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Often when I share glimpses of my everyday life (for example during my week in the life project) I get comments from people about how I manage to get “so much done” in a day.
I hate the idea that people read my blog and feel discouraged and like they are not doing enough. So, I wanted to share a few thoughts on productivity.
I have a lot of help
The main reason I manage to read books, knit, cook and hang out with people as a mother of two is that I have a lot of support.
My older daughter is in nursery every weekday from 8 am to 2 pm. I have a husband who is very involved in childcare, he does a lot of our shopping and housework. For example, he cleans the kitchen each night while I put the kids to bed. My parents live next door and are very happy to drop by whenever I need extra help.
We live minimalist-ish
We aren’t really minimalists but we live in a relatively small flat. We have a patch in the garden on which we get to grow stuff but otherwise have no responsibility of looking after a property or garden. We don’t own a car.
This means keeping our space tidy and clean doesn’t require a lot of time. I don’t have to take a car to the garage or research the best insurance cover. Our life is fairly simple in that regard.
My children are quite easy-going
Both our girls are healthy and happy. I don’t have to drive them from one doctor’s appointment to the next or see therapists with them. They are young so of course need a lot from us but their personalities allow me to involve them in daily activities like cooking and doing laundry.
I don’t share everything
When I share some of my week’s highlights or detail what I did in a day, I only share the things that I remember and seem interesting to me. I definitely sit and scroll or simply stare out of the window for a while most days. But when I think back to what I did, these moments often don’t come to mind. However, don’t think that I just do productive things all day long.
Capacity + personality
Finally, I enjoy doing. It is satisfying and calming to me to potter around the house, to tidy and create and make things.
In this season of life it comes relatively easy to me to be organised, to get up and do. There were times in my life where this was not the case, where my personal circumstances or my workload sucked so much energy that I hardly managed to dress and feed myself.
Each person is in a different season, has a unique personality and varying energy levels.
Does it matter?
If you find yourself thinking you’re not getting enough done compared to others, keep in mind that they might have more help, fewer responsibilities, an easier situation and more energy.
And – does it really matter?
Your purpose in life is not to cross of every item on your to-do list. They ‘how’ and ‘why’ of what you are doing matter so much more than the ‘what’ and ‘how much’.
God hasn’t called us to be productive, he called us to be fruitful. Your lives’ worth is not dependent on how productive you are. You are already good enough.
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