Why We Need to Stop Equating Our Worth To Our Productivity

Many of us constantly tie our worth to our productivity.

We ask ourselves if we’ve done enough every day, and nothing ever feels sufficient. We forget about the little accomplishments, like getting out of bed and doing our daily routines. But even though those little tasks add up, we convince ourselves that any day that we’re not our most productive is an absolute waste because we didn’t check off every task on our to-do lists. We believe that our lack of productivity lowers our worth.

I’m the type of person who views my accomplishments and my productivity as a measure of my worth.

I currently work for a non-profit organisation that I care about deeply. I had a three-month contract with the organisation, but I worried that it was going to end soon. For weeks, all I could think about was whether they’d renew my contract. I recently helped the organization in a substantial way, and I’m still proud of myself, but I knew that if they didn’t extend my contract, I’d have a hard time letting this job go because I love it so much.

I told my work bestie about my recent accomplishment and mentioned that if my good work didn’t extend my contract, I didn’t know what would. Then, she said exactly what I needed to hear.

She told me that whether or not this organisation continued to hire me didn’t matter.

“Larissa, your supervisors know who you are,” she said. “They know the quality of your work. You’ve already proven that you’re capable in this position.”

My work bestie is right: You don’t need to achieve something big or stay busy all day to be worthy. No matter how you spend your time, you’re worthy because you have so much to offer the world. Simply being who you are and showing others kindness and care can make the world a better place, no matter how many hours you put in at your job or how many degrees you earn.

Society has told us for decades that to have self-worth, we need to excel in school, climb the corporate ladder, be tireless, do-it-all parents, and impress others with how “together” our lives are. But this mindset is unrealistic and problematic. It implies that there are only a few ways to meaningfully contribute to society, and if we don’t fit into those boxes, then we perceive ourselves as not good enough. That’s not the case — we can be “unproductive” and still be worthy of the best that life has to offer.

We need to teach children that no matter who they are or what they do, they will never be unworthy. After all, what makes us all worthy is how we make the world a better place, day by day. Once we believe that we’re worthy, we need to pass that mindset on so that someday, no one will feel like they have to base their worth on their productivity. At the end of the day, we’re all worthy.