momentum can be key when loss of it leads to stagnation and ruing. Small, creative tasks can be useful in building up successes that can lead to a stream of feeling good and like you’ve achieved something. This, if interspersed, with tasks that do require major focus and energy, can be useful as a productive distraction which can relax and help refocus e.g., personally, by writing this blog, and others, helps me to focus and create at time when I feel overwhelmed by forces beyond me, life changing choices I need to make, financial stresses etc.

It can also help by leaving the task at hand to mature so you will have a better tact when you get back to it. This helps connections to form in the brain that otherwise would not form without the required period of rest.

Here’s one I just thought of today, even though it sounds ludicrous:

Feeling that once all you’re supposed to do is done there won’t be anything left.

That is misleading the more I thought of it because there will hardly ever be a time when you’ll have nothing to do in an average life. If things get done then more could be done on say a project or assignment in terms of further research or polishing it. Leaving it alone to mature seems like doing nothing but surprisingly coming back later to something will reveal points and angles that were just waiting to be found.

I’ve noticed that after practicing for a while on my guitar and getting nowhere but frustrated, cramped and seemingly worse as I go on, that if I leave it for a day, two or even a week, then when i come back I’ve mysteriously improved. Rest and recovery are crucial.

In terms of coping with loss of productivity these are simple steps and realizations that anyone can come across. Although underlying issues will be need to addressed, these steps could hopefully lead to an active recourse that will snowball and transform you so as to better equip you to handle the major tasks in your life.