The Hamster Wheel of Productivity (and Why I’m Stepping Off)

A dear friend of mine was telling me recently about a conference she attended for women founders and entrepreneurs. She loved it. Among the many inspiring voices, one speaker shared a message that really stuck with her:

"Work hard now so you can be with your kids later. It's not true that they won't need you later — they probably will need you more as they grow."

For my friend, that felt like permission. She’s a devoted mother of two, runs both a brick-and-mortar and online business, her husband works shifts (so she often parents solo), she has a buzzing social life, and — like so many of us — she struggles to say no. To friends, to opportunities, to helping out, to saying “I’ve got enough on my plate.”

Maybe you see yourself in her story. I do. That used to be me.

The woman on the hamster wheel.

But where does that wheel actually go? We push harder and harder to keep it spinning, but are we even getting anywhere?

I understand the message the speaker was trying to convey. It sounds reasonable, even generous: delay gratification now to show up for your family later. But here’s where I take issue with that logic.

It rests entirely on a future that isn’t guaranteed.

Who here has their future promised? That’s not a rhetorical question — really, who?

It’s easy to make decisions based on the assumption that we’ll “have time later.” But what if we don’t?

Why are we so quick to trade the one thing we know we have — the present moment — for a “someday” that may or may not come?

I get it.

The fear of missing out on opportunities is real.

The fear of running out of time or being left behind professionally is real. And so we stay busy.

Because busy feels like productivity. And productivity feels like purpose… right?

But here’s the problem: what is purpose without connection? What is productivity without presence?

When we’re in the hamster wheel, life becomes a blur. A series of moments we barely lived through. We’re constantly “doing” but rarely being.

You don’t have to quit your job or give up on your ambition (though if that’s what you want — go for it). This isn’t a call to slow your life down to a crawl. But it is an invitation to examine how present you are in your own life.

One way to check your presence levels?

• How much joy are you experiencing daily?

• How rested do you feel after a full night’s sleep?

• How often do you laugh at the little things you used to stress over?

• How connected, fulfilled, and calm do your mind and body feel?

  
  

For me, the magic formula has become:

Presence + Connection = Purposeful Joy.

Unlearning the rush isn’t easy. Slowing down can feel like failure when we’ve equated speed with value. But it can be done — and it starts with the mind.

A mindful mind is steady. Focused. Calm.

Start here:

• Go for a walk without your phone or smart watch.

• Have a conversation without scrolling. Make eye contact — not creepy, just human.

• Pour a warm drink, sit by a window, and watch the trees move in the wind.

Want support deepening your connection to the present moment?

Let’s clear out the mental clutter keeping you from being here.Therapy, coaching, or even a simple conversation can help.

With love,Olga