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What is slow productivity?
Everyone’s heard of hustle culture, but there’s a new kid on the block - slow productivity. In the wake of the pandemic, American professor Cal Newport proposed a new way of working. His philosophy (outlined in his new book Slow Productivity) is designed to combat burnout, free up your mind, reduce the feeling of guilt and encourage you to work at a more natural pace.
Below, I’ll take you through the three foundations of slow productivity before offering advice to different groups on how they could implement this new way of working.
The Three Foundations of Slow Productivity
Do Fewer Things
One of the obvious ways to avoid burnout and gain some work/life balance is to do less. But how do you do less without jeopardising your progress at work?
Foundation one calls for people to focus predominantly on the activities that have meaningful outcomes. Newport suggests choosing two to three key areas and prioritising your schedule around these. Then, by tracking your progress you’ll have evidenced results to present to your boss (or yourself). Monitoring your schedule can also help with learning to say no when things get too busy.
Of course, this is often easier said than done but organised and consistent progress is often more demonstrative of your impact and value than clogging up your day with small tasks.
2. Work at a Natural Pace
Foundation two encourages people to take their time. Rest is a part of work. Athletes, writers and artists have shown this time and again, often taking breaks before their most significant breakthroughs. Nobody can perform their best 100% of the time so it’s important to adhere to the ebbs and flows of life.
For many, it will take time to figure out a more natural rhythm and it may have to be implemented at a steady pace while you adapt.
3. Obsess Over Quality
Bringing the first two foundations together, number three is what truly adds value to this philosophy.
Many people equate more hours with more effort, but this often isn’t true. I’m sure many students have spent a whole day in the library struggling to focus and achieving very little.
Quality is about taking a deliberate and intentional approach. Setting quality goals can help you put your absolute best into a project. Then, reflecting on your finished work will ensure you continue to improve. In order to embrace and produce high quality work, you need to understand what the term means to you and what you’re trying to achieve.
Once you’ve figured this out, it will become easier to choose the few high impact projects to focus on.
How to Apply Slow Productivity
As with any philosophy, practical implementation can be difficult and will not always translate perfectly to your life. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some elements that can help you balance the everyday pressures of performing.
Students
It’s likely you can’t just ‘do fewer things’ as your school, college or university requires you to complete exams, coursework and projects to pass. However, what you can do is learn how to live ‘seasonally’.
Education systems naturally have built in rest and busy periods. Planning ahead can help you work at a more natural pace. If you know you have three essays due at the end of your first semester, plan out how long you would need to complete them one after the other rather than all at the same time.
In order to obsess over quality you need to focus on your feedback rather than on your grades. Instead of judging yourself over a mark (causing more pressure), focus on what you can do to continually improve. Then, apply said feedback to your next piece.
Office Workers
Learn to manage your expectations. Keeping a record of what you’re doing and how you’re progressing is extremely beneficial when it comes to demonstrating your workload to others.
Tracking is also an effective method to help you prioritise your goals. If you’re spending more time on tasks which don’t push you in the career direction you’re actually interested in, then it’s time to reassess. People pleasing (while easy to fall into) won’t benefit you in the long run. Putting your goals and interests first will.
Creatives
As a writer, one of the common problems I struggle with is starting too many different projects. Why work on the big scary piece of work when you can play around with something else.
Instead, it’s more beneficial to focus on fewer projects and to put energy into making your current work the best it can be. I’ve found that digging deep into the reasons why you’re procrastinating can help you figure out what barriers you need to overcome.
Are you placing too much pressure on this piece? Is perfectionism getting in the way? Are you no longer having fun? In order to stay creative, we have to keep moving forward. So, find out what’s blocking you, put a plan in place to tackle the problem and continue moving forward.
Parents
If you’re a parent, you’ll probably find the concepts of slow productivity unreasonable. The responsibilities of raising another lifeform are not easily negotiated. But, one thing I hear a lot of parents say is that doing your best is more important than being ‘perfect’.
One of the most important takeaways for parents is learning to do fewer things (where possible). Doing less, when giving each task or activity your full attention, does not need to end in guilt. Everyday is important, but many children won’t remember the details. What’s key is consistency which is only possible if you’re able to look after yourself too.
If you have the resources, you might also consider asking for help from family, hiring other people or investing in products that can help automate the mundane and relentless tasks.
As with all aspects of life, no system, philosophy or method will ever work exactly the same for each individual. Instead, it’s about taking what you can use. I hope you’ve found this article helpful (or at least a little bit interesting). Let me know in the comments how you might implement some slower productivity into your life!
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