The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary

Slow productivity with Dr Kate Litterer

Mar 2, 2022

01:10:21

There’s little doubt the world is undergoing significant changes right now. Pandemic, war, the climate crisis - it’s all impacting our visions of “normal” and, for many of us, prompting an uncomfortable amount of reflection. What is important? How can I have a positive impact? Is the way I’ve been living in alignment with those things?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or wondering just how the hell to start making changes when it feels like the system isn’t set up for you to change, then today’s episode lands right when you need it.

Brooke talks with the wonderful Dr. Kate Litterer - a productivity coach who specialises in both sustainable and well-being oriented productivity - and while they do talk a lot about productivity (and its relationship to capitalism), they also talk about the obstacles so many people face (classism, ableism and privilege, to name a few) when it comes to making necessary changes to their lives.

Kate also talks about her experience with workaholism and its relationship to sobriety, as well as the impact that living with a chronic illness has had on not only her work, but also her choices, priorities and boundaries.

In this episode they also discuss:

How to apply slow productivity to work when you’re not self-employed, and the limitations on your time are more rigid
Creativity and slow living
Kate’s work with undergraduate students and why it’s so important to develop sustainable habits early in our careers
Detaching our identity and value from our output and efficiency
How Kate structures her working week
How to maintain a sense of flexibility to our rhythms in order to flow with the inevitable obstacles life serves up