Let’s talk about productivity. Or, as I like to call it, The Hunger Games: Workplace Edition. Somewhere along the line, “doing enough to get by” became unfashionable. Now, “crushing it” is the only acceptable way to exist.
Spoiler: most of us are already crushed, and not in the fun romance-novel way.
Here’s the truth: lowering the bar doesn’t mean you’re lazy, unmotivated, or a “bad employee.” It means you’re human. And your worth? Completely untouched by how many tasks you checked off today.
1. Productivity ≠ Value
Capitalism tried to convince us that unless we’re multitasking like caffeinated octopi, we’re failing. Nope. You are not the sum total of your emails answered or Slack pings acknowledged. You’re a person with a nervous system, a bladder that sometimes needs breaks, and—newsflash—a life.
2. Redefine “Done”
You don’t need a color-coded Gantt chart to justify your existence. Sometimes “done” is finishing one meaningful task instead of 17 meaningless ones. Sometimes “done” is “I closed my laptop before I cried into it.” Congratulations, that counts.
3. Lower the Bar, Keep the Standards
Lowering the bar means setting realistic goals that don’t obliterate your soul. It doesn’t mean you stop caring or stop trying. It means you stop expecting Olympic-level productivity when you’re working with the emotional energy of a soggy tortilla.
4. Try the “Bare Minimum +” Rule
Do the bare minimum. This ensures you don’t get fired or flunk out. Then, add one little thing that makes you proud. That’s it. You don’t need to leap over flaming hoops of “exceeds expectations” every single day. Sometimes “met expectations” is the hero’s journey.
5. Your Worth is Not Up for Negotiation
Repeat after me: I am worthy whether I finish my to-do list or not. Productivity is a tool, not a personality. Your worth doesn’t rise and fall with your output. If someone tries to tell you otherwise, lower the bar right onto their foot.
The Bottom Line
Lowering the bar is not giving up. It’s protecting your peace. It’s remembering that “good enough” is, in fact, good enough. And honestly? The only thing that actually lowers your worth is believing the lie that you have to earn it in the first place.
“Good enough” is, in fact, good enough.
🔥 Thriving-ish takeaway: Productivity isn’t a personality test. It’s a scam we’ve all been tricked into worshipping. Lower the damn bar, take a nap, and watch your worth stay exactly where it belongs—sky-high.
Don’t believe me? Here are some other resources about burnout, productivity culture, and rest to check out…
- The Nap Ministry (rest as resistance + anti-hustle culture)
- Psychology Today – Why Productivity Does Not Equal Self-Worth
- Calm Blog – The Benefits of Doing Less
(search “doing less” / “rest” articles) - The Nap Bishop’s Book – Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto (Tricia Hersey)
- Harvard Business Review – When Overwork Becomes Counterproductive
