If we were to ask ourselves what it meant to be productive 6 months ago, the answer would most likely consist of the several activities, hobbies, and goals that kept us going constantly before our current pandemic reality got in the way. In this blog today, I want to focus on the meaning of productivity and how each of our definitions of being productive have changed after accepting the fact that we would be limited to doing the small everyday things that brought productivity into our lives, and were also taken for granted before our world changed.
This year, I had the opportunity to take my very first AP class which would give me a taste of a college course structure, along with my first out of several future AP exams. Little did I know that this first taste of AP testing format would be given by taking the exam online at home, rather than in school where it is normally taken. Of course, this was not the most ideal situation for anyone but we are at a point where it’s so important to be prepared for a plan B even when it’s not the most preferred option. If you were to ask me what I learned the most from the online preparation and taking of the exam, I would tell you that I discovered how productivity doesn’t always mean working towards a specific goal. It also means working hard to overcome the obstacles that come across the road of achieving that goal. I can guarantee you that I wasn’t even close to getting a perfect score on the test, but I can also guarantee you that I learned so much more than just the material used on the exam. I discovered that sometimes you have to take a plan B, and do everything you can to work around the bumps along the road to reach success. Me taking this online test is just one example of how adapting to change isn’t always easy, but oftentimes leads to more personal growth and learning.
So now it’s time for each of us to think about how we as individuals can redefine productivity in our own lives. By redefining productivity, our measures of success could change in the best way possible! Instead of focusing on checking off our everyday to-do lists, we can focus on our personal growth and what it really means to be productive and successful. If we choose to focus on that instead, each of us can use our new definition of productivity to grow in our purpose.
– Eve
The Ripple Effect 