I just want to say, it is confusing to me to see productivity as doing things you want to do and I wonder why a large chunk of the Internet, such as LifeHacker, focuses on it. If you want to do it, why would you procastinate? I procastinate because I generally don’t do things I want to do, I do things formerly my teachers and now my employers want me to do. Procastination or taking breaks or all that is simply balancing must do / want to do.
A lot of things follow from it. Such as, in must-do, i.e. a job, there is little point to measure your productivity. If the boss is happy, you are productive enough. If not, you are told. As for distractions, procastination, that is easy too: as much as you can get away with without noticeable disapproval.
(Maybe on sites like LW or LessWrong there are people high on the Maslow pyramid, actually doing work they want to, I don’t know. I am kind of pessimistic about it: they are paying you because it sucks, if it did not suck someone would do it for free. When my dad wanted some guy to play music in his bar, he did not pay him: so many people enjoy playing music before an audience that there are people who do it for free and happy about the chance. Of course rock stars get paid, but that is the point, only the elite gets paid if it is something fun.)
For enjoyable things that can be done on the spur of the moment, like having a beer, why indeed? For everything else, though, for most people it is more complicated. Necessary but irksome tasks like cleaning one’s house. Projects that promise both a reward and a long unrewarding slog to get there. Any way of life where you are your own boss and there’s no-one else to tell you to work.
they are paying you because it sucks, if it did not suck someone would do it for free. When my dad wanted some guy to play music in his bar, he did not pay him: so many people enjoy playing music before an audience that there are people who do it for free and happy about the chance.
Fun doesn’t pay the bills. Beginning musicians have to take some non-paying gigs because they haven’t made a name for themselves. But every musician who wants to make a go of it comes to a point where they have to start saying to people, no, I will not perform for expenses and “exposure”, I am worth money to you and money to me, this is the figure I need to see before getting out of bed. I play with a taiko group, and while we’re just a little amateur group, nothing in the larger scheme of things, we have reached that point. It’s great fun to play, and we might be willing to do very occasional favours for people we know, but anyone else who wants us to play for them has to pay a realistic rate.
The same goes for a lot of professions. No, Mr Publisher, I will not pay you to publish my book. No, Ms Gallery Owner, I will not hire space in your gallery for my art. No, Mr Businessman, I will not design a logo for you as a favour. Yes, Mr Plumber Next Door, I’d be happy to rebuild your car engine, if you’ll install a new bathroom for me.
OK, good point. Maybe I need to learn something from it, I was always more like must-do, study/job, then leisure, and every personal goal or task taking third priority. This may not be ideal. Lately it is changing, now that married with a child, now a suitable birthday present to my child feels even more important than some things the boss needs, and I am actually surprised by myself a bit there. I don’t know what exactly, but I think is the birth of our child is pushing me out from the “do things other people give you grief if you don’t, then leisure” mood into “hey there are some things I actually want to achieve” mood. Weird, kind of.
But every musician who wants to make a go of it comes to a point where they have to start saying to people
That is a bit optimistic. Maybe it is just my circumstances, but I see an over-supply of everything. I see quite good musicians still having to do it for free and making a living doing accounting during the day because the paying demand is low and the supply is high. This is why my impression is you really, really need to be a big “star” to do something you both enjoy and get paid for.
I don’t know what exactly, but I think is the birth of our child is pushing me out from the “do things other people give you grief if you don’t, then leisure” mood into “hey there are some things I actually want to achieve” mood.
That’s a far better place to be!
This is why my impression is you really, really need to be a big “star” to do something you both enjoy and get paid for.
There’s a range of getting paid. In the market for fiction, so I’ve heard, only a small fraction earn enough to live on it. But any publisher who asks a fee to publish your book is a crook. The market for taiko here in the UK is small enough that there are only about three people in the country who can make it their primary job, and I’m certainly not one of them. But still, anyone who wants us to start their corporate party with a bang can pay corporate rates, and have done. Even the street busker is getting paid—there wouldn’t be any point otherwise.
