Productivity: The Top 5 Mistakes People Make
Avoid the errors everyone else does and upgrade your results.
If you want to improve your productivity, there’s no shortage of articles with advice—but there are several critical things those articles overlook.
And if you miss them, you will limit your ability to get things done effectively and efficiently. (It could even take you down a path you don’t want to go.)
Don’t make the same mistakes everyone else does.
In this article, I’ll break down the five most common mistakes from most productivity advice so you can get more done and thrive.
Using Willpower to Beat a Flawed System
I cannot stress this enough: You cannot use productivity “hacks” to overcome a bad environment. You cannot make it ineffective situation more effective with productivity—all you'll do is just be more productive at being ineffective.
Instead, often, for better productivity, you need to actually take a step back and look at the system and what's going on around you at a deeper level.
Often, the problem is the environment itself. For example, maybe there’s a bad work culture with ethical problems. Maybe there are a lot of unrealistic demands. Maybe there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Maybe the company's rewards or incentives prioritize the wrong things.
I’ve been in those situations before and let me tell you: There is no fucking way “waking up at 5am” or “organizing my inbox” would’ve fixed any of that bullshit. I had to leave. And only then would my life—and my productivity—improve.
Don’t straighten the deck chairs on the Titanic. Before you start boosting your productivity, take a step back and make sure you’re not trying to overcome an unrepairable situation.
Focusing On The Tactics, Not the Strategy
Most productivity tips only focus on tactics.
How to set up your computer. How to organize your inbox. How many minutes to work. How many minutes to rest. What’s the best app to do X, Y, or Z.
But before you even think about tactics, you must plan your strategy. Take a step back and consider what you’re actually doing and why. What are you working on? Are you even the right person to do those tasks? Are you even headed in the right direction?
If not, then doing things as “efficiently” as possible will never make you truly “productive.”
When it comes to your life, don't be the "employee" (or the "worker bee") who's running around with their head down and doing all these tasks. Aim to be more the "manager" where you call the shots and you tell the employees what to work on and what not to work on.
Not everything on your list is something you should do.
Trying to Be Productive 100% of the Time
I've said this before and I'll say it again:
Productivity is a tool, not a lifestyle.
Productivity is something you can use to help you accomplish specific things in less time.
It is not a surrogate for fulfillment or meaning in your life.
Just because you have a full, packed schedule does not mean your life is meaningful. In fact, this might surprise you, but many of the most successful people often have calendars that are completely empty.
For example, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates revealed in an interview that their schedules are almost blank.
Sometimes, in life, you’re purposely going to be “inefficient”—and that’s an amazing thing. For example, when I’m taking a trip, there are times when I just want to sit on my ass with a tasty drink and stare out into the scenery for hours.
And I'm perfectly content doing that and I feel zero guilt.
It’s a lot better than trying to cram a bunch of stuff into my itinerary to the point that I don’t even see the place that I visited (like National Lampoon’s Vacation). That might seem “productive,” but then again, is your vacation really the time to be uber-productive?
Probably not.
Not Looking at Your Results
Let’s say you do all these productivity hacks and you feel 2x more productive than before. Well, that’s great and all—but the “acid test” of productivity is simple:
Are your results improving?
If they are, that’s a huge sign your productivity is higher.
If they aren’t, then is your productivity actually increasing?
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
— Winston Churchill
Ultimately, the best measure of productivity is how much you create and deliver. So in your quest to fix your “process,” do NOT overlook your results.
If you’re not increasing your results in the things that matter, you’re not increasing your productivity. Make sure your results are moving toward your goals—because when you track and focus on what you achieve, your productivity will improve.
Not Having an Endgame
One of my favorite books of all time is The 4-Hour Work Week. But when Tim Ferriss wrote that the key to life is “excitement,” I raised my eyebrows:
“Excitement is the more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase. It is the cure-all.”
When I read that, I strongly disagreed and I had a nagging suspicion that he would never feel fulfilled with that mindset.
When you're endlessly chasing “excitement,” you will never be satisfied because the human mind adapts due to the hedonic treadmill. For example, if you skydive out of a plane for the first time, it going to be really exciting. But if you do it 100 times, it's not going to be as exciting the hundredth time.
Now, you're going to have to find something else to excite you—something bigger, bolder, and flashier.
“Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and softly sits on your shoulder.”
— Anonymous
The goal shouldn’t be excitement or the endless chase for “more.” The goal is to go after the things you want in life and learn how to be happy during that journey, which may or may not end up where you want to go.
Otherwise, you’ll be as productive as you want and achieve everything you want—but when is enough, enough?
When can you close your computer and feel content at a good day’s work?
When can you finally sit back and enjoy what you’ve built and created?
When can you finally stop chasing “excitement?”
Create your endgame. Define when you’re “there.” What is the goal you want to reach? What is the level where you can finally stop growing your business?
“There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want, and after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.”
— Logan Pearsall Smith
No productivity hack can tell you this: You have to decide for yourself. But once you do, you’ll understand what it’s all for and you’ll be free.
Ready to upgrade your productivity? I’ve created 5 free life hacks that will boost your results. If you use them, your life could change very quickly.