Productivity or Adrenaline?

Most of the time, I'm playing Beat the Clock. I run from one task to another, squeezing in the little interruptions that inevitably occur. After weeks, no months, of this activity, a storm brought all of it to a halt.

1.  No shopping.

2.  No errands.

3.  No work.

4.  No waking by the alarm clock.

5.  No deadlines.

Wow! Now, I can get all those things done around the house. My head buzzed with all the possibilities:

1.  Write a ton of blog posts.

2.  Cook - something I rarely do.

3.  Deep clean my house.

4.  Clean out a closet.

5.  Send out a newsletter.

Some of those items got accomplished. The adrenaline pumped as I zipped from one job to another, checking things off my to-do list. Then, a funny thing happened: my get-up-and-go deserted me.

As I got quiet and prayed, the desire to rest and re-charge came to the forefront. I'd exchanged one form of crazy schedule for another. I grabbed my Kindle and lounged on the couch, all the while feeling a bit guilty. Two hours later, I got up. The pleasure of doing something I loved restored my energy.

There's a difference between productivity and living off adrenaline. One leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, while the other drives you to exhaustion. Could this be a secret of time management?

In an age of time-saving gadgets, we're deluded into thinking we can do it all. We can't. Our spirit, soul, and body all need quiet times, fun times, and kick-back-and-relax times. Hopefully, I won't forget this revelation and go back to my insane schedule.

Writers and readers: What are your thoughts on productivity versus adrenaline-induced activity?

Photo Credit:  Jonathan Naundrup