Automattic has released its “2016 Year Review” report and it is a fun overview of the company’s and its products’ milestones for the year. There is so much about this report to love, including the design of the report itself. Worth taking 10 minutes to scroll through it.
Howdy! We’re the people behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, and a bunch of other products for WordPress. Take a scroll through our review of 2016.
If you prefer a wordier retrospective, here are some highlights:
You’re probably also under pressure to work longer hours, more days and somehow bend space-time to get more stuff done. Often this imperative translates into longer days, later nights and weekends partially consumed by work. This isn’t particularly productive and you’ll probably find you’ll be more productive if you disconnect on the weekend instead of powering through.
For some reason, many of us have this notion that work should take priority over family time and even personal downtime. Perhaps it is because we are concerned about keeping our jobs, progressing in the company and earning more. For many of my contemporaries, there is the added pressure of competing with younger colleagues who don’t have families and are willing to work for less pay.
I made the mistake of focusing more on my work, often at the expense of my family, when I was trying to build my business a few years ago. I’d frequently work weekends just to get that much more work done. What I realized (eventually) is that taking less downtime hurt my relationship with my family and didn’t lead to any real productivity boosts. If anything, I was less productive and more stressed.
Sure, there are times when you need to work extra hours. It happens. At the same time, it is really important to disconnect. Weekends give your mind an opportunity to disengage and process what you did the week before.
I find that I am more creative and focused after a weekend free of work. This isn’t about slacking off, it is about being more productive by not overdoing it.
