The concept of being productive changed a lot over the years. I would say pre and post Ph.D is when I made the switch. In my teens and twenties, I would feel guilty if I am not doing something productive. Even if I read, I need to read something for personal growth, otherwise it’s not being productive. I know I was hard on myself but I truly believed at the time that I shouldn’t waste my days.
Then I worked so hard during the five years in grad-school, once I finished and got my current job, I felt I was done proving myself that I could do hard things. If I am lazy and doing something unproductive doesn’t mean that I’m not smart. I was confident to say “i don’t know” more often than ever because I know that I could learn anything if I put my mind into it.
Sofia recently asked me: how can I be confident? That’s a deep question and I’m surprised that she is asking at such a young age. When she asked, I passed the question to husband, and he didn’t know how to answer. I told her: to build confidence, you need to work hard, not to prove others that you work hard and that you learn many topics, you work hard to learn that you can conquer anything if you decide to.
Approaching 40, I find many things that in my 20s I would consider as unproductive very productive. While they might not contribute directly to my work productivity, they help with my overall wellbeing, which is even more important that perform at work:
- daily exercise
- morning bath
- reading non-work related books
- cooking
- crafting
- sleep 8+ (I used to live with 4-6 hrs in my 20s because sleeping is waste of time)
- watch shows just because they are fun to watch
Yesterday was a very productive day! 😀 Girls and I spent few hours cooking/baking. They love the activity more than actually eating them! hahaha…. I think we should open a bakery 🙂
We made pancakes
cookies
cranberries bread
blueberries muffins
I also made a yummy lunch for the family: tuna salad
fun way to eat it
I had a late lunch while everyone was napping. Had my second bowl of oatmeal for the day (my comfort food) while advanced my learning. This book is so fascinating!
Sofia had another STEM lesson and she made volcano!
Gratitude: I am grateful that both girls are enjoy their daily activities. Even rollerblading at home while listening Elsa music makes me very excited and happy.
Our New Journey 