In Maximizing Productivity, 6>7

Sometimes classmates have asked me how I handle having a baby, school, and a part-time job.
Well, I get stressed and I don't always finish what I need to. But I have really improved in balancing
certain things over the past few years and I do feel some peace even while I am busy. So this is the
best tip I can offer:

Rest one day a week.

I have really enjoyed not doing homework on Sundays as long as that has been my personal policy.
However, it has been even more wonderful now that I have my own family. My wife and I talk about it
all the time, no joke. "Ahh, I am so happy we have Sunday." We feel joy while Sunday is happening
and hope when it is not happening.

Some spiritual leaders and medical professionals will say you can accomplish more in six days than
in seven. A similar thing has been said about tithing: you can do more with 90% of your money than
with 100%.

But how can that be? Standard economic theories assume that more of something is always better. I
have two responses.

1. Diminishing Marginal Returns

This response assumes you care about more than one thing in life. Perhaps if the only thing in life
that mattered was doing our "work," whatever that is, then we would get more done in seven days.
But we care about more than that. Easy example: relationships. For a while our studying during a
given day may have increasing marginal return, meaning that for each additional minute that we study,
we become more productive in our studying. This can happen because we need time for our mind to
really hone into the study zone. But after five or six days of honing in, it becomes harder and harder to
concentrate. In these moments (like on day seven), we have the chance to use our time for something
we are not at all bored of. That way we are more productive at all times: six days we are productive at
working and one day we are productive at relationship building (with God, family, and friends).

2. Defeat the Lie of Helplessness

We sometimes feel like if one more item was squeezed into our our schedule then our lives would
suddenly explode into a thousand chickens running around without heads. Surely, we can't take an
entire day out of the mix to finish our most pressing tasks! When you commit to not study or not do
certain other mundane tasks one day a week, then you see that  it is possible. And hence you defeat
the lie that you can't. Doing that has helped me to see that I am also more capable than I thought at
bringing home less homework on weekday evenings. There are times when stuff builds up and I
appreciate that my wife supports me in getting stuff done even when it takes a little extra time. But I
refuse to be the victim of a brutal workload that does not care about my health, family, etc. I will
speed up my study rate, thoughtfully simplify and improve my study methods, and do what it takes
to finish my work while still getting to "be human" as a friend of mine says.

How can you be so committed that you don't spend all day Sunday worrying about whether you
should make an exception this "one" time?

For me my religion helps, and I will get to that in the next paragraph. If you are not interested in
religion, you might try rewarding yourself at the end of a semester with a trip or meal or something.
Or find a friend who does a good job of holding you accountable.

The president of my church said this in a talk a few years ago, and it increased my desire to keep the
Sabbath holy in a way that promotes peace: "I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my
attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father. With that
understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don'ts. When I had to make a decision whether or
not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, 'What sign do I want to give to
God?' That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear." (President Nelson, 2015.)

Sunday provides a great chance to focus in on some things that matter most: worshiping God, loving
family, and reaching out to friends. It continuously takes a lot of effort to find quiet moments to listen
to God, stare at my adorable baby, and appreciate other loved ones, but I am happy that I have at
least one day a week to focus on those challenging and rewarding endeavors.