There’s nothing quite like the satirical news magazine The Onion to help us recognize ironies in our advanced society. A recent headline simply reads: “Man Gets Life In Order For 36 Minutes.”

In their characteristic style, they “report” on the status of one Floridian:

JACKSONVILLE, FL—Briefly overcoming a near-continuous streak of disorganization, area man Terry Oberlin, 37, got his life together for exactly 36 minutes, sources confirmed Monday.

According to family reports, Oberlin’s bills for the month were paid, the living room was vacuumed, the dishes from dinner were all washed and put away, and the father of two was sitting in his favorite chair in the living room without a single thing in his life out of place.

“It was nice to get some chores out of the way,” Oberlin told reporters later, acknowledging that for more than half an hour he experienced no regrets, despair, or frustration of any kind. “Felt really good.”

We’re big fans of The Onion having covered a piece on workplace communication early last year. But this article is really more about the obsession with being “done.” Our lives—whether at work or at home—seem to be characterized with tasks we have not yet finished.

The connection between productivity and satisfaction is clear. We feel good about ourselves when we get things done. But that doesn’t mean the opposite is necessarily the case. We don’t need to harbor a sense of guilt and self-defeat because something happens to remain on our to-do list. Our remaining work is only a burden if we’re not sure what we’re supposed to do.

At Slaughter Development, we strive to create well-defined objectives for each year, month, week and even day. Specifying a handful of goals in the morning can help provide direction for the day and accomplishment when it’s time to head home. Improved productivity requires change. Reach out to Slaughter Development to learn more.

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