Madeleine Dore

How to release productivity guilt and embrace the hidden values in our daily lives Madeleine Dore has long felt a pressure to be productive. In the pursuit of getting things done, she tried every way to optimize her day, only to keep falling short and feeling behind. She turned to interviewing hundreds of creative thinkers and experts to find the secret to productivity. What she discovered instead was far more enriching: there is more to value in each day than what we did or didn't do. I DIDN'T DO THE THING TODAY is a reprieve from our doing-obsession. Designed as a companion for the days that go off track, the book's chapters explore the various ways we encounter productivity guilt--including comparison to others, striving for perfection, and our great expectations--to point to how a day doesn't have to be optimized, but simply occupied. When we take away judgement from how moments unfold, we can find our way out of the productivity spiral and step fully into our lives. For anyone who has struggled with worrying about wasted time, felt caught in the busyness trap, or stifled by indecision, I DIDN'T DO THE THING TODAY shares how to take productivity off its pedestal and find more connection, creativity, and curiosity in its place.

How to Release Productivity Guilt and Embrace the Hidden Value in Our Daily Lives

I Didn't Do the Thing Today

An antidote to our obsession with busyness, author Madeleine Dore explores the joys of releasing ourselves from the burden of productivity guilt. 'A radical masterpiece ... While many books insist on changing your life, this one invites you to deepen and expand it.' - Mari Andrew, author of My Inner Sky 'Deep, thoughtful, gently instructive, nourishing.' - Clare Bowditch, author of Your Own Kind Of Girl 'Read it and sigh with relief.' - Hugh Mackay, author of The Kindness Revolution Any given day brings a never-ending list of things to do. There's the work thing, the catch-up thing, the laundry thing, the creative thing, the exercise thing, the family thing, the thing we don't want to do, the thing we've been putting off (despite it being the most important thing). Even on days when we get a lot done, the thing left undone can leave us feeling guilty, anxious or disappointed. After five years of searching for the secret to productivity, Madeleine Dore discovered there isn't one-instead, we're being set up to fail. I Didn't Do the Thing Today is an inspiring call to take productivity off its pedestal, to embrace the joyful messiness and unpredictability of life. For anyone who has ever felt the pressure to do more, be more, achieve more, this antidote to our doing-obsession is the permission slip we all need to find our own way.

On letting go of productivity guilt

I Didn’t Do The Thing Today

Grace McCarter

I’m reminded of a conversation I had with Yassmin Abdel-Magied, about how the fear of losing it all can follow us—even when we've already experienced success, opportunities and accolades. 

‘I once asked my mum, what happens if everything falls apart? What if I lose everything?’ she recalled. ‘I’ll always remember her response: Well, nobody gave you what you've got now. You worked for what you have. So you have to believe that you can work for it again.’ 

Linus Rogge

Even if we’re not doing the thing we’re meant to be doing, this doesn’t mean we’re not doing the important work of preparing to do the thing

rachel 🐚

reann

Lots of references from different people which actually proves that you are not the only one /not doing the thing today/ !!

There are books meant to be read at an irregular intervals of time or even days, and this is one of those. 

It has great quotes, anecdotes and little reminders that is delightful to read but there are also too much references and infos sprinkled all over it. I go one chapter per every other day and that’s how I recommend reading it. Also recommending it most to the burnout creatives (like myself) out there. hi i see u 🥲👋🏼🫶🏼

Jenn Doan 

didn't thoroughly enjoy and it took me 4 months to finish this one, ironically.

James Bedford

I really wanted to like this - love the message. But I found this a very very slow and hard read. 

I Didn't Do the Thing Today How to Release Productivity Guilt and Embrace the Hidden Value in Our Daily Lives

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