common false assumptions about productivity
I´m in the productivity space for several years now. I´ve started reading non- fiction books about productivity and self-improvement in 2017, shortly after discoverd bullet journaling and joining several productivity-related Facebook groups.
During the years I´ve spend uncounted hours discussing about productivity and there are unlimited clicheés which I´m encountering regularly. In this article I want to share a few of them and provide a rough guideline on how to solve these issues. Most of the clicheés here I see regularly at young people, but I´ve read all of these questions from people in their 30s and 40s too.
If I use app xyz I´ll become productive as hell
I´ve found this false assumption countless times. The main problem is that people don´t reflect on their individual needs and goals. I feel like 90% of the beginners aren´t aware of their goals in life and concerning productivity. They want to become like (add any famous productivity guro) and mostly don´t take the time to reflect what it means to be productive for them. I miss the “why” when I meet such people online. They think that productivity is a self-fullfilling prophecy, but if you miss goals you are working to it doesn´t matter how long or how hard you are working. Seneca has summarized the importance of goals quiet well, so I want to quote him here: “If one does not know which port one is sailing to, no wind is favorable” So I you need to become cristal clear on your goals to make your productivity meaningful. And only meaningful productivity is useful productivity which let you grow as a person and in life.
I need to use the trending app xyz in the system and thus migrate my stuff every few months
The shiny object syndrome hits in here. I´ve been guilty for that for far more years then I want to admit. I´ve tried like 10 or 15 productivity apps and now have settled in a system with just Evernote and TickTick. Maybe a read it later app will join the system in the future or a calendar app. I´m not sure, but I want to keep my digital system as simple as possible, with 2–3 physical journals as sidekicks, which are digitized by the beginning of each new month. I think it´s necessary to tweak a system sometimes, but I highly recommend to avoid changing apps in total as much as possible and resist the shiny object syndrome. It´s ok to watch a few youtube videos about new interesting apps, but I think you should really do your research and reflect deeply if the change is worth it before migrating stuff around back and forth. And if people are approx. 70% sure that the app would improve their system, I recommend downloading the app and try it out buy using this app for handling 1–3 small short term projects instead of migrating all stuff at once and feeling unsatisfied soon.
There is only one way to be productive
I´ve read this false assumption especially from teens who jump into the productivity space. They often feel overwhelmed by school and other stuff, so I understand why they seek help there. But they often lack the ability of self-reflection, which makes it difficult to start. I don´t blame them, because if all this productivity content would have been available during my teenage years (the mid — 2000s), I would have tried the same. I can´t point out enough how important self-reflection is in the productivity space. But productivity gurus barely talk about that, so from my perspective it´s the most overlooked part of productivity.
copying a system = being as productive as the person who invented the system
It goes hand in hand with the clicheés mentioned above. It´s like toddlers who try to copy the people around them when they learn how to walk. In principle this approach to learning is normal and should be fine. But the mayor problem here is, that they often use role models like Ali Abdaal (or other famous productivity gurus) who have complicated systems which usually include tools to manage their team and have 20 different inboxes. I think 90+% of teenagers and young adults don´t need such a complicated system.
Another problem with this approach comes from people who copy or buy complex templates and don´t know how to use the app beforehand, as they blindly follow their role models. They basically buy a highly complex template and don´t know how to tweak it for their needs. I´m not against buying templates, but I think it only makes sense if people know that the app they are using fit their individual needs beforehand. And they should be willing to tweak the template for their favor, even if it requires a bit of learning about how to use the app. I can´t point out how important it is to tweak these templates if you want to use it on the long run to fulfill your individual neads and not just be overwhelmed by complexity again.
I have nothing against getting freebies too (like the free templates for Notion, Evernote etc.) and experimenting a bit for learning what they want / like etc. But I think it becomes problematic when people desperately get a premade system and expect that it solves their problems completely without any adaption. That simply doesn´t reflect the reality, as we are all individuals with different needs.
