Don't Force It

It's a Monday evening at the end of a three-day weekend. I wanted to do more work on a new blog post.

I stared at the text I'd written a few days ago for a while. I couldn't find any energy to type any serious words. I thought I could force myself and make myself edit, draw, and write for this post. But I've done that before, and I've almost always cut all that out afterward. So I knew I'd only be wasting time and energy. All to "feel" productive, but knowing I won't "be" productive.

To clarify, I had an enjoyable weekend. Now I'm feeling exhaustion and a slight headache. I want to lay down and not think about serious things for a while. Even though, like all adults my age, there is no shortage of stressful and important things to think about.

I felt restless but have no mental energy to do important work. What now?

In times like this, I only need to do work that sets me up to be more productive tomorrow. Things that don't take all that much thought.

• I won't read through my backed-up article list. I'll note which ones to read tomorrow and pass on the rest.
• I won't work on that blog post. I'll make a bullet list of what I want to tackle tomorrow and save it as a to-do list.
• I won't do a full apartment clean. I'll put everything where it needs to be so I won't lose track of it when I'm back on the clock.
• I won't stay up late with extra TV or reading. I'll get to bed early and make sure I sleep enough to feel rested tomorrow.

Being productive and feeling productive are two different things. I'm getting better at recognizing times like now. These are times when I feel productive but don't have to energy to be productive. The best thing I can do is clean up, set up, and rest up for later. This way, I can feel productive without burning myself (and any productive energy) out.

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