Reclaiming Time: Why Women Should Challenge the Productivity Industry

Reclaiming Time: Why Women Should Challenge the Productivity Industry

Ninety-three percent of time management books were written by men. This is a problem, says self-improvement guru, Kendra Adachi.

In her recent book, The PLAN, Adachi advocates for an integrative approach to time management. While most (male) productivity writers view time as something to be controlled or mastered, Adachi views time differently. She recommends the pursuit of integration—of our intellect, emotions, and bodily cues—over measurable results. She worries that women— especially those who are mothers—are striving to implement strategies and achieve goals that aren’t built for them, for their bodies, their minds, or their work within their families.

Adachi’s New York Times best-selling book raises questions with important implications, both personally and societally. How do the daily lives of women differ from those of men? How might the language of production and optimization be causing undue stress and anxiety? And, finally, what might it look like to reject this modern framework altogether, in favor of something more in keeping with our nature—as women, but also as human persons?