Inherently we all know the answer to the question in the title. Ideal productivity is, in fact, a mixture of both quality and quantity.
We want to produce as many quality items, experiences, or connections as possible in as large quantities as possible. That’s a big part of some people’s definition of productivity.
The world doesn’t work that way, though.
Not in all instances, anyway. Do you know how I am absolutely positive of this fact?
One word: Disneyland.
We took my son to Disneyland this weekend and we were surrounded by people from all corners of the earth trying desperately to have the happiest time possible at the self-proclaimed “happiest place on earth.”
During our time there, for tens of thousands of supposedly happy people, I saw a whoooooole lot of grumpy faces. Painful-looking sunburns, people sipping cheap beer while limping after screaming kids, and people shoving every type of fat, sugar, salt, and chemical possible down their gullets.
I’ll say it again - these people were not happy. Not for the most part, anyway. Some were smiling. But the majority of the people I saw, at least in my perception, weren’t happy.
So, what gives? For a place with delectable $8 churros, fireworks displays every night, and hundreds and hundreds of contraptions whose sole purpose was to bring people amusement, why were all of these people not literally jumping for joy? Or, at least internally?
Quality Over Quantity
The answer to the question above is that I believe people are taught to value quantity over quality. OK, maybe that’s a broad statement. I will say that I am fairly certain that at least most Americans are taught to value quantity over quality. And that value system is neither sustainable nor productive. And it sure didn’t seem to make them happy either.
I assume these people at Disneyland were probably trying to get the most out of their $300-per-day ticket and ride as many rides and eat as many corn dogs as possible. But, to what extent does our relentless pursuit of quantity override our happiness? And when do we Become obsessed with more?
More, more, more
I looked at my sweaty child around 1:30 PM on day two of our adventure. “Do you want to go ride that bumper cars ride?“ He sighed and took another bite of his churro. “No thanks.“
The four-year-old had had enough of the entertainment spectacle. Do you know what is entertaining to my kid? His fingers. I watched as he pretended that his left hand was an alligator trying to chop his sugar-covered birthday treat. Then I looked across at the sensory overload of the bumper car ride nearby. He had made his choice. And it was epically telling.
My kid, in so many ways, is so much smarter than me.
Everything in my body told me to snatch away that churro, put him in a stroller, and snap him into that ride so he could have 45 seconds of an unnecessary adrenaline rush. Then I asked myself. Why?
Even I, a few hours earlier, had sat on a log overlooking a floating river boat for a good 15 minutes, content to feel the breeze, watch the people walk by, and simply be. I exhaled. I wondered over the detail of my surroundings. And I cherished the moment. But, my reverie was short-lived.
Because my brain told me to move. You’re not being productive. You’re not making the most of your expensive ticket. You’re marveling over bougainvillea when you should visually and degustorily be consuming everything as fast as possible.*
Yes, because the world taught me that its quantity was much more important than my quality.
Don’t even get me started on all of the things in our world that are counter productive when held up against our innate instincts to choose more over better. Including productivity.
We want to get more done at any cost. We want to build that business and sell it for billions of dollars in less than five years. We want to rise to the top of our company and conquer whatever industry we are in. And yes, we want to ride as many damn rides as our $300 Disneyland ticket will allow us.
The world teaches us that quantity is better. I have some ideas why:
Quantity is much more easily measured
Quantity supports our consumerist society
Quantity can be more widely appreciated (it’s more objective)
Quality lies only in the eye of the beholder (just ask any New York Times arts critic)
Quality often takes a deeper level of existence to appreciate.
Navigating the quality/quantity continuum
Remember - ideal productivity can only be achieved as a balance of quality and quantity. One is not always better than the other and a mix of each often makes a good productivity soup. But, what do we do when the world shouts QUANTITY and our souls whisper quality as well?
The answer to me is simple. We tell the rest of the world to mind its own beeswax. My fifteen minutes sitting on a log watching a river boat was fantastic. It was peace in the midst of chaos. And it balanced out the quantity of the rest of the day.
So, whether you’re a business owner or a couch surfer, deciding your own definitions of quality and quantity before embarking on an endeavor is one of the best things you can do for your productivity.
*I understand that degustorily is not a real world, but I’m on a mission to make it so.
***Also, if you enjoyed this blog, please share it with someone.
Your story about visiting Disneyland and whether it actually makes people happy or not, is right on point. I remembered my last visit to Disneyland with my grandkids and other than spending time with them, which I love, it was not a happy time. Visiting places like Disneyland is actually very stressful. And, yes, quantity is much easier to measure than quality, but it is the quality things that happen in our lives that we remember.