Why It’s Time to Rethink Productivity

It’s something we’ve all said to ourselves at some time or other: “I just have to get through this week” — as if next week will magically be different. If we can just answer all of our emails, keep all of the balls in the air, cross off enough tasks on our to-do lists, then we’ll finally be on top of things.

It seems like we’re constantly trying to squeeze more from our workdays. But is maximum productivity really an achievable, or even desirable, goal? Or are we missing the bigger picture, because we’re so buried in little tasks?

On this episode, we explore productivity — what works, what doesn’t, and how we can reshape it in a changing world. We hear about “Move, Think, Rest,” an approach that helped author Natalie Nixon redefine her relationship with work. We’ll explore how ADHD can affect employee performance, and hear about the impact of cuts to research grants on the output of scientists in the U.S.

ALSO HEARD:

• We talk with creativity strategist Natalie Nixon about what productivity looks like in the age of knowledge work. We hear about the origins of our obsession with productivity, how the pressure to achieve it is affecting us, and why our framework for measuring success needs an update. She also discusses her new book, “Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship with Time,” in which she argues that we’re not machines, and explains why breaks for movement and daydreaming could yield greater gains at work.
• When author and content marketing manager Jess Galaxie was just a few years out of college, she got her dream job at a small marketing firm — but pretty quickly, things started falling apart. Reporter Liz Tung tells the story of how Galaxie’s experience led to being diagnosed with ADHD, why this is common among neurodivergent workers, and what helped her turn things around.
• For decades, the U.S. has been a global research powerhouse. But with sweeping cuts to federal science funding, the future feels uncertain for many scientists. Alan Yu talks with researchers about how this turbulent year is affecting their productivity, work, and the future of science.