The best productivity hack I discovered while doing my laundry.

Apple Airpods, where they belong.

I love technology—but I can’t say the relationship is reciprocal. I am thankful for the big picture benefits that technology brings, wider access to educational resources, better health outcomes, the discovery of distant planets, shooting incredible 4K footage in a moments notice, and on and on. These are all good things. But when it comes to the way technology interrupts or distracts our minds, I have mixed feelings.

About 6 weeks ago, when I happened to forget my Apple Airpod wireless headphones in my pants, the laundry did what I needed most at the time. It destroyed them. No bucket of rice submersion or plea to the Genius Bar could save them.

My productivity has since improved—dramatically.

It’s not all your fault.

A couple of things were barreling down on me 6 weeks ago. I had multiple deadlines for video projects that I was working on for a few nonprofits, some which included pre-production planning and post-production editing, while others required on-location shoots with multiple interview subjects. Logistically and technically, the projects were straightforward and on schedule. But, at the same time, I was way behind on preparing for a talk I was supposed to give at the 2019 Nonprofit Storytelling Conference in San Diego. My talk was ironically titled “Video Production In Your Pocket.”

Around that moment, when I was looking at my destroyed headphones in the water soaked laundry container, I was upset because I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy listening to my typical binge on the Joe Rogan podcast while walking my dog, Siena. That particular weeks episode #1350 included a three-hour interview with Nick Bostrom, a super interesting Swedish philosopher at the University of Oxford known for his work on existential risk, the anthropic principle, human enhancement ethics, superintelligence risks, and the reversal test. ALL TOTALLY IRRELEVANT THINGS to the tasks I was supposed to be working on at that moment! (Check it out here, btw) ;) This inspirational, super intelligent conversation was still there, waiting for me if I wanted to use normal headphones, or use my own ears with a speaker, for heavens sake… but the reason why I was able to ingest so much information during these moments (and sometimes hours) of “free” time driving or walking or washing dishes, was enabled by the little white ear buds I had grown so accustomed to wearing.

Sadly to say, this wasn’t my first pair. Apple, you’re welcome. Here’s another $150.

Are you consuming or creating?

This was the question that kept bubbling up in my head during the 6 weeks that followed. I realized, more and more, that I needed those open and unscripted moments for me to process information, to listen to my own thoughts, as jumbled and unedited as they might be. My walks became rehearsal sessions where I would work through my slide deck presentation for the conference. The time spent washing dishes became time to think about the video projects I needed to finish. I didn’t realize how much mental space this little device could occupy in my mind, even when I’m passively consuming information. The act of creating cannot coexist with consumption. At least not for me.

All the time I had spent listening to podcasts about superintelligent A.I. or watching YouTube clips about the current political news cycle, was all time wasted. I kept telling myself I needed the inspiration or the extra knowledge. But that wasn’t true.

Thank you Frigidaire. I needed that.

—Reuben