Grace-Filled Productivity: Realistic Rhythms for Right Now

Why Working With Your Energy, Not Against It, Is the Most Productive Thing You Can Do

For a long time, I thought productivity meant checking off as many boxes as possible:

✅ Wake up early
✅ Stay up late
✅ Squeezing value out of every minute of the day

The more I could do, the more “successful” I thought I would be. But over time—and especially in this season of life—I’ve learned a hard truth: productivity with pressure and without grace leads straight to burnout. And hustle, when untethered from that grace and wisdom, will have you chasing your worth in your work.

In my recent podcast, I shared how crucial it is to know your season, not just to name it, but to honor it. When you’re in a season of limited capacity (like postpartum, caregiving, transitions, or illness), the metrics of hustle culture won’t just fail you—they’ll shame you. Shame you into believing that your success is in doing or achieving more.

But what if productivity and success are less about doing but being and working in your season?

The Problem with Hustle Culture & Overwhelming To-Do Lists

Most traditional productivity advice assumes we all have the same 24 hours… and the same capacity. It glorifies rigid routines, early mornings, deep work marathons, and to-do lists that never end.

But let’s be honest: real life is full of interruptions. Naps are short. Kids get sick. Deadlines shift. You hit walls you didn’t expect.

Hustle culture teaches us to push through it all. But grace invites us to pause and ask: What’s actually possible right now? What’s sustainable? What can be surrendered?

The truth is, productivity without flexibility forgets that we are human beings, not machines. We were designed to live, work, and rest within limits, surrendering and yielding to life's seasonal rhythms.

You don’t need more to-do lists—you need rhythms that reflect your real life.
Inside the paywalled section, I’ll guide you through questions to help you create your own grace-filled rhythm, rooted in purpose and aligned with your capacity. Click the button below to upgrade to paid to read the rest of this post.