This is a "best of post" written a few years ago
While working towards being productive is taking a step in the right direction. Working on being organized and expecting magnificent and tangible results are unrealistic during certain phases or periods of time. I think it helps us to acknowledge when we are in these unproductive times. This acceptance of the situation makes us or the client calmer and more relaxed. This new state of mind then sets the foundation for future productivity efforts.
Know to identify the Unproductive Phases of Life
Having a child in ½ day kindergarten and being the designated driver to pick up and drop off
Those 2 – 3 days waiting for definitive biopsy or health test results
Your third trimester during pregnancy
During a home remodeling project
A parent having 3 children under age 5
Immediately 1 – 12 months after having surgery
A new parent having just born or adopted a child
The year you handle a family, friend or relatives estate
The first 6 months to 9 months after a move
Six months to two years after the breakup of a significant relationship
Serving as primary caretaker to a chronically ill or declining family member
The year following the death of a loved one or friend
1 comment:
I think what Terry says about unproductive periods is generally very true. We need to be kind to ourselves and maybe tackle easier tasks during these times.
The last item Terry listed was the death of a loved one. The few months following such an event will be unproductive. But ironically it can become very productive after that. I know from experience since my first wife died when she was 29 years old after a year-long terminal illness over 30 years ago. What followed after those few months was that I entered to a very productive period. It was a matter of staying busy to get my mind off of what had happened. I went back to school and worked hard at work. My motto was "get it done". Maybe I was hiding my grief by just staying busy. But that little motto of "get it done" (and Terry has talked about this on her blog) really worked. Within 2 years of her death I had been accepted into an officer's training program (I was enlisted in the Air Force when she died), been promoted at work, and been re-married.
However, I think the general thrust of what Terry is saying is true; we simply must get through those hard times, like a "bridge over troubled waters" (as the song goes), until a time when we can have a greater sense of productivity and fulfillment.
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