Dismantling Productivity with Labels Made of Stars
Dismantling Productivity with Labels Made of Stars
What if we concerned ourselves with creativity, or even generativity, instead of productivity?
Recently, I completed a research survey about experiences working in an academic environment. One of those questions (paraphrased here, because I can’t remember it verbatim) was “how do you know when you've been productive?”
For a moment, pause to think about how you’d answer that. Productivity means something different for everyone. Though I use it, that word also reminds me of machines and outputs.
My response had something to do with reaching a goal (again, I can’t remember exactly) and immediately brought to mind Helen Sword’s article ‘Write every day!’: a mantra dismantled in which she breaks down the common advice that academics should write every day to be productive. Unless you’re a full-time writer/creator, she says, it may not be a realistic goal. Sword concludes that these suggestions (based on earlier studies by Robert Boice) “do not reflect — and in some cases are antithetical to — the real-life practices of productive academics” (Sword 2016, 320).
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, productive means “Having the quality of producing something, typically through effort or work; that produces, esp. some significant amount or result; creative, generative.”
Take note of those last two words.
There are a few commonly advised ways for an academic to be productive, usually writing/creating for a certain amount of time or completion (for example, 30 minutes per day or 500 words per day). Regular writing sessions are often suggested, too. I’ve also tried the bribery reward system.
I’ve been playing around with a different approach that seems to fit well with my checklist compulsion practice. For an upcoming week (semester, month, whatever) I list the things I need to work on. Being specific and breaking each thing down into smaller tasks is a must. Each item gets a label of stars:
⭐ easy, requires little brain power (1 star)
⭐⭐ average, requires an average amount of attention (2 stars)
⭐⭐⭐ high-level focus, requires distraction-free zone (3 stars)
Obviously, the actual icon could be anything. Like ☕ or 🧁 or 🍔. Yum.
Rather than count words or minutes, this approach centers my energy and focus. During a typical teaching day, let’s be honest, I will probably only get through one or two 1-star things. On a different day, if I plan for it and block off my calendar, I could tick a 3-star item off the list.
This isn’t a perfect system and certainly, it won’t work for everybody. I think some people are more motivated by number goals (i.e., time spent or word count). Maybe the best approach is a combination of these things.
What if we concerned ourselves with creativity, or even generativity, instead of productivity? It shifts the lens to reconsider how we think about our processes and progress. Generating knowledge, and sharing it, is challenging to measure according to hours logged and actions performed (thanks, Industrial Revolution…). Creativity and generativity speak to the quality, impact, and longevity of our contributions. And, that mindset may spark things like further inquiry, innovation, and discovery.
At the end of the day, maybe the mindset isn’t “I was so unproductive today” or “I only wrote 20 words” but instead “I created or generated something that moves my project forward!” I know, easier said than done. But attitude shifts like this could lead to more fulfilling work, and perhaps even more of a benefit to ourselves and others.
What new possibilities might this open up for your projects?