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3MM: Productivity, Exes & Dragging
3 MINUTE MONDAYHi friend, I'm in Australia!! Live tour starts this Thursday 💜 Come see me. “I struggle to believe I’m worthy of moments of joy and peace without first putting myself through a brutal schedule, monitoring my productivity levels down to the minute.
Perhaps some people apply this “earn your cookie” mindset in ways that lead to healthy achievements.
Not me.
Mine is a mutation whereby joy and self-compassion are regularly outlawed by an internal tyrant who decides when I’ve been flogged enough for one day.
Just when I’m about to collapse, a voice inside says: “OK. Give him half an hour of peace before bed. But make sure he knows we’ll start again, bright and early in the morning.” — Matthew Hussey
This insight makes my soul hurt, largely because I see it in myself. The writer Oliver Burkeman has a name for this bottomless pit of self-imposed expected efficiency - Productivity Debt. “Many people (by which I meant me) seem to feel as if they start off each morning in a kind of "productivity debt", which they must struggle to pay off through the day, in hopes of reaching a zero balance by the time evening comes.
Few things feel more basic to my experience of adulthood than this vague sense that I'm falling behind, and need to claw my way back up to some minimum standard of output.
It's as if I need to justify my existence, by staying "on top of things", in order to stave off some ill-defined catastrophe that might otherwise come crashing down upon my head.
And make no mistake: paying off your imaginary productivity debt completely – in other words, working so hard and so efficiently that you no longer feel like you're falling behind – is literally impossible, not just gruelling and unpleasant.
In the modern world of work, there's no limit to the number of emails you might receive, the demands your boss might make, the ambitions you might have for your career, etcetera – so there’s no reason to believe you’ll ever get to the end of them.”
Here’s to overcoming the vague sense of falling behind. MODERN WISDOMI do a podcast where I pretend to have a British accent. This week’s upcoming episodes: Monday. Thursday. Saturday. THINGS I'VE LEARNED1. On average, it took about 4.18 years for the emotional attachment to an ex-partner to be halfway dissolved. For the typical person, the bond to an ex completely faded away around 8 years but for some it takes longer. (Social Psychological and Personality Science (Chong and Fraley, 2025) **A response I thought was interesting: 2. “I have a hard time celebrating my achievements because in my mind it was my obligation to achieve it.” — Michael Smoak 3. If it doesn’t fit, eventually it’ll hurt wearing it. LIFE HACKGet your bloodwork done. You need to know what’s happening inside of your body. Function Health does a single test that allows you to check everything including your cortisol levels, heart health, hormone levels like testosterone and even screens for 50 types of cancer. It’s the most comprehensive, simple and quick way to get bloodwork done. This is the exact test I get every 6 months. Function is now just $365 ($1/day), plus get an extra $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Big love, Try my productivity drink Neutonic. PS |
3 Minute Monday
Podcaster with 1bn+ plays. I write about the most important lessons from the best thinkers on the planet. 300,000+ people read my free newsletter. Press subscribe to join.
3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, I fly to Australia this Friday! Very limited tickets left for Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Christchurch, Auckland & Bali. https://chriswilliamson.live/ “Neediness occurs when you place a higher priority on what others think of you than what you think of yourself. Any time you alter your words or behavior to fit someone else’s needs rather than your own, that is needy. Any time you lie about your interests, hobbies, or background, that is needy. Any time you pursue a...
3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, I fly to Australia for tour next week!! Plus James Smith is supporting me. Perth & Brisbane are fully sold out - tickets still available for Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Christchurch, Auckland & Bali. Come see me live. Adversity is a terrible thing to waste. Almost all of the biggest periods of growth in your life have germinated from your lowest points. Once shock, grief and sadness subside, much more energetic emotions arise - pain, resentment, bitterness, anger...
3 MINUTE MONDAY Hi friend, It's my birthday 🥳 If you'd like to get me a present, please press subscribe on YouTube. Or feel free to reply and tell me a story about something you've enjoyed from the show or my writing over the last year, those make me smile (: When faced with a challenge, your nature might be to worry and obsess and grip tightly. The classic Insecure Overachiever mindset. Because worrying is so common in every pursuit you attempt, your successes are seen as proof that worrying...