Several weeks ago I saw someone on the interwebs asking about productivity and childrearing.
I haven't been able to let that question go since seeing it.
Rather than jumping into hacks, parents should employ in order to boost their productivity while fighting the pressures of raising a high-achieving child, such a question gives me pause concerning how obsessed with productivity we all have become as a society.
To be blunt, what are we afraid of? Do we collectively assume that everything will fall apart if we all stop running the squirrel trap for a day?
In previous generations, technologists predicted that we would all enjoy extended lives of leisure thanks to advances in technology, especially in machine-assisted automation.
They were partly correct. We did secure machine-assisted automation, and we are more efficient than ever before, but it seems that leisure is for a selected caste.
Apparently, parents are no exception. I'm working under the premise that we are consumed in an unhealthy relationship with productivity, and I have real concerns about how long we will collectively choose to maintain this paradigm, nonetheless, I shall provide you with the answers you desperately crave, my fellow rearers of the next generation.
Productivity Unmeasured
First, let us acknowledge that raising children is an act of unmeasured productivity.
It appears that an entire generation wrote of childrearing and chose to focus on productivity. So much so that media conglomerates ran PSAs asking parents, "if they knew where their children were at."
This generation is among us today but has been more or less written off by society. Some may say society has "X'ed" them out. Our modern-day lost generation.
So it is inadvisable to forgo childrearing, it would seem.
It must be done. It is the duty of parents to do their utmost, to the best of their abilities, to raise a proper generation that will rise to the challenges their forbearers have set before them.
The old testament states that the sins of the fathers must be passed on three or four generations. Even the ancients knew someone has to clean up our mess, and it sure won't be us.
I'm having fun and being facetious now, and purposely ignoring my Grammarly suggestions, but if you're reading along with me then we must agree that there is some truth to this generational bear-poking.
If you're raising children out there, I don't have to tell you that it's time and energy-intensive and I honestly believe there is no higher calling for a parent than to give all they can to their offspring. I feel this to be true to my core. And I feel it because, I think of my father nearly every day, and after some few years still palpably miss him.
His grandchildren, children, and wife, were the subject matter of his last conversation. The bond of a loving family is more meaningful than any other bond in life.
Productivity with No Replacement
Work will replace the lost as fast as possible with minimal remembrance. On a longer timescale, the world will soon forget almost every living person. But children, adult children and all, remember their parents, faults and glories, and all.
If that's not enough productivity advice for you parents out there, then my last suggestion is to be as clear as possible about your priorities outside of the childrearing business.
What do you want to accomplish more than anything else in this lifetime?
You cannot do it all. Unless you have the ability to leverage the time and talents of others, it's simply improbable.
So you must leverage the time of others or you must narrow your goals and align your priorities.
I suggest narrowing yourself to one or two major goals. Since you must be so narrow, they may as well be giant moonshots. Aim for the moon and land amongst the stars and all that.
Once you've discovered the promise of your life, you must understand the order of operations to complete in order to see your vision come to pass.
That means you must say no to all other distractions. It's equally important to know when to say yes to the things you want to - even need to say yes to. There's a time and place for all things. But you're raising children, so there are more thieves of your time waiting in the shadows for those who fail to remain vigilant.
Now that you've fixed your priorities you must find the time to execute.
Since you have children, you'll likely need to steal from the bookends of the days.
Embrace early mornings or late evenings. Remember, this is also a marathon, not a sprint, so getting enough sleep is still essential. What use are your goals if you're no good at your primary objective of raising the sterling examples of the next generation?
Be hyper-disciplined in your work. Cut all distractions. The fastest way to get to work is to get to work. So simple you had to read that last sentence twice. When it's time to work you don't have the luxury of checking social or unrelated analytics. You must resume progress on the next most important task to realize your life's goal.
Whitle away hour after hour, day after day. Time is your enemy but also your friend.
Finally, at the end of each day, plan the next. Know what you'll work on the next time you practice your productivity. Plan this ahead of time or you'll likely succumb to the pressures of distraction. Do so too often and your brain will become your darkest enemy, making your objective foggier and further out of reach until you despair and post a question to the social internet.
It might read something like, "How can I, as a parent, be more productive?"