i read a lot of books about productivity - it’s a hazard in my line of work. in most cases, i read through them, looking at the references to see what the author is using as a framework, maybe make a few notes. a few i’ll write up in my community or mention to a client.
it’s been a while since i wanted to buy a book and use it myself, start to finish. Tend to It: A Holistic Guide to Intentional Productivity by Dr. Kate Litterer now sits on my desk, a gentle and powerful tool to help me think about my own practices. it feels like a flexible framework - one that invites me to start from my own experience and build, rather than to take what i know about myself and my work and shove it into a system built for maximum output.
tend to it “reimagines productivity through the lens of slow and intentional living” - an approach that Dr. Litterer has built and shares around the world, through her awesome instagram, blog, and coaching practice. this approach really appeals to me - i have seen firsthand the damage that one-size-fits-all, publish or perish, write no matter what advice does to people who cannot or do not want to meet those bars. i love that this book consciously calls out the roots of productivity culture in white supremacy, ableism, and capitalism, and draws attention to the ways in which we’re all called to work well beyond the limits of our bodies, minds, and boundaries in order to do more, just to keep up.
the book has five main chapters on topics like focusing with intention and setting boundaries, tons of citations and places to do further research, and my favorite part, 21 exercises to do in order to start to apply some of the techniques and tools described. i especially like that the book is flexible enough to support bouncing around, but cohesive enough so that you can work through it step by step as well. the book would be super useful for anyone who is working on a big project, or things you can’t finish in a day or two - so grad students, but also beyond! the book also doesn’t have any specific tools or systems you need to use or buy in order to make the most of it - i love that i don’t have to download any apps or get any new complicated workbooks or planners in order to start working with these tools.
i have a chronic illness, and one of the reasons i started writing and coaching about productivity was because there were so many spaces and voices talking about how to be more efficient, produce more, write more, and so few that were pausing and asking “why" and “do you have the resources to do that sustainably” and “why do you want to do this”. this is the book i needed in my PhD program, and it is a book that serves me well now as a small business owner who still tends towards the overwork, underrest model. i am happy to have a tool and framework to help me move forward with intention, and not just as fast as i can, and i’m so happy it exists so that everyone can benefit from it too!