The Productivity Scam

Time was the problem, I assumed: There was enough of it; I just wasn’t using it right. Or maybe the problem was my attention span. I couldn’t focus. Luckily, there were products for this. I bought a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato and became devoted to the Pomodoro technique, an Italian idea wherein you spend twenty-five minutes working, then five minutes taking a break; repeat until the day is over. (Italians: very worried about productivity.) I made lists, I took long walks, I meditated, I locked my phone in Tupperware with a clock that counted down until it would be free. It did not escape me how similar this gadget was to a time bomb. I had no idea what it even meant to produce enough work. Exactly how much was enough? [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [Is It Even Possible to Become More Productive?]( [Is It Even Possible to Become More Productive?]( Time was the problem, I assumed: There was enough of it; I just wasn’t using it right. Or maybe the problem was my attention span. I couldn’t focus. Luckily, there were products for this. I bought a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato and became devoted to the Pomodoro technique, an Italian idea wherein you spend twenty-five minutes working, then five minutes taking a break; repeat until the day is over. (Italians: very worried about productivity.) I made lists, I took long walks, I meditated, I locked my phone in Tupperware with a clock that counted down until it would be free. It did not escape me how similar this gadget was to a time bomb. I had no idea what it even meant to produce enough work. Exactly how much was enough? [Read More](   [Save Up to 50% on Running Shoes at Amazon's Big Spring Sale Event]( [Save Up to 50% on Running Shoes at Amazon's Big Spring Sale Event]( Top models at the best price we've seen 'em. [Read More]( [10 Cooling Pillows That'll Quickly Upgrade Your Sleep]( [10 Cooling Pillows That'll Quickly Upgrade Your Sleep]( Yes, they do make a difference. [Read More](     [The ‘Mainstream Media’ Isn’t the Bulwark Against Totalitarianism We Wish It Were]( [The ‘Mainstream Media’ Isn’t the Bulwark Against Totalitarianism We Wish It Were]( On the electric Xwitter machine, Brynn Tannehill brilliantly eviscerated this hopeless Politico piece about the consequences of a Trump presidency that makes Pollyanna read like Mickey Spillane. I recommend reading all of Tannehill’s demolition, but in light of events over the weekend, I’d like to concentrate on one element of the Politico story—the one that deals with my chosen profession and its continuing failure properly to confront the threat posed by El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago. In fact, the author cites the “mainstream media” as one of the primary bulwarks against encroaching authoritarianism. [Read More](   [The 21 Best Travel Backpacks to Take on the Go]( [The 21 Best Travel Backpacks to Take on the Go]( These well-designed bags work for overnight, weekends away, and even long-haul trips. [Read More]( [Apple’s New MacBook Air M3 Proves It’s Still a Great Buy]( [Apple’s New MacBook Air M3 Proves It’s Still a Great Buy]( We put its faster processor and longer battery life to the test. [Read More](     [Post Malone's 'Road House' Track Is a Song-of-the-Summer Candidate]( [Post Malone's 'Road House' Track Is a Song-of-the-Summer Candidate]( If you’ve seen Prime Video’s Road House remake, you may have spotted a familiar face in the opening scene. That beefy boxing man, brawling in a cage like he’s in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man? That’s good ol’ Post Malone. Oh, and the song thumping in the background as he pummels his opponent? That’s by Post Malone, too. Even better: The song, called “Horsepower,” is actually good. [Read More](   [⛳ Unleash Your A-Game with Our Golf Getaway Sweepstakes!]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( [How satisfied are you with the content of this newsletter?]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779