Listening to podcasts, the news, conversations about AI and many other amazing things that
will save us time and increase productivity, do our housework and cook the dinner in 30
seconds (wishful thinking), I am left somewhat dizzy. And hollow.
Really? Will it really save us all of this time? What will that mean? Save who time, exactly?
What will be the implications? On jobs, on our lives…? Does that mean we will all have more
time for leisure? To be creative and inventive, to be more idle, to the spend time with loved
ones? Somehow I doubt it. There is a constant drive to be ever more productive and
efficient, to cram more and more and more into our day. So if a new technological invention
does save us time, what is likely to happen? We’ll just shove something else in there,
something else that needs to be done ‘urgently’.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there have been some great inventions – I really don’t want to go
back to the days when we handwashed everything in the back yard in a dolly tub. But, like
most things, it’s about balance. When do we need great innovations that will help us to
achieve ever greater heights and when to we need the humility to realise that means we
need to slow down.
So many people live with stress, anxiety and in a state of near burn-out. Why?! Why on earth
do we do this to ourselves? When I last wrote a blog, back in May this year, it was an
important reminder to myself to slow down. This time feels like a plea to society as a whole.
We urgently need to reassess our goals. The endless growth, endless productivity and
efficiency gains should not be goals in and of themselves. Where they help people (and the
planet) thrive, they are to be encouraged. Where they do it, we need to pause.
Sometimes it feels like we are busy fools, not giving ourselves time to simply stop and stare.
Leisure often feels like a luxury only a few can afford. But, stepping back and looking on to
our society like busy ants, it feels like it is no longer a luxury but a necessity. In so many
ways, it feels like we are on a train, heading to the end of the line and we are running out of
track. For goodness sake someone, please put on the breaks.