Let’s face it: modern work can be messy. We’ve been taught that productivity means doing more—but what if it actually means making space for less? Less busywork. Fewer distractions. And in that space, more room for deep thinking, meaningful collaboration, and creative, impactful work.
For World Productivity Day on June 20, Dropbox partnered with YouGov to survey 487 working US adults (full and part-time) about the biggest pain points of modern work—and what they need to feel truly productive beyond checking off their to-do lists:
- We don’t have nearly enough space or time to do meaningful, creative work. Less than half (46%) of working US adults surveyed said they have enough time for this work—which can actually boost productivity and overall employee wellbeing.
- We’re being bombarded by busywork that makes it hard to finish tasks. Almost a quarter of US workers (22%) reported spending 6-10 hours per week just on administrative tasks or busywork like email, scheduling, and document processing.
- We want more opportunities to create impact in the workplace. Mentoring others, learning new skills, and receiving feedback were each ranked as top contributors (39%) to a sense of success or productivity.
These findings highlight a common challenge in modern work: people want to contribute in meaningful ways, but the tools and systems around them often fall short. So what needs to change? Whether it’s adopting new AI tools like Dropbox Dash or embracing flexible working models such as Virtual First, making space for creativity and strategic thinking starts with understanding how people actually spend their time.
Dropbox Dash: Find anything. Protect everything.We need more space for creative work
Our research with YouGov turned up a notable data point: Less than half of US workers (46%) say they have enough time in their day to focus on creative tasks. Only a small portion of them—just 8%—say they propose creative ideas at work a few times a week. And almost a third (30%) say they feel less creative at work in general.
When we looked at time spent on meaningful or impactful work more generally, the picture became even clearer: A significant number of these workers—43%—say they spend just 0-5 hours each week in strategic meetings or decision-making sessions, while just 13% reported spending 6–10 hours weekly.
And when asked about time spent developing new ideas or doing “deep work,” just over a third (36%) said they spend just five hours or less weekly. It’s no wonder a previous Dropbox-sponsored study conducted by Economist Impact found that 42% of people typically didn’t spend more than an hour on productive work without interruptions.
So, what’s getting in the way?
We’re inundated with never-ending busywork
In a word: busywork. Roughly a third (33%) of those surveyed say they spend up to five hours a week just on administrative tasks like email, scheduling, and document processing. And nearly a quarter (22%) reported spending even more time—6-10 hours weekly—on the same type of work.
Tasks like information retrieval and data processing also eat up a major chunk of the workweek. About 34% of US workers report spending up to five hours each week on these tasks, and another 19% say they spend 6-10 hours on these activities.
Perhaps more telling is that even with all that time spent, many US workers still don’t feel fully equipped to do their jobs. Just 26% strongly agree that they have the resources and tools needed to perform effectively. And when it comes to time, only 32% strongly agree that they have enough of it to get their work done. This gap between needs and resources is more than a productivity issue—it’s a wellbeing issue that affects morale, retention, and performance.
We need room to focus if we want to have more impact
When people do have extra time, they want to use it meaningfully. Activities like mentoring others, learning new skills, and receiving feedback each ranked as top contributors to a sense of success or productivity, with 39% of respondents citing each. When asked what they’d do with an extra hour in their workday, 14% said they’d invest in professional development, while 9% said connect with colleagues.
In other words, when people feel empowered to make an impact, they thrive. And while that requires time, it also means having the right tools. About a third of US workers (33%) say they’d be open to using AI tools if it saved them up 4 hours per week—but what if those savings were even greater? A recent survey of Dropbox’s own employees found 96% use AI weekly for finding information, brainstorming, coding, documentation, or drafting messages—saving them an average of 7.9 hours per week.
When it comes to being more productive, it’s clear that less is actually more. And whether it’s through new ways of working, or embracing the latest AI tools, the hours we save are only the start. By finding smarter ways to use our time—to think, focus, and collaborate—we can put more of our energy towards creative, impactful work.
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All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1030 US adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 20th - 21st May 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults who work full-time or part-time (aged 18+).
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