Even when you aren’t depending for survival on the money from what you enjoy doing, there is value beyond the money itself in getting payment to do it for others. Giving to strangers and getting nothing from it but the act of giving is draining in the long term. There has to be an exchange of value, even if one side is contributing “only” money.
Which is rambling away from the original topic, but I felt like saying it.
I just want to say, it is confusing to me to see productivity as doing things you want to do and I wonder why a large chunk of the Internet, such as LifeHacker, focuses on it. If you want to do it, why would you procastinate? I procastinate because I generally don’t do things I want to do, I do things formerly my teachers and now my employers want me to do. Procastination or taking breaks or all that is simply balancing must do / want to do.
A lot of things follow from it. Such as, in must-do, i.e. a job, there is little point to measure your productivity. If the boss is happy, you are productive enough. If not, you are told. As for distractions, procastination, that is easy too: as much as you can get away with without noticeable disapproval.
(Maybe on sites like LW or LessWrong there are people high on the Maslow pyramid, actually doing work they want to, I don’t know. I am kind of pessimistic about it: they are paying you because it sucks, if it did not suck someone would do it for free. When my dad wanted some guy to play music in his bar, he did not pay him: so many people enjoy playing music before an audience that there are people who do it for free and happy about the chance. Of course rock stars get paid, but that is the point, only the elite gets paid if it is something fun.)
For enjoyable things that can be done on the spur of the moment, like having a beer, why indeed? For everything else, though, for most people it is more complicated. Necessary but irksome tasks like cleaning one’s house. Projects that promise both a reward and a long unrewarding slog to get there. Any way of life where you are your own boss and there’s no-one else to tell you to work.
Fun doesn’t pay the bills. Beginning musicians have to take some non-paying gigs because they haven’t made a name for themselves. But every musician who wants to make a go of it comes to a point where they have to start saying to people, no, I will not perform for expenses and “exposure”, I am worth money to you and money to me, this is the figure I need to see before getting out of bed. I play with a taiko group, and while we’re just a little amateur group, nothing in the larger scheme of things, we have reached that point. It’s great fun to play, and we might be willing to do very occasional favours for people we know, but anyone else who wants us to play for them has to pay a realistic rate.
The same goes for a lot of professions. No, Mr Publisher, I will not pay you to publish my book. No, Ms Gallery Owner, I will not hire space in your gallery for my art. No, Mr Businessman, I will not design a logo for you as a favour. Yes, Mr Plumber Next Door, I’d be happy to rebuild your car engine, if you’ll install a new bathroom for me.
OK, good point. Maybe I need to learn something from it, I was always more like must-do, study/job, then leisure, and every personal goal or task taking third priority. This may not be ideal. Lately it is changing, now that married with a child, now a suitable birthday present to my child feels even more important than some things the boss needs, and I am actually surprised by myself a bit there. I don’t know what exactly, but I think is the birth of our child is pushing me out from the “do things other people give you grief if you don’t, then leisure” mood into “hey there are some things I actually want to achieve” mood. Weird, kind of.
That is a bit optimistic. Maybe it is just my circumstances, but I see an over-supply of everything. I see quite good musicians still having to do it for free and making a living doing accounting during the day because the paying demand is low and the supply is high. This is why my impression is you really, really need to be a big “star” to do something you both enjoy and get paid for.
That’s a far better place to be!
There’s a range of getting paid. In the market for fiction, so I’ve heard, only a small fraction earn enough to live on it. But any publisher who asks a fee to publish your book is a crook. The market for taiko here in the UK is small enough that there are only about three people in the country who can make it their primary job, and I’m certainly not one of them. But still, anyone who wants us to start their corporate party with a bang can pay corporate rates, and have done. Even the street busker is getting paid—there wouldn’t be any point otherwise.
Even when you aren’t depending for survival on the money from what you enjoy doing, there is value beyond the money itself in getting payment to do it for others. Giving to strangers and getting nothing from it but the act of giving is draining in the long term. There has to be an exchange of value, even if one side is contributing “only” money.
Which is rambling away from the original topic, but I felt like saying it.