Productive vs Present
Hello! Today we're going to dive into the age old question, is it better to be Productive or Present. Spoiler alert, they're both good, but we all are predispositioned to do one more than the other...the challenge is to identify which you are best at and then work on growing your muscles in the other area. So I want to ask you, which one defines you more? Do you find yourself going to a party and sitting and talking with people, or asking if they need help with any tasks? When you get home from a long day of being out and about, do you allow yourself to quiet your mind for a minute and take a breath, or jump into the next To-Do list based on tasks in your home? Again, neither is better than the other, it's just interesting to gauge where you're at. I find myself at parties asking if there are any tasks I can do, because honestly sometimes it's easier to take out the garbage than talk to people. What is interesting is that both these are good to have in our life, but they can also be used as distractions for the other. I may want to avoid making that call or sending that email, so I'll text with a friend who's super uplifting instead of doing what needs to be done. Or maybe instead of engaging with your spouse because he's been annoying lately, you decide to do the laundry instead. It really comes down to our hearts and our motives. We need a balance of productivity and presentness in our lives.
Before we get too far down this rabbit trail, let's define productivity. It is the act of producing a result, creating, or performing. I want to take this a little deeper though, cuz we all know we can get a ton done in the day, but if you didn't do that ONE important thing you really needed to get done, the day doesn't feel as satisfying, or let's flip it, maybe you only get ONE thing done, but it was a big one for you, then you feel productive...so, it's not about the quantity of things you get done that makes you productive, it's the quality and purpose behind them. It's taking care of business and moving your life forward. There's a difference between being productive and being busy. Productivity is growing and being Busy is staying in the same spot exerting a lot of energy. Taking an audit of what you're spending time on is really important to make sure you're being productive and not busy.
As for being present- the definition is more abstract, it's this idea of being free from the noise of your internal dialogue and have a sense of stillness and peace. This looks like being able to sit with someone and hear what they're saying and focus solely on them...or even being able to sit with yourself and not having your inner critic or dialogue yelling at you. Being present is all about being in the moment and enjoying what that exact moment provides. This for me is the hardest, but honestly the most beneficial. When I can be present with my kids, the quality of our time is so much sweeter. When I can be present with my clients, I'm able to discern what's really going on under the layers of what they saying is going on. Some other benefits to being present is that it boosts memory, increases focus, reduces stress, and improves our emotional fitness. Being present allows us to show up for ourselves and be willing to experience all the emotions we have going on.
We need both productivity and presentness in our lives. We need to move forward in our life by creating and producing results in our jobs and relationships. We also need to be present and be still at times too. Our energy to be productive is created in those present moments. What good is it to be addicted to the drug of productivity and efficiency so much that being truly present feels so uncomfortable, it almost feels wrong.
There's this story in the bible that is about Jesus hanging out and teaching at Mary & Martha's house. If you can imagine having the Messiah over to your house, there would be a desire to make everything perfect to honor him right? Take care of all the details so everyone feels welcomed, taken care of, fed, and hydrated. Well, Martha is slaving away in the kitchen while her sister Mary is relaxing on the floor listening to Jesus. Martha finally gets so ticked off, she goes up to Jesus and asks him to instruct Mary to help, because things needed to be a certain way in Martha's mind. And he says in Luke 10:41
"41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
He was pointing out that relationships and being present was the most important thing at that time. Now, Martha did a fantastic job caring for everyone in her home, but there was a point, she needed to stop and sit.
In life we're going to be pulled in many directions and we're going to have to decide if being productive or being present is the best option. We won't always make the correct decision and we'll learn along the way, but I want to encourage you to remain curious about your motives for whichever one you decide. You can ask yourself, am I a Mary or a Martha?
Being productive and being present are both important aspects of life and we get to decide how often we engage in each.
Allow yourself to make small edits in your day to create the life you want!