Productivity is Descriptive of Machines, Not People

The internet is filled with advice on "how to improve efficiency" or "how to enhance productivity." Sometimes I wonder why there is so much content about productivity? Why are people so enthusiastic about doing more? Why are we interested in others' habits for enhancing efficiency? Why do we blame ourselves when we are not efficient?

Our Obsession with Busyness

If you have the chance to look at some of these "how to improve efficiency" articles/videos, you may find that some of them contain tips like this:

1. Keep a notebook by your bed and plan your day the night before.
2. Prepare your clothes the night before.
3. Wake up at 5 a.m. to start the day earlier than anyone else.

Many of us are obsessed with being busy, and most of the time, we measure our efficiency by how busy we are. We even enjoy scheduling our days to the brim, focusing on tasks that may sometimes be unnecessary, just to feel productive. However, just because you're busy doesn't mean you're effective; just because you're effective doesn't mean you're efficient.

Guilt from Inefficiency

Since we live in a society that praises productivity, whenever we fail to do something productive, we feel guilty, worthless, and unimportant. Inefficiency can even trigger anxiety for most people, as we often feel that we are doing something wrong or bad when we are not engaged in "productive" activities.

To us, efficiency is closely tied to self-worth, and when we feel we are not efficient enough, our sense of self-worth decreases. In fact, did you know that many Americans forfeit their vacation benefits? According to a study by Turnkey Vacation Rentals, 54% of vacationers reported feeling guilty about taking time off. In another study by the U.S. Travel Association, Americans lost 768 million days of paid vacation. Many studies have explored why Americans are reluctant to take vacation benefits. Many individuals avoid taking time off for various reasons, one of which is guilt. Moreover, some people who do decide to take time off ultimately bring work with them on their vacations.

Finding Balance

We do not need to schedule every day and every hour to feel our self-worth. The best approach is to find a balance between working efficiently and eliminating unnecessary tasks. In other words, give yourself time to rest. Our culture is deeply ingrained with the belief that to be valuable to society, we need to contribute a lot. At the same time, we should also learn to set boundaries. Efficiency does not necessarily equate to productivity. Being efficient can mean engaging in unnecessary busy work that makes us feel productive. We need to recognize that being inefficient does not mean we are incompetent or worthless. We cannot work 24/7. After all, we are not machines.But even if we were machines, did you know that machines can also fail?

Focusing on Effectiveness

It is quite rare for someone who starts a business after being a programmer to also enjoy writing. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson are the primary founders of the internet company 37signals. Besides programming, they also love writing books.

I recently finished their fourth book titled It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work. One particular article in the book struck me, presenting a viewpoint I had never realized before, which I would like to share with you today. The article states that we should not evaluate programmers with the term "productivity" because it describes machines.

The word "productivity" is measured by the quantity of products produced. High productivity means doing more work in the same amount of time or completing the same work in less time. If we evaluate a person's worth based on "productivity," it inevitably leads to the pursuit of higher output. This is an endless cycle; machines can work 24/7, but people cannot. There is a saying in the software industry about hiring programmers with ten times productivity. The implication is to hire people who can produce ten times more output, and this goal is undesirable. When you emphasize productivity, you are in fact emphasizing that people must always be busy. There is always something to do at every moment, and there is always more to be done! Consequently, you end up with endless work, dwindling leisure time, and increasing work pressure.

The true goal for programmers should be "effectiveness." Your labor should be effective in accomplishing projects. When you set "effectiveness" as your goal, as long as you complete the project effectively, you can pause. Therefore, you can pursue doing fewer things and achieving goals in less time, thereby allowing yourself more leisure and rest, which is sustainable.

Productivity goals occupy all your time, filling your schedule, and pursuing as much output as possible. Effectiveness goals, on the other hand, do not strive to add more tasks but rather to reduce those that should not be done. If someone praises you for being highly productive, or if a company uses productivity as a performance metric, you might need to be cautious of the risk of turning into a machine. A better compliment would be that your work is effective and efficient. The philosophy promoted in their book is: do not become a workaholic; aim to achieve the same results with less effort.

Using AI Tools like XXAI to Enhance Productivity

XXAI is a PC-compatible AI software that integrates 15 top AI models including OpenAI, Claude, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Perplexity, Meta Llama, and DALLE-3 to enhance productivity.

Key Features:

1. Versatility: Easily handle text and image tasks.
2. Innovation: Supported by 15 AI models, achieving adaptive performance across multimodal tasks.
3. User-Friendly: Compatible with both Windows and macOS, making it a preferred choice for users across various AI platforms.
4. Affordable: The annual professional plan is only $9.99 per month, providing unlimited access to top AI services at an affordable price.

Conclusion

You can strive to do fewer things and achieve your goals in less time, allowing for more leisure and rest. XXAI is your comprehensive solution for efficient and flexible writing and content creation on PC. XXAI can quickly generate summaries, write detailed reports, or perform language translations, significantly enhancing your work efficiency. Seamlessly switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and others to obtain professional content, saving you hours every day.

Are you ready to experience the convenience brought by an AI assistant? Visit XXAI to explore unlimited possibilities!