Happiness is very important to me.  I always try to protect my energy at all cost but lately or should I say 2 weeks ago I felt out of it and down.  I tried everything in my power to get out of the funk but nothing worked. This sadness also started to affect my work. I was no longer in the mood for work, no longer motivated. I ended up cancelling a lot of my work from clients and  turned to sleeping to pass the time. Cancelled orders meant less money, which is never good since I have bills to pay. My point? There is a link between Happiness and Productivity.  If you're wondering why you're procrastinating so much and not productive... you might want to ask yourself this: Are You Happy? 

Think back to that day when you were having a bad day at work. Did you get a lot done that day or were you just dying for that day to be over?  Can you truly say that you are the most productive when you're having a bad day? No, I am sure you can't.  I am all for productivity. As a freelancer and entrepreneur, being productive is a must. Those couple of days when I was sad and slept all day opened my eyes a bit and allows me to see the connection between productivity and happiness. I realized I wasn't happy with the way my life was going. I had all these plans, I had all these goals, I worked hard and I had an idea of what I would like my life to be like.  I also had a boyfriend that I started to make plans with but then the relationship ended sooner than I expected which was around the same time when the sadness occurred.  At the time the break up happened I kept working and  tried to remain positive and busy so that I wouldn't have to focus on the major change that happened. I never wanted the break up to affect my work but it did. It was the sudden change in my life, the plans that would now have to be adjusted and the getting to use to the absence of this person I thought would be a big part of my life that caused me to be sad and ultimately unproductive.  

Even though I tried to remain positive and work, quite the opposite happened and as the passed reality started to sink in. If your mind is not right, if you're not truly happy, the way you operate will be affected, even if you think you can ignore it and play tough. Your mind is the centre of everything.  It all starts with that organ on top.  So if you're feeling unproductive, do a self-evaluation and ask yourself: AM I HAPPY and if not, find the source of the problem and address it immediately.  Find what makes you happy, chase that, set goals, work hard and protect your energy.