How Productivity Experts Got The “Lockdown” So Wrong
So many of us did…I did.
The “new normal” was beginning to sound like, “Okay, that’s do-able.”
I haven’t stopped chemically misting my veggies, but I’m getting better at recognizing the top half of my landlord’s face — and hearing somebody sneeze in public only causes me a mild heart attack.
So, on the whole, things were getting better.
Then, the sucker punch.
Coronavirus numbers started to overwhelm Europe, and hospital admissions surged in record numbers in many U.S. states. The board seemed set for another round of hard lockdowns.
With the way numbers are going, and knowing that this, after all, is 2020 (the Loki Odinson of years), things could go bad very fast.
I don’t want to sound alarmist, let’s just say I’m slowly tiptoeing to the toilet paper aisle.
I began to wonder about the odds of a second lockdown. What will I be doing differently this time? What lessons have I learned from the first one?
My First Lockdown
I remember always being tired. I was “busy” and bored at the same time. I was not my usual productive self. For the life of me, I cannot remember doing anything useful with my “free” time.
It was all a blur, but I might have wasted my first lockdown on “Tiger King” and Dalgona coffee fails.
While many others came out of the whole thing with a new language under their belt, I lost the need for mine when I welcomed the arrival of 15 extra pounds.
Most days, you couldn’t peel my eyes off COVID updates. (I had a tub of snack in hand, you know, to keep calm.)
As the number of cases climbed around the world, and news outlets looped ER scenes of people being pumped for oxygen, my thoughts vacillated between “Nah, that’s not gonna happen to me. I’m young and healthy!” and “Christ! I’m 38 and have yet to see the inside of a gym!”
I experienced shortness of breath. And that’s just from watching CNN.
I tried to clear all the negative energy by bingeing on Netflix and watching inspiring series like “Breaking Bad,” “Narcos,” and “Peaky Blinders.” I also threw in some servings of the good ol’ “American Pie’s.”
(Yes, Netflix, I’m still watching.)
I’ve had the kind of “marathons” that involved hours of sitting, screaming “There are two more seasons?!” at the TV. I’ve run across the house…peed…got back to the butt impression on my sofa…all in the 5 seconds before the next episode.
I Facebook-ed, Instagram-ed, Tiktok-ed and Twittered my days away. I didn’t generate any content with my hollow daily routines, but if there was a viral video to be watched, a witty Twitter to be read, or some new misinformation about the virus, I’m all over it like bleach on sanitized surfaces.
I did this while the whole of Italy was shuttered and New York was finding creative uses for huge freezers. Calls for adequate testing was all the rage.
“Making It Count!”
I’ve been hit with a flood of ads for online courses — from cooking to Korean, photography to snake-wrangling — that have suddenly become steeply discounted or, even better, free.
“Make the lockdown count!”
“We know what you’re going through, so let this be our gift.”
“Stay safe. Keep learning.”
“This offer expires in 24 hours.”
I’ve always felt quarantine guilt when I scrolled past those. Because what better time to learn a new language or pick up a new skill than a COVID lockdown, right?
Unfortunately, I came out of it, not only COVID-free but also scot-free of any new discernible skill. I’ve nothing to show for my weeks of social distancing, haven’t been wise with my time. (I don’t think getting better at interrupting on Zoom counts as a skill.)
Productivity has been a big thing for many in the lockdown, and I felt like I’ve been given a golden opportunity, but I blew it. Big time.
My Next COVID Lockdown
So it’s very tempting for a fellow like me to try to get it right the second time around. I ached for a second chance at-bat but stopped short of praying for COVID numbers to get worse.
I think, with everything I learned 6 months prior, I can be more myself this time. The first lockdown was spent trying to learn about the virus, worrying about my family’s safety, not knowing where my next roll of toilet paper will come from.
This time, I might just knock it out of the park.
Think of the books I’d read, the skills I’d learn and the productive time in front of the computer. I’ll have a “To-Do List” with gems like:
- Read at least 2 self-help books
- Learn how to cook (and eat) healthy
- Learn a marketable skill (new programming language, etc.)
- Learn Mandarin (we might all need it soon)
- Read up on Elon Musk
- Look for business opportunities (contact Elon Musk)
- Start writing my 800-page memoir
- My own podcast (?)
I looked at my list, and my heart swelled.
I thought about it and asked myself, “Will these things make me happy?”
My soul’s immediate answer was, “Duh…and proud!”
That was obvious enough. Who wouldn’t feel a sense of achievement after finishing a book that can stop a parked truck from rolling downhill?
But the more I thought about it, I realized: “Gosh darnit, I’ve mixed them up again! Productivity is not the same as happiness.”
