A never-ending stream of articles offer a new answer for how to be productive – or the same answer, re-packaged in a new way. But a lot of the advice out there just isn’t helpful – and can often be counter-productive. Here are nine of the top myths about productivity that don’t hold up, and may lead you astray.
Be selective about the apps and systems you use
Set your priorities offline and use your favorite apps or systems as a way to break down them
Start with “ludicrously small”, consistent habits
“Many of us quickly lose steam, get discouraged, and quit on our goals prematurely because we bite off more than [we] can chew,” says psychologist Nick Wignall.
- He recommends “start[ing] ludicrously small.”
- Come up with a manageable, regular routine, and then downgrade several steps even from that.
Optimize your productivity apps and systems
Tweaking or overhauling them makes us feel like we’re accomplishing something, but that “something” is managing our productivity apps & systems, not actually working toward our goals.
- At some point, the diminishing returns of optimizing our productivity systems turn negative
- Quantifying ourselves through the use of apps & system can distract us from more cognitively demanding & satisfying work.
Stay busy
While there is some evidence in research from Columbia University that busy people are productive because they “perceive that they are using their time effectively,” busy-ness often points to confusion about priorities.
- A few key differences between being busy and being productive include: having “poorly specified” versus “clearly specified goals, having multiple priorities, engag[ing in multitasking]”
- Say[ing] ‘yes’ to most of the things’ versus “thinkingful’ yes”
- Immediately responding to any given task vs “schedul[ing]”
Use your imagination, but realistically
Try “critical visualization,” where you imagine “realistic obstacles, setbacks, and other decidedly not-so-positive factors”
Use rewards
We tend to derive our most meaningful and sustainable stores of productivity through “intrinsic motivation”
- Interestingly, the use of extrinsic rewards – like raises, promotions, and benefits – can undermine intrinsic motivation when people already find a task engaging
- Motivational crowding theory: if an external reward is introduced to an already interested person, it displaces internal motivation
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Use highly successful people as inspiration, not idols
When we see someone who’s created a life that’s appealing to us, it’s important to use them as real human inspiration (which is very different than idolization) – because when we see things from that viewpoint, we can get a much better idea of the whole picture.
Focus on the few hours of the day you are most productive
Figure out when your most productive time of day is, and use a method like Eat The Frog or Time Blocking to do your most important work.
Myth 1: Copy the habits of highly successful people
It is flawed for several reasons
- For a few people who are successful by developing productive habits, many are unsuccessful in spite of using the same habits
- Put highly successful individuals on a pedestal, we forget that they’ve had and still have their own struggles and challenges.
Ways to avoid the busyness trap
Focus on just doing 3 important things each day
- Have a one-hour electronic blackout period
- Say no to things that do not advance your goals
- Reflect during your morning routine on how you will organize your day to fulfill some of your values
Try positive self-talk
Instead of being hard on yourself when you don’t meet your expectations, be more supportive of yourself and understanding of your challenges
- The problem with productivity myths is that they can make you feel like a failure if you aren’t able to live up to them
- They promote productivity for productivity’s sake rather than for the sake of accomplishing something you really care about
Cultivate intrinsic motivation
Focus on cultivating your intrinsic motivation – take time to enumerate your top values in life using a framework like the Eisenhower Matrix to set priorities and understand the skills you most want to develop in your work.
- Then, focus on the process rather than the outcome – e.g. write a novel in time blocks.
Myth 6: Willpower is finite
For many years, a theory called “ego depletion” has defined the conventional wisdom.
- According to this theory, exercising willpower and resisting temptation (to get a snack, to check social media, to take a nap, etc.) is a cognitively demanding task that diminishes our ability to perform.
- Newer research suggests that willpower may be more variable, and based on context and culture.
Set big goals
You could overwhelm yourself with too big a goal, too soon, and it could backfire
- In the long term, it may cause you to think of the action – running, writing, etc. – as too daunting
- Focusing heavily on goals was correlated with dropping out earlier
Maximize every moment of your day
The focus on maximizing time may actually diminish our creativity
- Productivity is fueled by raising attentional filters to keep unrelated or distracting thoughts out.
- Creativity requires opposite attention management strategies
- Being prolific is not about time management
Build your willpower over time through positive affirmation and habit development
Developing small habits or rituals helps build willpower
- “Morning pages” – write 3 pages every morning without concern about skill or content
- Self-affirmation can also help increase willpower, say a positive affirmation to yourself or become mindful of your negative thoughts and revising them
Myth 7: Visualize achieving your goal
Visualization techniques like the Secret sound like they should work, but so often they don’t
- According to a straight-forwardly titled paper “Positive fantasies about idealized futures sap energy,” visualization doesn’t inspire us to jump higher, but rather causes us to become complacent
- People also become more easily deterred by setbacks because in our fantasy version, nothing went wrong
Myth 9
An uncompromising regimen will keep you productive
- Productivity comes from feeling light and open, not closed.
- Be more supportive of yourself and understanding of your challenges
- Self-criticism that leads to depression and anxiety tends to make us feel smaller
- Rather than being hard on yourself when you don’t meet your expectations…be a supportive partner
