Ask Lemmy

In a personal sense, I define productivity mainly as objectively measurable accomplishment over a period of time. If I used time productively, I either improved my circumstances (or my employer's circumstances, when they're paying me for my time) or worked towards that improvement in a permanent way. Research and learning is productive, when it furthers my ability to improve my circumstances. Research and learning for its own sake is only mildly productive in that it makes me a more knowledgeable person.

Leisure activity is NOT productive, mostly, but that's not a bad thing. The main thing is to avoid COUNTER productive activities. Leisure activity is somewhat productive when it allows me to rest and recuperate and be more productive later.

Productivity involves "getting things done" but only when those things matter. Making my bed every day has no discernible benefit to me, so that time is not spent productively. The dude in front of my house with his loud-ass leaf blower spending an hour blowing a single leaf all around the street is not being productive. Sure, it's more productive than sitting catatonically, but not by much. It's productive to him in the sense that he's getting paid for that time, but it's not productive on behalf of his employer (who is, in a sense, me via my landlord).