My Thoughts On Productivity And Happiness
I decided that for the second lockdown, if it comes, instead of binging on Netflix and nachos, I’d ponder the “happiness” questions.
I actually had a head start and began asking some big questions.
(Is it okay if I talk about happiness for a minute? I hope it’s not a faux pas to talk about “happiness” when so many people are having a tough time. On the other hand, could 2020 be the perfect year to muse on these things? Regardless, allow me to change gears a bit. Donning serious face.)
We’ve been worshipping on the altar of “Productivity” way before the pandemic. There’s nothing new about upskilling and continuous improvement. They fit right in the middle of the old normal.
But…we’ve been hit with a once-in-a-hundred-years pandemic, and our response is, “Uh, be productive?”
“There’s a devastating pandemic that could kill you and your loved ones! Quick, learn Korean!”
What?!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking productivity. And if you know me, you know that I’m all for learning new skills.
I just want to say that when we are given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do and look at things differently, it might serve us best to respond with something other than business as usual.
You can upskill anytime. COVID or no COVID.
There are bigger fishes to fry, bigger questions to ask — like “What makes you happy?”
Will taking that photography course really give you the happiness and satisfaction that you know you deserve?
If not, then what will?
I thought about these things, and, so far, my insights are:
1. Happiness has very little to do with productivity.
Happiness has very little to do with my “To-Do” list.
Sure, I’d feel great after finishing some online course. But I know that feeling in my gut only lasts for about 15 seconds. I know this to be true because it has always been that way.
In the past, I’ve always told myself that I’d finally be happy when I finish a long-delayed project.
But “To-Do” lists never end. There will always be bullet points to add. If I hang my happiness and satisfaction on ticking those items, I’d be “almost happy” all the time, but never quite get there.
Happiness lies somewhere else.
2. Happiness and gratitude might just be the very same thing.
I realized that happiness does not require any fortuitous event, like winning the lottery or opening your door to a box from Amazon.
Happiness has no requirements. Or rather, should have no requirements.
Because if I’m serious about my personal happiness, why the heck would I put hindrances and conditions for it?
“When I get this job, I’ll be happy.”
“When I have 100,000 followers, I’ll be happy.”
“When I get this car, I’ll be the happiest man in the world!”
The more I think about it, I realized that happiness is really not about collecting achievements and acquiring things. It is really about looking around — to your present car, to the old house, to your boring job — and having new eyes to see.
I don’t know what to tell you so you can get there, but when you get to that place where you’re able to appreciate everything you have in your life, imperfect as they may be, that’s the exact moment that you decide to become happy.
Have you ever had that experience, after considering your home, your life, how it compares to billions of others, and inside, you just scream “Thank yoooou”?
It just hits you like a log and you feel so lucky to have the job, the house, the car. Your heart’s bursting with positivity you’re thankful even for problems, illnesses — not in a sarcastic, mocking way, but being really, really over-the-top grateful because you are able to appreciate them all.
When happiness becomes unconditional, when you drop your requirements, that’s when you enter bliss.
And, here’s the kicker, and I don’t know how this works, but when you begin to have that deep affection and gratitude in your heart, that’s when things get better. Something happens, as if by magic, and things change for the better.
3. Smile before you take that first step.
Nobody’s saying that you stop making “To-Do” lists, and live the life of a smiling bloke with a bad dental plan. Of course, pursue your dreams.
All I’m saying is, “Step #1: Happiness.”
Joy is not some distant pot of gold that you win after years of toil and sacrifice. Happiness is your fundamental and foundational right. It’s yours at the very beginning. Not at the end.
You use joy, hope and happiness to power through hardships that visit you in life. Things won’t always go your way, but what powers you through is knowing that whatever happens, you’re so darn grateful for what you already have — everything else is a bonus.
You don’t pursue things to make you happy. You’re a happy fellow going about life, trying out things, and achieving cool things along the way.
You might think gratitude and contentment make you idle and lazy. Nope, it bulletproofs you from discouragements.
Think of the time saved because you’re not always down and depressed. It makes achieving your dreams a lot easier…with a lot less drama.
Again, I still don’t know how this works, but when you start from gratitude, you just have so much energy and positivity to achieve so much more. Paradoxically, your “To-Do” list will upsize dramatically.
So those are some of my thoughts. (No alcohol, illegal substances or expired food were consumed in coming up with them.)
In the end, there might never even be a second round of lockdowns.
We might have too much “COVID fatigue” to stay sane indoors. We would probably have figured out how to live with the virus without closing down businesses and places of work.
But whether or not the lockdowns come, COVID or no COVID, I am grateful for everything I have in my life.
Now, to make this Dalgona coffee…
