Productivity vs. Stagnation II

Examples of Stagnation Mistaken for Productivity

•    Doing many minor and low priority tasks instead of taking on large problems, such as

rolling over credit card debt among many credit cards instead of seeking counseling for over-spending or working longer to pay off crushing debt loads

•    Taking up hobbies or pursuits to avoid dealing with others 
•    Taking efforts to hide significant problems, such as painting walls to cover cracks instead of fixing the house foundation
•    Choosing busy work or endless activities such as a heavily booked round of lessons and tutoring for children instead of spending time with them and developing trust and communicating
•    Spending time determining blame for problems instead of seeking solutions
•    Pleasing oneself by indulging in mindless activities and entertainments when we crave emotional intimacy,  mistaking watching TV with a spouse as spending time with them
•    Using counseling to force others to remain in their current role (dependent, child, victim) instead of seeking transactional analysis to help each side change for the better
•    Using transactional analysis to justify prior behaviors instead of seeking to identify the root cause and then solve the problem (lack of communication with spouse, failed relationship with children, addictions, inability to commit)
•    Practicing narcissism through preening and pampering to excess
•    Pleasing oneself through shopping for entertainment and acquisition, as if the act of buying something for fun were an accomplishment in itself


Examples of Productivity Mistaken for Stagnation

•    Quiet time with children in the evening, reading with them and telling stories, which builds trust in relationships, even when it can feel like a waste of time
•    Dates with a spouse without interruption instead of working, when a transactional analysis would reveal that this is actually working on the relationship
•    Choosing to rest and recuperate instead of rushing back to work
•    Researching a subject in depth to understand it better, instead of reading many news articles on ever changing topics that are frequently frivolous
•    Investing time in understanding legal contracts instead of rushing to finalize the deal
•    Reading books on investing, leadership, parenting or relationships