The Cult of Productivity: Why We’re All Addicted to Being ‘Busy’"

Let me guess—you woke up at 5 a.m., crushed a 45-minute workout, answered emails before your first coffee, and squeezed in some “light meditation” before your 8 a.m. meeting.

Congratulations, you’re officially the poster child for hustle culture... and the hamster on it's wheel. FOREVER.

But here’s the real question: are you actually accomplishing anything, or are you just busy for the sake of looking busy?

It’s the obsession with filling every waking moment with something—whether it’s meaningful or not. And if you don’t believe me, take a look at your calendar. Is it a tool for organization or a scrapbook of unnecessary meetings, back-to-back Zoom calls, and goals you don't have two fucks about?

Let’s break this down before your Google Calendar becomes a crime scene.

That “I’m So Busy” Productivity Flex

There’s a strange phenomenon in modern society where being busy is a badge of honor.

It doesn’t matter if you’re actually achieving anything—as long as you can say, “Oh my gosh, I’ve been so busy,” people will nod in approval like you’ve just cured cancer. You could be too busy smoking weed for all they know, and they'd still give the "impressive" smirk followed by a nod.

Being busy isn’t impressive. Productivity isn’t about how much you’re doing—it’s about how much impact you’re making. And if your calendar is full of fluff, you’re not productive; you’re just overbooked... on nothing.

Or better, you could be like Jessica in marketing who is so busy making "A day in the life of..." videos on Facebook, showcasing how hard of a day she is having at the snack bar that you can feel the grind oozing from every drawn out word. If there is one thing to make me uncontrollably cringe at how useless you are... it is that.

The 10% are so busy carrying dead weight they don't have time to make videos while they are WORKING.

Meetings That Could’ve Been Emails

Let’s talk about meetings for a second.

Specifically, the ones that could’ve been summed up in a two-sentence email. You know the ones I’m talking about. The 30-minute sessions where Karen from HR repeats what’s already in the PowerPoint, Chad from Sales somehow makes everything about himself, and there is Jessica again trying to justify her job.

Meetings aren’t inherently bad, but let’s not pretend every single topic needs its own dedicated time slot. If your productivity is being sucked dry by unnecessary Zoom calls, it’s time to start hitting “Decline.”

The Side Hustle Obsession

It’s not enough to work a full-time job anymore. Now you’re expected to have a side hustle, a personal brand, and a podcast about your side hustle and personal brand.

When did resting become a crime?

Chilling like a villain isn't a bad thing.

Not every hour of your day needs to be monetized. Sometimes it’s okay to just... exist. Trust me, the world won’t end if you take a Saturday to binge Netflix instead of “building your empire.”

The Burnout Cycle

Here’s the dirty little secret about hustle culture: it’s a one-way ticket to burnout. When your entire identity is wrapped up in how productive you are, it’s only a matter of time before you hit a wall. And when you do, what’s left?

Being productive is great.

But being human is better.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

If you take nothing else from this rant, remember this: the goal isn’t to be busy; the goal is to be effective. Cut the fluff, prioritize what actually matters, and stop wasting your energy on things that don’t.

And for the love of all things sacred, take a fucking nap.