Thanks for sharing that, I hadn't read it before. As an engineer just getting started with my life and career I've been struggling with the sorts of concerns in that article. It was good to read something that was sympathetic to my worries.
That said, the article doesn't really provide answers. It merely points out what maybe should have been obvious: excessive time management is excessive. It's true that productivity for the sake of productivity is a poor goal. However, suppose that with your increased productivity you are able to enrich not your life, but the lives of others. Then you are faced with the choice of working harder or letting others down. It's easy to say that taking a trip to another country for the sole purpose of filling your Instagram is just masturbatory (which might not be a bad thing!). A more difficult question might be whether it's worth taking such a trip to do charity work during a holiday that you would ordinarily spend with your family. The trade-offs between helping strangers vs letting down your family and between getting some rest vs using your time off well are complex.
At this point I am rambling. The shortest answer I have right now is the same, vague answer I have for similar complex things: operate in moderation and things will work themselves out. Finding exactly what the appropriate balance is will probably be a life long struggle.
That said, the article doesn't really provide answers. It merely points out what maybe should have been obvious: excessive time management is excessive. It's true that productivity for the sake of productivity is a poor goal. However, suppose that with your increased productivity you are able to enrich not your life, but the lives of others. Then you are faced with the choice of working harder or letting others down. It's easy to say that taking a trip to another country for the sole purpose of filling your Instagram is just masturbatory (which might not be a bad thing!). A more difficult question might be whether it's worth taking such a trip to do charity work during a holiday that you would ordinarily spend with your family. The trade-offs between helping strangers vs letting down your family and between getting some rest vs using your time off well are complex.
At this point I am rambling. The shortest answer I have right now is the same, vague answer I have for similar complex things: operate in moderation and things will work themselves out. Finding exactly what the appropriate balance is will probably be a life long struggle.