Productivity, a word that haunts us from the moment we realize the weight of society’s expectations for us to do something. Always be doing something, be contributing, be earning your keep, do more, do more, do more. No wonder planners and journals and books on how to maximize your productivity each and every day are all part of a billion-dollar industry that is steadily growing.

How much precious energy are we spending trying to figure out how to be productive? Between all the planning, the strict rules and schedules we set for ourselves, staying on track even when we’re depleted, how much energy are we draining on simply trying to keep ourselves within the confines of a “productive” day? Wake up, plan your day down to the minute, check off your to-do list, go to sleep exhausted, repeat.

Here’s why that doesn’t work: There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for productivity.

I keep seeing people talking about how they just need to stay on track with the plan, they started bullet journaling or reading some book about how to get more done every day, and that’s the conclusion they’ve drawn – to forego how they’re feeling, to not listen to the natural ebbs and flows of their energy, and to just keep trucking along and all will be well.

Spoiler alert: it won’t be.

Not listening to ourselves, our inner states, and neglecting to work with our natural energy is only going to lead to frustration and burnout in the long run.

Bullet journaling may work for one person; combing through their to-do list one by one and checking each thing off before moving to the next task may actually be working with their energetic predisposition, but it doesn’t mean it has to or is supposed to work for you, too. Perhaps for you to get things done you need to bounce around, starting one thing and then switching over to another and then getting inspired by a new idea and forgetting about both of the previous things to start something new and then at the end of the day you have 10 started yet not completed projects. This is not a bad thing, yet I consistently see people talk about it as if it is.

It’s okay if your energetic flow looks different than others.

But here’s the key, you have to understand your energy to be able to work with it. What fuels you? What kind of tasks make you feel energized and inspired? When you have a task that depletes your energy, what helps you tackle it? Knowing what fills up your energetic cup and deliberately making room for more of it throughout your day is going to help fuel you for everything else you need to get done far more than forcing yourself to follow a strict schedule that doesn’t cater to your energetic preferences will.

Give yourself some breathing room, start listening to your natural states and learning to work with them, set yourself up for success as best you can through healthy habits and practices, and know that you are already doing enough.