My Most "Productive" Moment Came as a Surprise To Me

This post was written by, and first appeared on Maggie Frank-Hsu’s newsletter

The most “productive” moment I’ve had lately happened last week when I came home at 9 a.m. from dropping off my kids and… I took a bath. I was in the bathroom.

I looked at the bath.

“Don’t have time for that,” I said. “Anyway, what am I, Cleopatra? Who starts their workday with a bath?

But, on impulse I put in the stopper and poured some bath salts, too. A bath would probably only take 15 minutes. Why not? My muscles were sore. "In point of fact," I told that judgy part of myself, "I've been up since 5:30. 9 am isn’t actually the start of my day workday.”

So, what made the bath “productive”? Well, when I got out, I had an idea for how to get past a block in my book that I’ve been stumbling over for months. I had a fifteen-minute delay in the start of my work day, but in exchange I got past months of stuckness. A generous tradeoff!

​***

It kind of reminds me of this Instagram video, cleverly titled “My hair makes me thousands each week.”

In it, Denise explains that she gets her hair done every Monday, and then she doesn’t worry about her hair again for the rest of the week. She loves how it looks and that gives her the little bit of confidence and energy she needs to “get stuff done,” (the making $$$ part).

It’s not really about the hair – it’s the listening to ourselves before rushing to get in front of the computer to work.

Writing also benefits from this kind of pause.

​***

Book-writing time isn’t always “butt in seat” time. Sitting in front of a computer, a white screen with black text, when you already look at screens all day long (phone, TV) - it’s not the most inspiring action. Shocking, I know.

That white screen with black text is nothing without the energy and strength of our imaginations. We need to bring that inspiration from elsewhere.

​
For me, it was the bath. What will it be for you?

- Maggie Frank Hsu

---

Caveday is a company aimed at improving your relationship to work. We write regular posts here and send out monthly newsletters with productivity tips, life hacks, and recommendations. Sign up for the mailing list here.