Overtime #11: Get off your productivity treadmill
This is Big Think Business Overtime – our top three releases each month worthy of your time. Get advice directly from the people who have been through it.
Worth Watching
Are we disciplining ourselves out of happiness?
with bestselling author and journalist Oliver Burkeman
Many of us wake up each morning with something Oliver Burkeman calls “productivity debt.” The bestselling author and journalist explains this term as “a sense that you’ve got to work really hard during the day to pay off this debt of getting things done. Otherwise, you won’t quite feel like you’re an adequate and acceptable human being.”
It’s becoming very obvious that this ever-accelerating treadmill of productivity isn’t going to lead to a final, perfect destination. There will always be more to do. You’re never going to feel completely ready. You’re never going to be able to feel confident about what’s coming in the future.?
If you set out on some big project of scheduling your time very, very, very strictly, not only will you probably fail and get very stressed, but even if you succeed, you’ll fail in a way because there’ll be some lack of spontaneity to that path, a sense of having to carry out these instructions that you’ve given yourself that is at odds with what we really value from being alive. And so that’s why we need a way of understanding and thinking about work and productivity that does not treat getting on top of everything as the goal, explains Burkeman. Here, he lays out four guiding principles to lead a better, more fulfilling life.
Worth Reading
5 ways to avoid the “people-pleaser trap” at work
You regularly work late to handle last-minute requests. You hesitate to voice contrary opinions in meetings. You feel guilty when you set boundaries. Your calendar fills with meetings where your presence adds little value. You frequently take on tasks that should be delegated, or you find yourself softening feedback to avoid potential conflict.
The instinct to be perpetually helpful and accommodating can feel like a safe choice in professional settings: it shows flexibility, dedication, and an openness to teamwork. Yet saying yes to every request, avoiding necessary conflict, taking on tasks better handled by others, consistently prioritizing others’ needs over your own development, and other similar patterns not only limit your effectiveness and growth but also undermine your well-being.?
While these behaviors might earn immediate appreciation, they can lead to scattered focus and diminish your impact. These patterns often emerge early in our careers when proving our worth seems tied to constant availability and agreeability. They become deeply ingrained as we advance, even as our roles demand more strategic thinking and decisive action. As a leader, the desire to seek approval and avoid conflict can undermine your ability to make decisive choices, think creatively, and stay true to your vision. Over time, it can erode your effectiveness and leave you feeling stuck in a reactive, approval-seeking loop. On a personal level, constant accommodation, especially when it goes against your values and priorities, can cause persistent stress, frustration, and eventually even burnout.
These behaviors are what I call “mental cages” — self-imposed limitations shaped by fear, societal expectations, or the need for external validation. They are invisible yet powerful, holding us in patterns that limit our potential, growth, and impact. Understanding and dismantling the people-pleaser cage is essential if you are to lead effectively, with authenticity and courage — or what I call “uncaged leadership.”
Worth Listening
The communication playbook: From conflict to collaboration
Can conflict actually make your team stronger? Communication expert and HBR podcast host Amy Gallo thinks so. In this episode, she shares strategies to build trust, improve collaboration, and ensure that even the toughest conversations lead to progress. From navigating workplace disagreements to fostering psychological safety, she breaks down the nuances of effective communication, conflict resolution, and leadership.