A Reflection on Productivity and Achievement
Humanity has been programmed to focus on doing and achieving. We have to go to school to be educated, finish college to be successful, and earn certain grades to be considered A-students. We are expected to do certain things to be good children, good parents, and good members of society. We are told we need to get married and build a family to be seen as successful and living a good life.
I feel that we have always been told what to do, either directly by society or through the belief that these are our own choices and desires—when, in fact, they may not be. We have become people who accumulate things over time, without truly understanding the bigger picture. Instead of becoming lighter, we are burdened with more responsibilities and possessions each year.
I realized that in order to reach our true selves, our higher selves, and even connect with God, we need to become lighter. We need to move closer inward, and we will not be able to do that if we are surrounded by too much external noise and distraction. All this information and expectation are diverting our attention from what truly matters.
For a long time, I thought being productive meant being an excellent student—constantly doing more, studying harder, working, and achieving something new every day. But I have come to learn that this is not the true essence of productivity. Real productivity lies in the simple acts of self-care and presence: preparing your food, making your bed, taking time for yourself, washing vegetables for your salad, cleaning the house, spending time with your child, playing with them. The list goes on.
I am unlearning every day that these simple acts are valuable and that they might be even more important than the items on our “to-do” lists. It’s not easy to quiet the mind in these moments, but we must be aware of it—aware of when we judge ourselves for not being productive. Sometimes we distract ourselves with things like reading a book, which is wonderful, but there are moments when that’s not necessary. Sometimes, the time is better spent on something more meaningful and beneficial to our well-being in that particular moment.
I have caught myself feeling guilty or blaming myself unconsciously for not “doing more.” Instead of cleaning, I might feel compelled to read something, write something, or post something online. But this is not the way. Being gentle with ourselves is important. We need to allow the present moment and the task at hand to unfold its own experience and lesson. By doing so, we may discover insights that we wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.
So, the takeaway here is to be mindful of the small things you do every day. Whether you’re waking up and doing housework, taking care of your children, focusing on personal development, or simply doing nothing—this is valuable work. It is productive for you, right now, at this specific moment in time. Lessons and growth often come in unexpected ways, sometimes more powerfully than what we learn from books or external sources.
The most powerful lessons come from within—from our own experiences or our reflections upon them. This means either directly experiencing an event or doing something (like cleaning your house or washing vegetables), and suddenly having a thought or realization—an “Aha moment.” That moment is priceless. This reflection becomes a lifetime lesson.
Achievements are often the small things we overlook. They are the things we don’t think of as accomplishments, yet they hold profound value.