3DP = Three-Dimensional Productivity

How do we measure productivity? Frequently — too frequently — it seems to come down to how many things we check off a to-do list. We favor hacks and tips to deep consideration. We prefer ephemeral hits of dopamine over sustained, healthy growth. We sacrifice the essential parts of life in order to get more things done without first interrogating the value of those things we strive to accomplish.

My working theory is that our culture of “productivity” has effectively flattened the meaning of that word. It’s a one-dimensional analysis, and your target is to simply to expand the outer boundaries of that dimension. How much can we get done? Well, that depends how much you are willing to focus on a single metric of success.

But humans are three-dimensional creatures living three-dimensional lives. It isn’t just about managing your time and attention, though that is an important consideration. 

It’s also about your identity. What makes you, you? If your answer to that question rests entirely within the bounds of a to-do list, it’s time to take a step back. You are more than what any discrete list can contain, no matter how slick the user interface of the app containing that list or how satisfying the sound the app makes when a completed task is checked off. You are the embodiment of your experiences, of your culture, of your messy nuance, of your thoughts, of your desires…the list goes on. 

And it’s also about the messy, unpredictable ebb and flow of life. We cast ourselves into this ocean a thousand times a day, and even though we think we can predict when the next wave hits, we don’t really know.

Three-Dimensional Productivity suggests that the dimensions of identity and life are just as important as any system you can devise to control your attention and allocate your time.