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- Why I Have A Problem With Productivity Hacks
Why I Have A Problem With Productivity Hacks
And what I think actually works...
For years, I punished myself for not following through with the productivity techniques that all the gurus told me I should do:
The Eisenhower Matrix
Pomodoro technique
Time-boxing
Eat the frog
They worked for a short period, but their effects quickly faded.
the result:
FRUSTRATION.
Now, after years of consistent experimentation, this is what I found:
These productivity gurus are making a big assumption: Their productivity techniques work for everyone at any time in their lives.
WRONG.
Yes, these techniques can be effective…
But everyone has their own unique lives and circumstances that require a different strategy to become more productive.
My conclusion:
Productivity is a very personal experience that requires a unique solution tailored to the person.
For this reason, I believe it's more useful to help someone with the following 2 things before preaching any productivity hack:
Increase clarity about their goals
Increase awareness about what distracts
Only when clarity and awareness are set, the productivity techniques can be of service.
After all, once your goals are clear, you create the intrinsic motivation to get to work. And awareness about what distracts makes it easier to understand what productivity hacks will be useful.
So, how to increase your clarity and awareness?
For clarity, as yourself the following 2 questions:
“What is the number one goal I want to achieve this year?” (make it concrete and quantifiable)
“Why do I want to reach this goal?”
For awareness, start logging what distracts you from your work every time you get distracted.
Do you go to your Youtube app on your phone?
Write it down.
Are you excusing yourself to eat something from the fridge?
Write it down.
Eventually, you'll notice the patterns that keep you from moving toward your goals and you can plan interventions.
As awareness precedes change and allows you to self-correct.
Remember:
Productivity is a personal journey that looks different for everyone.
Experiment, and find what works for you.
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