Tend to it: a Holistic Guide to intentional Productivity

In Tend to It: A Holistic Guide to Intentional Productivity, Dr. Kate Litterer teaches her favorite tools, practices, and approaches for accomplishing personal and professional goals without sacrificing rest, hobbies, and relationships. Through step-by-step instructions and 21 guided exercises, Dr. Litterer teaches readers how to improve their habits, goals, focus, and boundaries around work and technology. No matter where you are right now on your journey—if you feel overwhelmed and stuck, or if you feel curious and energized (or some combination of both)—this book will help you accomplish your goals with intention.

Publication date: March 8, 2021

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"Each of us approaches our productivity with various levels of comfort, interest, privilege, and access. We do this within a culture of productivity that has traditionally encouraged treating our bodies like robots that should be able to meet a standard quota—or even worse, suggests that we should compete with one another for a few coveted spots at the top that include their own parking spot and a swimming pool on the roof. Those approaches present productivity as always doing more-more-more, when, by definition, productivity simply means completing the tasks we intend to complete."
"If you say you want to begin or stop a habit, you are likely thinking about the routine. However, to change a routine, you need to be conscious of what cues you to act and what rewards you receive for doing your routine action. Cues can be certain times of the day, emotions, sounds, smells, feelings, sights, or other stimuli that prompt you to action. Rewards can range from a tasty treat to human connection to personal satisfaction to avoiding conflict to something else entirely, depending on what feels rewarding to you as an individual."
"Goals are not automatically achievable; we need to adjust our approach to make them so. For example, while a professional pastry chef may easily whip up a gluten-free birthday cake in two hours, the same task would not be equally achievable to someone who does not share the same training, timeline, and access to materials. Approaching our goals with an awareness of what can make the tasks more achievable for us as individuals is key."
"If we resent the idea of doing a task because we think the experience will prove challenging or uncomfortable, we are more likely to say, 'I’ll just do it later' and revert to procrastination. In order to change your procrastination habits, you need to address your aversive tasks and create an action plan for addressing why the tasks feel aversive to you."
"This chapter is all about gaining clarity and setting boundaries around your work and your output, including your technology use. My hope is that you will compassionately evaluate your own relationship with your work. I also hope that the tools I teach you will enable you to set boundaries with yourself, with your colleagues and bosses, and that together we can push back against the 'always-on' culture of workaholism."
"It is essential to note that experiments with similar tasks will yield different results for different people. When I say 'results' here, I mean both the tangible checkmarks on a to-do list and the emotional, physical, and mental reactions we have to adding, subtracting, or shifting actions in our daily practices."