The Blog Of Dysfunction

I was going through the zen habits tumblog and found this One hour productivity marathon. The Post lays down how to spend one intense hour being “productive”. This includes spending five minutes reading the headlines, sitting down and planning your career etc. What sparked this post is  this, quoting the article:

Relationship - Give your loved ones a call (5 min)
Extra mini things you can do :Spark the fire. Try to figure out what actually about you that she finds attractive. Use that considerably. If she finds you funnily charming. Be funnily charming.Help her with her stress. Don’t add to it.

and then

Health - Jog (25 min)

If you have ever been in a relationship of any sort, the ridiculousness of the above idea should hit you. If you start rationing the time you spend appreciating your partner/loved one, and make it part of a “productivity” routine that gives health five times more importance, you really are missing the point of your relationship. Allow me to exaggerate to prove a point here, imagine calling mom and saying mom, love you, cant say more, gotta call five other in five minute.

This is, of course, assuming that this ratio represents an outlook towards productivity in general. There are thousands of productivity blogs out there and more blossom daily, it is not  uncommon to see these guru’s box one’s relationships into tight schedules, brainstorming sessions and todo lists.  That is a pitfall to skirt around as distantly as possible. Relationships and time you spend with people you love cannot be and ideally should not be rationed and crossed off a todo list, lest you fall into the trap of doing the motions of a relationship with productivity in mind not connection.

Ciao

schizo