You’ve Been More Productive Than You Think

If the last six months seem like wasted time, you can change the narrative

Laura Vanderkam
Forge

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Illustration: María Medem

Write a novel. Learn French, Learn to French braid. Back in the early pandemic days, many people pledged to use the time freed up by not having to commute or shuttle kids to activities to finally tackle big projects that had been on the back burner for years.

Six months in, I’m guessing you, like me, haven’t accomplished many BIG THINGS. And so, your pandemic narrative may seem unsatisfying.

So change the narrative.

By consciously celebrating the successes you’ve had in the last few months — however small — you can change the way you recount this time for years to come. It’s a move that won’t both reframes the past and sets a path toward a more positive future.

Look for small wins

A lack of time gets blamed for many things, but time is seldom the sole culprit. If someone had, back in March, offered to pay you $100,000 to write a 50,000-word novel draft by September 1, there’s a good chance you would have done it. It’s not that there wasn’t time, it just wasn’t a priority. How could it be? Mustering creative energy is hard, especially when it’s in the service of an uncertain reward. And in this new pandemic-era…

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Laura Vanderkam
Forge
Writer for

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management books including Off the Clock and 168 Hours. She blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.