I’ve gone down many a "productivity” rabbit hole.
I’ve purchased productivity journals, courses, and books.
I’ve downloaded the latest productivity apps, habit trackers, and goal setters.
In that journey, I’ve definitely discovered some helpful tips, frameworks and best practices.
But I noticed something the other day…
Most of it’s all about “me”.
How I can accomplish more. How I can be more successful. How I can make more money. How I can be more productive and achieve my wildest dreams!
And you know what’s missing from practically all of it?
The collective “we”.
Everything I do cannot be just about me (and that me extends to my family, too). The entire global system, nature, our world, doesn’t work that way. In nature there is a delicate balance between givers and takers. And we are tipping the scale heavily towards being just takers.
We live in a fragile, interconnected web of life.
But too often, ‘me first’ is the world we live in.
As a business owner, a husband, and a father of 2 young boys, I get it. The to- do list of things needed to get done, things needed to follow-up on, purchase, file, upload, download… grows daily.
But if every day, either through my work, my spare time, or financial resources, I’m not carving out at least SOMETHING for the collective we, how can the system possibly sustain itself?
There’s an old adage that says, “If you have a choice between cutting down the forest or feeding your family, you will cut down the forest.”
I, and frankly many in the world, are so far removed from having to make that choice. Very fortnuate, but very far removed.
And therefore, I feel we have a responsibility to tune out the ‘me’ culture and work daily to incorporate the collective we into our lives, our work, our very being.
Me + Me = Me
Me + We = Us
Often this framing is met with, ‘Well I just don’t know what to do.”
Here are some helpful ideas:
Set up recurring donations to a nonprofit you love (even $5/month makes a huge difference) - automate it.
Join a Board of Directors to lend your skills and expertise
Consider changing careers! (Scary, but more doable now than ever!)
Elimate 5 things in your “me” world and incorporate 1 “we”
Volunteer - harder in covid, but still many digital / remote options available.
Let us know what you think.
Grateful to have you here.
Zach