Week 10/25: Busy or Productive: Which One Are You Really?
Exploring "procrastiworking"
Hello chai drinkers! We've officially entered double digits in our 25-week journey! As we approach the midpoint, I have a surprise for you all—stay tuned!
Over the past few years, I've discovered various ways I tend to procrastinate. Intriguingly, this week, I want to discuss a new form of procrastination I recently encountered called Procrastiworking.
Coined by Jessica Hische, it is defined as:
"Making yourself busy with other tasks to avoid the task you need to get done."
I've always prided myself on not being lazy, but after discovering this concept, I realized I might be just as prone to procrastination as anyone else. The difference is that procrastiworking can make us feel like we haven't truly procrastinated because we spent that time being productive in other ways.
Here are some ways I've found myself procrastiworking:
Get busy cleaning my room or desk when I should be reading my book.
Filling my calendar and planning my day instead of completing my tasks.
Helping friends or family with their needs, allows me to ignore my pending tasks.
Researching how to increase viewership when I should be focusing on writing my newsletter.
Have you procrastinated similarly?
You Are Busy, But Are You Also Productive?
Today, it seems everyone is working hard to stay busy, driven by the fear of falling behind. The common response, including my own, is to sprint just to keep up. However, it's crucial to recognize the false sense of productivity that being busy often provides.
For the last three years, I was working full-time. Since I was busy from nine to five every day, I rarely felt guilty about falling behind. Naturally, when I took a month's break from work, guilt crept in.
Truth is, the working Kanav was probably just as unproductive as the Kanav on break. Let me explain through this simple illustration:
As you can see, my learning at each job plateaued, but my perceived sense of productivity remained constant because I was occupied with work.
This experience made me realize that being busy doesn't necessarily mean we aren't procrastinating. Continuing to work was just my way of procrastiworking, helping me avoid the tough question:
"What do I really want to do in my career?"
“Busy people are often the most lazy”
~ Robert Kiyosaki
Beware of Society
Aside from grappling with the difference between being busy and being productive, you'll often encounter people who insist that "you should be busy."
In the past, when someone told me about their hectic life, I felt envious, wondering when I would become that busy and presumably feel productive too. Nowadays, however, I tend to ask myself, "Is this person busy because they are avoiding something more significant? If they truly wanted to, could they choose to be less busy, or do they keep themselves occupied because it feels productive?"
“Whenever the word “should” creeps up in your mind, that’s guilt or social programming. Just doing something because you “should” do it means you don't actually want to do it because it makes you miserable.”
~ Naval Ravikant
I am trying to eliminate the “shoulds” from my life. Are you willing to join me?
Weekly Health Hack - What I Currently Eat in a Day
This week, I've decided to share the daily diet I follow about 80% of the time. While I'm not suggesting you replicate this exactly—since your portions and nutritional needs may vary—it can serve as a template for a balanced macronutrient diet.
Food Tags → c = carbohydrates; p = protein; f = fats
Wake Up → Chai [c+f] (100-150 calories)
Breakfast → Three Eggs + Grilled Chicken [p] (600-700 calories)
Lunch → White Rice + Chicken [c+p] (600-700 calories)
Pre-Workout → Black Coffee (0 calories)
Evening Meal → Oats, Whey, Berries, Almond Milk [c+p] (350-400 calories)
Dinner → Lentils + Chicken [c+p] (450-500 calories)
Total Daily Intake → 2200-2500 calories
p = 200+ grams
c = 175-200 grams
f = 60-80 grams
Weekly Non-Stereotypical Song Recommendation
Thank You For Reading!
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I'd love to hear from you — thoughts, health tips, song recommendations, or anything else.
Reach out to me!
~ Email: kanavghai130@gmail.com