My Productivity Skyrocketed When I Ditched These 5 Common Productivity Hacks

The best productivity hack is doing meaningful work

Scan the titles of articles with the tag “Productivity,” and you’ll soon realize that the same few pieces of advice are regurgitated over and over again.

If you are still struggling to get the stuff done that you need to get done and finally feel successful, let me quickly summarize what you need to do.

Get up at 04:00 am with a smile on your face and full of energy to immediately tackle your most challenging task.

Of course, you will need to use the Pomodoro technique to ensure you’re working only in 25-minute time blocks and give yourself many small breaks during the day.

Your day is preplanned in minute detail, and you, of course, focus only on your zone of genius. To be able to do that and to produce your best work, you have rented a distraction-free office, set your phone on airplane mode, and say no to every request that comes your way.

Of course, you know that your body needs to be in top shape if you want to function well. That’s why you drink 8 glasses of water daily and hit the gym each evening before going home and getting your 8h of sleep per night.

If you think that you are not where you want to be in life because you are missing the essential hack for increased productivity, your thinking is flawed.

Despite what many productivity writers and gurus tell us, we don’t need to follow others’ routines to be successful.

In fact, once I stopped trying to adopt some of the most famous productivity hacks out there, I have started to become more productive, happier, and more relaxed.

Here are 5 famous productivity hacks I ditched and why.

1. Taking Frequent Breaks

I honestly don’t know why I tried for as long as I did to make this work for me.

One of the most famous routines of people who have figured out how to achieve super focus is working in bursts and taking short breaks in between.

You probably heard of the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for 25 minutes and then reward yourself with a short break. I have tried this variation and variations with more extended working periods.

However, I have realized that this way of working just doesn’t suit my personality.

Already in school, I found it distressing when classes would end after 45 minutes, and I would get bored in the 10-minute breaks in between.

At university, I found it annoying that my fellow students needed frequent breaks when working on a project together.

I always preferred to work for several hours until my brain is entirely empty and I really can’t focus anymore. Then I reward myself with a long break.

Taking a break every hour or even more frequently makes it incredibly hard for me to keep focused and creativity going. I find it very hard to reach a flow state when taking breaks.

Instead, I often work for 5 hours straight and then be exhausted but happy — a feeling that only a fartlek-run can reproduce. Once I am done working, I give myself a proper break and walk, run, or clean my flat.

Anything that gets my body moving works well to recharge my brain.

2. Working On The Hardest Task First

I have tried various morning routines during the last 10 years. One thing that stayed constant was exercising. However, this too changed when I tried to work on my hardest task first.

I would get up and head straight to my desk to write. After trying this for a few weeks, I realized the nonsense.

While I am a morning person through and through and do love getting up early, I found that I wasn’t creating good work without clearing my head first.

And since my work wasn’t as good, I needed longer to finish projects. Then I had less time for what I consider essential for keeping focus and a healthy mindset: going for a run, gratitude journaling, and scripting.

I have since changed my routine again and now do these things first thing in the morning. As a result, I feel happier, more relaxed, and mentally stronger, which boosts my productivity immensely.

3. Working Distraction Free

I seriously don’t comprehend how people can work in a completely distraction-free environment 👀.

Maybe it is because I grew up in a noisy home, surrounded by 7 siblings. Perhaps it is because my mind is just too hyperactive, constantly chatting and going in circles.

Whatever the reason, I can not focus well when there’s silence around me.

I have tried classical music, nature sounds, complete silence, and binaural beats. However, I feel best when there is some chatter around me. Especially when working late at night.

I like to turn on podcasts or audiobooks at a low volume and happily work. I feel that it makes me feel less lonely. My mind wanders off less, and I can focus better on the task at hand.

It sounds counterintuitive, but working in silence is counterproductive to creating my best work.

4. Sleeping 8 Hours Per Night

Since I stopped trying to force myself to sleep 8 hours per night, I feel more refreshed when I wake up, and I am more alert during my waking hours.

As described in my article on polyphasic sleep, the modern-day monophasic nocturnal sleep pattern doesn’t work for me.

When I try to stick to this pattern, I frequently wake up at night, and my energy usually slumps big time in the afternoon. In the evenings, I am basically only physically awake.

Wasting half of my waking hours in a semi-awake state is a significant hindrance to optimum productivity.

I have tried all sorts of diets, exercise regimens, and other “lifestyle hacks” to increase my energy levels. However, switching to a polyphasic sleep pattern and sleeping less during the night has had the most significant positive effects on my productivity.

5. Getting To Inbox Zero

Ahhh yes. We should never have an unopened email in our inbox.

Why? Sadly, I didn’t question the logic of this productivity hack before I tried to apply it.

I admit it, I am addicted to learning, and I love reading other people’s musings and ideas. While this might seem to be a good character trait, it comes with its own set of problems. One is that I have subscribed to way too many newsletters.

Alas, my inbox overflows with messages each day. On top of newsletters, there are Medium notifications, emails submitted via my website’s contact form, and regular email communication with clients, friends, and other people.

If I wanted to go to inbox zero, I would spend at least 2 of my waking hours playing catch-up.

My inbox is nicely packed, and I am not the least concerned about this. I quickly scan my emails and answer urgent ones when I get up.

(Psssst I just broke another productivity rule: never check your emails first thing in the morning)

The rest can wait. Most of them will simply get deleted in one fell swoop after remaining unopened for the next 2 days or more 😂.

The Best Productivity Hack

It sounds simplistic, but I believe the best productivity hack is doing work you love and find meaningful.

If you find yourself constantly searching for the next productivity hack to finally get things done, then it is time to look within yourself and ask yourself why.

Why are you procrastinating on those tasks in the first place?

What is keeping you from just doing what needs to be done to get where you want to go?

Often we don’t lack a hack or system to become more productive. Instead, we lack focus and direction and feel that what we do matters.

Do the work you love, find meaningful, and experience how much more productive you will become.