I love road trips. I also love flying. I love any type of travel. There’s something about physically moving my body that feels productive. It doesn’t matter if I’m walking, running, riding my bike, driving, or flying.
While I’m traveling, I’m not making any noticeable progress towards my long-term goals. It still feels productive.
When I’m driving, all I’m literally doing is sitting in a car. The physical experience is no different than sitting in a stationary house. But when I’m driving, there’s a reason behind it. I’ve decided to move myself from where I am to where I want to be. I’ve deliberately chosen a goal to achieve. On the other hand, sitting in a stationary house is aimless.
I relate it to mowing a lawn or painting a house. You can look back at what you did and physically see the progress you’ve made. When you’re on a road trip, you can look at a map and physically see the amount of distance you’ve moved.
Driving isn’t difficult. It’s monotonous and it’s boring at times, but there is a purpose behind it.
What if I drove aimlessly? What if I hopped in my car, decided to go nowhere, then started driving? Would it feel productive or would it feel like sitting in a stationary house?
What makes traveling feel productive is the reason behind it.
Productivity is not related to difficulty. Productivity is related to deliberateness of purpose.