My system need to as complex as from xyz
It goes hand in hand with with the cliche´s of copying systems. My general recommendation is to start as simple as possible by implementing small steps and try to keep the system as simple as possible. Like starting using a digital calendar. Starting a bullet journal. Develop the habit to store all notes in one place / app only. These are small steps, but for people living in total chaos before, such simple steps could make a huge difference. Additionally most systems accumulate clutter and chaos, so I recommend to be as complex as needed, but as simple as possible.
It´s all about apps
No, it´s all about reflecting what are your goals and needs for reaching the goals. Then using apps / tools for reaching them. If you feel comfortable using good-old Evernote and a physical journal as your mayor tools it´s fine. I think it´s best to free your judgement from what others use and doing a deep reflection on your personality, preferences, needs and the things you want to archive instead of finding the 100% perfect fitting app. There is no person like you, so there is no all-in-one app / tool which will fulfill 100% our needs. After this awareness it´s important to learn how to tweak the app or our workflows to fullfill our needs even better. It might become a rabit hole, but if you find an acceptable way to further simplify your system or reduce friction, it´s mostly worth it. As we grow during life our requierments might change, but often there are a lot of ways to adapt our systems without changing apps.
lately: I need to have a second brain
The second brain movement goes down to Tiago Forte and his book “How to build a second brain” which was released in June 2022 and is currently hyping in the productivity world. It´s basically a system which integrates a central note-taking app with any other apps you use for digital capturing and processing. Tiago himself uses more then 10 apps regularly in his 2nd brain. I think it´s wrong to use every app he uses too, but seeing it as an inspiration. There is no need to add complexity to a system when it doesn´t have a benefit. From my perspective this video by Ali Abdaal is a good start, as it explains different complexity levels of productivity systems and gives examples which are helpful to reflect on our individual needs.
all can be traced to one big problem: beginners have no idea about what their individual productivity system could look like, because they rarely reflect beforehand
Before choosing any productivity / note-taking app I recommed to ask yourself these questions. Feel free to use to adapt them to your needs and adding your own versions in the comments. Most are inspired from online content I´ve consumed during the 5+ years in the productivity space, but honestly I don´t know anymore where I got which idea from. I only remembered the ideas, but not copy / pasted these questions from anywhere.
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Consider this when you start implementing your productivity system or a new app / tool
- What are the goals and projects you are working towards?
- Why do you want to archive these goals and finish these projects? What is your motivation behind?
- What are your productivity related goals?
- Research your note-taking style for choosing your central note-taking app. I recommend this article or this youtube video as a start. For the youtube link I recommend watching the whole 4 part series before setting up your system
- How should your overal productivity system roughly look like? Which elements or functions are essential and which are optional?
- guideline: Create a “maybe” list for functions and apps which might be useful in the future. Refer to this list whenever you are in a slump or when you feel like your system isn´t fitting your needs.
- Be aware that these lists and your “have tos” for your app might change during the next months and years, so I recommend reviewing your system every few months, at least once a year.
6. Aspects to consider for choosing a tool (mostly applicatable for apps)
- Handwritten on paper vs. handwritten digital vs. typing
- syncing between your devices
- integrations for other apps you are already using
- data safety
- your digital eco system (Windows, Apple, Android, Linux)
- usage of other data formats, pictures, PDFs…
- user interface
- intuitive handling
- Export of data for usage in other apps
7. For new tools only:
- What would be the benefits of this new thing?
- What would be the disadvantages of this new thing?
- How would it fit into my system?
- Where are potential drawbacks?
- How difficult will it be to learn using this app properly?
8. Set rules for every tool / app you are using in your system. It´s the best to write them down and keep this notes easily accessible. These might also be helpful for reviewing your system or tweaking it.
9. Recommendation: create notes with master workflows about how you want to handle different reoccuring issues like reviews, planning a project etc. This helps to establish this workflow more easily. Make sure these notes are easily accessible.
Reflecting on your system regulary with these questions. I recommend to ask yourself these questions at least once a month.
- How comfortable am I with my current system?
- What works for me?
- What doesn´t work for me?
- How can I solve these issues without adding a new layer of complexity?
- Can I simplify anything in my system or my workflow?
