Be Less Productive

Photo by Sage Friedman on Unsplash

Earlier this week, I listened to a woman give an energetic keynote on AI and analog. She argued that no matter how advanced technology becomes, it should complement the analog parts of our lives rather than replace them. We should still write letters, meet in person, send postcards, and make space for experiences that can't be digitized. All of those things matter, she said, and I couldn't help but agree. As much as I appreciate the convenience of technology, there is still something grounding about stepping away from a screen and putting pen to paper.

During the keynote, she passed a bag around the room and asked everyone to choose a postcard. Our assignment was simple: write a message to ourselves that she would mail back to us sometime before the end of the year.

For the next hour, I stared at my postcard, trying to decide what to write.

At first, I thought it should be something motivational. Then I considered writing a note of encouragement. Neither felt quite right. I was ready to leave it blank when she mentioned something about AI saving time. That got me thinking about how often the technology in my life saves me time, yet I almost always use those saved minutes to do more work. So, I wrote myself a reminder, and this morning I'd like to share it with you:

If you find a more efficient way to do something, don't automatically fill the extra time with work. Go for a walk. Call a friend. Take someone out to lunch. Use the time you've gained to do something that makes you feel more connected to the people and things that matter most.

A recent survey of 35,000 workers found that people using AI save an average of one hour a day. Yet many reported using that extra time to take on more work rather than improving their work-life balance.

Every new technology promises efficiency, but efficiency is only valuable if we're intentional about what we do with the time it gives back. Otherwise, we just end up running faster on the same treadmill.

Be less productive.

Not because work doesn't matter. It does. But if technology is going to give us anything, I hope it's not the ability to do more work. I hope it's the ability to spend more time on the things that have mattered all along. Friends. Family. Conversations. Long walks. Handwritten notes. The very analog parts of life.

The goal of saving time shouldn't be to squeeze more work into the day. The goal should be to make more room for the people, experiences, and moments that make the day worth having in the first place.