“Art is when we do work that matters in a creative way, in a way that touches (people) and changes them for the better.” -Seth Godin

When you’re stuck, productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about focusing on what moves you. A simple way to reconnect with that inner motivation is to revisit your biggest accomplishments. Why did they matter? Most likely, they mattered because they combined two secret ingredients: you enjoyed doing them, and they contributed to something bigger than yourself. Sometimes, it really is that simple.

In today’s workplace, especially the corporate world, behind cubicles, white noise, desktops flooded with unused files and very often with meaningless metrics, it’s easy to lose sight of that. How to be more productive, and getting unstuck, is about connecting back to those inner drivers. Let’s explore how.

1. Make It Concrete: Rediscover the Craft in Your Work

What makes your work real? What do you do that directly contributes to the end user?

Visualize your contribution like cold-pressed olives becoming olive oil—a process that’s tangible, intentional, and full of care. Imagine yourself as an artisan. Ask yourself:

• What tasks make me feel proud of my work?
• What value do I uniquely deliver?
• Which processes do I enjoy more than the results?

In Lean Manufacturing, there’s a strategic concept called push vs. pull. Push means producing in bulk regardless of demand. It’s about volume. Pull means producing based on real need, whether it be customer orders or manufacturing goals. Productivity works much in the same way. Instead of pushing through tasks, you must find your pull. Pull systems help us clarify not only where we add more value, but where we feel called and do our best work. It’s the difference between artisan and factory work.

2. Focus on Value: Cut the Fake Metrics

For work to matter, it must feel real and valuable. Work with substance. Too often, teams get lost in never-ending metrics that lead nowhere, like high-fructose corn syrup: sweet but empty. Why? Because we rarely ask:

• What do we actually care about?
• Who are we doing it for?
• Where do we add the most value?

When time management becomes a tool to keep people busy rather than fulfilled, we become firefighters: always reacting, rarely creating; often exhausted, seldom connected. True productivity comes from clarifying these important, yet often overlooked questions.

3. Movement Over Perfection: Just Start

What if you’re an entrepreneur or an independent worker? What then, if you feel stuck?

Sometimes moving forward isn’t about being more productive, but simply taking one more step forward. There are hidden answers that only show up once we’re in motion. It’s not about finding your passion—it’s about doing something passionately today. Not planning. Not perfecting. Just moving. It isn’t about the quality of the move, but about moving. Doing and then learning. Move, and then figure out what the next step is.

• Don’t wait for clarity. Create it through action.
• Don’t wait for the perfect task. Start with a meaningful one.
• Don’t wait to feel ready. Just move.

Even a small step can propel you in the right direction.

What’s Your Cold-Pressed, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil?

Every day, ask yourself: What’s at the core of my work that brings me flavor and purpose? When you focus on that, productivity becomes less about output, excessive metrics or expectations, and more about the special tasks packed with meaning.

Keep pressing. Keep moving. That’s the simple truth about getting unstuck.