Illinois State Insights webinar: Redfining productivity

The Illinois State University Alumni Association believes in lifelong learning and career development even after graduation. Take advantage of these free webinars and live streams as they fit into everyday life to continue to learn and grow together as Redbirds. Be sure to register in advance to gain access to the webinar.

What if our most productive moments happen when we step away from our desks? What if flourishing—not busyness—was the true measure of productivity?

In her groundbreaking new book Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship with Time., creativity strategist and keynote speaker Natalie Nixon, PhD, challenges the outdated model of productivity rooted in time, speed, and output. Drawing on her eclectic background in anthropology, design thinking, fashion, academia, and dance, Nixon introduces the MTR framework—Movement, Thought, and Rest—as a new operating system for work in the 21st century.

Far from procrastination, MTR activities like walking, daydreaming, reflection, and pausing are the hidden engines of innovation, well-being, and business growth. Nixon shows how integrating them into our personal routines and organizational cultures unlocks creativity, attracts top talent, and builds workplaces where people and ideas truly flourish.

This is a call to rethink productivity—not as grind, but as cultivation.