The Curse of Productivity: Doing More vs. Living Well

I’ve been reading 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, and it’s been both humbling and refreshing. The book makes a point that hit me hard: being more efficient doesn’t mean you suddenly get more time to do what you love. It usually just means you’re now expected to do more.

And that’s the curse of productivity.

The Trap of “More”

So many of us treat productivity like a finish line: if I can just get through this list faster, then I’ll finally have space for the “real” stuff. But the truth is, that finish line keeps moving. The more efficient you become, the more you’re expected to handle. Instead of creating freedom, it creates more pressure.

It’s like racing up a mountain only to find there’s another one waiting on the other side.

What Really Brings Joy?

Another question from the book that stuck with me: Do our hobbies actually bring us joy—or are they just another way of chasing accomplishment?

Think about it:

• Do you run because you love the rhythm of your feet on the pavement? Or because you want to burn calories and train for that 10K?

• Do you paint because you enjoy the process, or because you want a finished piece to show off?

• Do you garden because being in the dirt makes you feel alive, or because you feel you “should” have a tidy yard?

It’s not that goals are bad. But when everything becomes a stepping stone toward something else, when nothing is done just for the joy of it, life starts to feel transactional instead of meaningful.

A Different Kind of List

That’s what The Tackle List is about for me—not squeezing more into the day, but asking: What’s worth doing at all?

Some days, the answer might be laundry and errands. Other days, it’s puzzles with my husband, silly doodles in the margins, or watching a movie outside with the kids. The point isn’t to always do more. The point is to choose with intention.

Because in the end, life isn’t measured by how much we got done. It’s measured by how deeply we lived.