Ask The Readers: Productivity, Personal Development, Lifestyle Design… What Best Sums It All Up For You?
One of the problems I have with this blog is trying to categorize it, and sum it all up. When somebody asks me what I write about here, it’s difficult to explain. There are quite a few words that get used a lot, but it all seems very subjective and none of them ever seem to quite fit 100%. Productivity, personal development, lifestyle design, or other? What’s the name for all of this? What are all us bloggers actually writing about? And does it really matter what it gets called? Of course not, but it would be interesting to see what the general consensus is…
When I started the blog in 2006, productivity was the buzzword, fueled by the discovery of a little known book called Getting Things Done. But over time, I stopped writing about lists and getting things done, and started applying that “productive” mindset to finances, health, decluttering one’s home, etc. Was I still writing about productivity or was this lifehacking?
Lifestyle design seems to be a popular term nowadays too, after it got popularized by Tim Ferriss and his 4-Hour Work Week. However, judging by the replies I got to this question on Twitter, the old school term of personal development still seems pretty popular as a catch-all term. While that makes sense I think it has too much baggage. It reminds me too much of affirmations, positive thinking and the whole self-help stereotype, but that’s just me (or course, lifestyle design has it’s own baggage – “epic shit”, ebooks, constant traveling…).
What term do you prefer, and why? Maybe it’s one I’ve not already mentioned. Share your thoughts in the comments below. As ever I look forward to all of your opinions!
3 Comments
Hmm, It’s all just words. I mean you could even a throw in touches of simplicity and minimalism. However, I don’t think any of it really can be classed under one category. How about this… you’re a giver! You share your knowledge and passion with everyone and you don’t expect anything back. It’s basically whatever makes you feel good.
For me, it’s all about reducing stress by having a trusted system outside of that silly little brain of mine that can’t be trusted with anything important. It’s a structured approach to tackling whatever life throws my way, and that includes a few good tools to help me stay on top of it all. It’s not so much productivity (do more faster) as it is getting a complete overview from which I can choose what to do and equally important, what NOT to do right now. The use of GTD style projects and next actions helps me forget less important stuff and makes my life more streamlined.
Following the GTD school of self-management, the things most of value to me are the inboxes (collect everything), the weekly review (process all loose ends regularly) and the concept of contexts – what can I do right here, right now.
Lifestyle design seems to encompass much more than techniques and tips for handling your workload. I’m thinking interior design, fashion, what sporting activities to pursue, etc.
Now,do I have a better tag for it? I’m afraid not. At some point, it all becomes very meta to describe the area of activities that helps you manage the work related to your job and other commitments.
Great question, James! I really had trouble with this when I first started my blog and tried to list it in blogging directories. Even though it was only two years ago, most didn’t even have a category that I really fit in at all.
When I recently revamped my blog I tried to answer this question again, but eventually gave up and figured it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. I still lean more toward it being an organizational blog myself, since I feel it covers anything from physically organizing a room, to mental organization and keeping yourself personally more organized.
In the end, I’m still just a girl with funny hair talking to the internet!