Is It OK to Be Unproductive?

12 February, 2016

I work at a website design company. As I was proofreading a new website we created, I stumbled upon a rather witty statement: Idle Time Burns, Working Time Earns.

The phrase was referring to a farming company that manufactures tractors, so in context it makes perfect sense - tractors need to keep moving to be productive.

But... what about in our personal lives? Are we like tractors? Should we be working, working, working? Can idle time really "burn" us?

In a sense, yes.

I come from a family of type A-personalities. My parents and brother are very successful because they rarely take time to breathe. They are very intentional about every minute of every day to make themselves better. It's awesome.

But, growing up in that environment can sometimes make me worry about any wasted time. I'll find myself thinking, "Is what I'm doing right now beneffiting my future? What could I be doing instead? How do I get ahead? Is this wasted time?"

It's wonderful to be motivated

A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.