Ultimate Productivity System
Ultimate Productivity System
How does one stay productive or scheduling for harmony
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How does one stay productive in an environment filled with interruptions, changing priorities and a constantly evolving technical landscape while feeling rested, sane, "on top of things," and spending time on one's personal life?
Does that sound at all familiar? The higher you go (the more responsibility you take), the more you will have to deal with — the never-ending "scaling yourself" story.
My approach to productivity was straightforward: I will spend more time and energy on a task. While that worked beautifully for me in the short term, it had a not-so-positive, lasting impact on me, both psychological and physical. Two very pronounced things happened:
I started defining myself through work. Nothing is inherently wrong with that (I enjoy what I do.) The point is any person is so much more than "one something." If you do that, you limit yourself on a psychological level.
I used to be physically and emotionally drained (this still happens often, but much less than it used to.)
You might read that and say, "Well, Alex, that was stupid." And I agree. Weirdly enough, most of our collective thinking about productivity encourages this behaviour.
Believing In Multitasking
Multitasking, as most people understand it, involves performing multiple tasks simultaneously. However, from a neurological perspective, multitasking is "task-switching." Humans can only focus on one cognitively demanding task at a time. When we think we're multitasking, we're rapidly shifting our focus from one task to another, not processing them simultaneously. This rapid shifting can lead to decreased efficiency and mental fatigue.
There is a limited set of activities where multitasking seems possible, such as walking and breathing. They are so well-learned and automatic that it doesn't require the same cognitive resources as a newer or more complex task.
TL;DR: humans cannot multitask on a biological level.
Maintaining Balance
We seem to perfectly understand that "you need resources to achieve something" in one setting, but it gets lost when we talk about work. Just like a car needs fuel (or a charged battery) to work, you need time to recharge. If you "schedule" work, "schedule" rest & recovery alongside it. Downtime, hobbies, social activities, and moments of solitude must not be an afterthought.
TL;DR: Rest and work must be given equal importance.
You Have Taken On Too Much
I used to have the "hero complex", where I took on too much to "save the day" (frankly, looking for praise.) I lacked the self-awareness to understand that, but it manifested in chronic stress, decreased quality of work, prolonged fatigue, and a sense of being overwhelmed.
TL;DR: Acknowledge that you are overextended. You do not need to do everything.
Busyness
There's a common misconception that being busy equates to being productive. More often than not, busyness is a form of laziness and avoidance.
This illusion of productivity can be seductive because it provides a sense of constant engagement and accomplishment — the "inbox zero" or "no new messages" myth. What do they have in common with slot machines? Random reinforcement. What if there's a new email/message? I must get to zero to be "on top of it."
TL;DR: Do not confuse productivity with "being busy."
Ultimate Productivity System
The ultimate productivity system encompasses four things:
A "lazy" approach.
"Signal vs noise" triage.
Balanced effectiveness & efficiency.
"Getting things done."
The “implementation” might differ from person to person, but the basis should stay the same.
"Lazy" Approach
The ultimate productivity system is based on a counterintuitive truth: embracing a "lazy" approach can significantly boost your effectiveness. It isn't about shrinking responsibilities but being so efficient and selective in your actions that you maximise results with minimal wasted effort. It's about understanding that "the less you do, the more of it you can do."
"Signal vs Noise" Triage
The ultimate productivity system helps you understand what you should pay attention to and shouldn't and enables you to pay attention to these things.
Do you need to pay attention to Slack? Email? Phone? Set aside the time to check it and let people know you will respond at set times. Minimise distractions as much as you can.
There are two guiding principles I use when it comes to triaging signal and noise:
I do not want to put energy into things I do not want to do or want more of.
If it's not helping me to do X, if it's not improving my life somehow, it's mental clutter, and it's out.
Balanced Effectiveness & Efficiency
The ultimate productivity system distinguishes between effectiveness (doing the right things) and efficiency (doing things right.)
It helps you answer questions like:
What are the N things to get done today, week, month, year?
Are they the "right" things?
Am I doing them in the "right" way?
What can be improved?
Is rest & work proprotionally balanced?
It helps you maintain a "balanced schedule" and do the right thing:
Do not schedule meetings back-to-back; give yourself a 15-minute break in between.
Go to the gym, walk, hang out with your friends, and do nothing for an hour after work to decompress.
Go on a holiday once a quarter because it helps you maintain your work/life pace.
Getting Things Done
The ultimate productivity system helps you get things done by focusing on pre-defined work using personal sprints (the famous Pomodoro technique) and triaging urgent work by using the following categories:
Do it now.
Decide when to do it.
Delegate it.
Drop it.
Your productivity system might be different from the next person, but it must enable you to do more of what you need/want to do. It will require ongoing adjustment and commitment. I’ll describe my implementation in a later blog post.