See The Startling Toxic Productivity Tip Hidden In Plain Sight
Have we been inadvertently teaching children to burn out since the 1960s?
Let me tell you about my ongoing battle with a famous children's book.
My toddler keeps bringing me "The Tiger Who Came to Tea," and I just can't bring myself to read it as written. Instead, I've been making up my own version every time.
If you haven't read it, here's the gist: A tiger shows up at a little girl's house, eats everything in sight, and vanishes into the night.
In the original story, the stay-at-home Mum is worried that there is nothing left for her to make Dad’s dinner. Dad comes home from work to a flustered household and saves the day by taking everyone out for a meal.
I’ve altered it quite substantially. In my version:
Instead of being a stay-at-home mum, Mummy has taken a day off work to spend quality time with her daughter.
Instead of the tiger drinking ‘all of Daddy’s beer’, he drinks Daddy AND Mummy’s beer.
Rather than Mummy getting flustered, not knowing what to do and throwing her hands in the air with despair, she saves the day herself by just getting a takeaway for everyone.
Instead of the girl and her Mummy going shopping for more food, Mummy goes back to work and gets an online grocery delivery.
This story got me thinking.
Aside from the obviously dated perspective of stereotypical gender roles, there's actually a fascinating message hiding here about how we handle our daily lives:
Sometimes we need to stop accepting things as they are and reshape them to fit our modern needs.
Why We Need to Break the Mould
In both parenting and work, we often stick to systems that just don't make sense anymore.
The original story shows exactly what not to do: sitting around waiting for someone else to fix your problems. That might have worked in the 1960s, but today? Not so much.
In 1967, only about 35.6% of all families had both parents working, but by 2009, this percentage had increased to 65.6% (see chart below). By 2011, 53% of US married-couple families had both spouses earning, up from 44% in 1967.
This shift highlights how traditional family structures, and therefore work-life balance expectations have drastically changed.
To continue to move with the times and get better at balancing modern needs, we can take control and reshape our environment for better results in a few simple ways:
Question Everything (Politely)
Ever catch yourself thinking "that's just how things are done"? That's your cue to pause and ask why. If those endless Slack notifications are destroying your focus, you don't have to put up with it. Create some "do not disturb" time blocks. Your sanity will thank you.
Draw Your Lines in the Sand
You know how the mum and daughter in the story let that tiger eat everything without saying a word? We do that too—letting meetings eat our productive hours, responding to "urgent" emails at midnight. It's time to set some boundaries, folks. Your time is precious.
Make Your Space Work for You
Your environment is like a silent partner in your day. If your desk looks like it was hit by a paper tornado, or your "office" is actually your bed, it's probably working against you. Keep only what you need within reach. Maybe create a special playlist that tells your brain "okay, it's focus time now."
Tame Your Digital Jungle
Let's be real—our phones can be as disruptive as any hungry tiger. If you find yourself doom-scrolling through social media when you should be working, it's time for an intervention. Use app blockers, set time limits, or better yet, replace that scrolling habit with something that actually feeds your brain (hello Substack!).
Make the System Bend to You (Not the Other Way Around)
If the traditional 9-to-5 schedule makes you feel like a zombie, maybe it's time to have that conversation about flexible hours. If your open office is driving you crazy, find yourself a quiet corner or invest in some good headphones. The point is, you don't have to just accept things as they are.
You're in Charge Here
Just like I rewrote ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ story, you can rewrite the rules of your daily life.
The most successful people aren't the ones who just go with the flow—they're the ones who look at the flow and say, "You know what? I think this river could use a new direction."
With 60% of US workers saying they don’t have boundaries between work responsibilities and life, what outdated "tiger" in your life needs a good talking to?
How are you going to reshape your day to work better for you? Share your thoughts below 👇
-Selda
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This spreads the word and keeps me writing content that will help you find opportunities to “maximize your minutes” and get more out of your life. 🙏
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My kids loved this book. Looking back the story was very out-dated in its gender roles. That said the warm cosy family feel exists which I like and sometimes when I do take my kids out for tea I do get flash backs (in a good way) to where they sit in the cafe eating sausage and chips. I enjoyed this Selda and will share in my Sunday newsletter round up. Hope you're well my friend.