Most of us have an idea of what productivity is (and isn’t). Whether those ideas come from productivity gurus on LinkedIn, the NYT bestseller list, or a TED talk of choice.
Some of this advice can be life changing. But often, along with all the life hacks and motivational quotes, we come away with unhelpful misconceptions about productivity.
These productivity myths can be scarily easy to buy into, whether it’s because they’ve been repeated so often that we’ve accepted them as true or because they just sound right.
Let’s dig into some of these common [un]productivity ideas. And if they’re just not working, what you can do instead.
Myth #1: Productivity Means Doing More
Perhaps the most powerful and most basic myth is that being productive equals doing more. It’s the idea that productivity means working more hours, ticking off more tasks, and taking on more responsibilities. This partly comes down to how we view hustle culture as a society – constantly grinding has become something of a status symbol.
This drive to “do more” encourages you to focus on quantity (the number of hours or tasks completed), rather than on the quality of your output. It could also result in a misalignment between your actions and your goals. You could be working incredibly hard but not making meaningful progress on the things that matter (doing “more” often means being productive tactically but missing out on larger strategic objectives).
Additionally, working longer hours has the potential to make you less productive as it can negatively impact your cognition and focus. It is a recipe for anxiety, exhaustion, and burnout. And while it can produce short term results, it undermines your ability to remain productive in the long term.
What To Do Instead
Productivity experts like James Clear and Cal Newport recommend embracing the concept of “doing less” as it means you won’t be dividing your attention and prioritizing feeling busy in the moment over long-term success.
Think about the bigger picture and identify what it is you really want to achieve. Then, set clear goals and find a system for identifying and prioritizing the tasks that will bring you closer to them.
Look for activities that are not contributing to these goals and eliminate them. While your to-do list might look less impressive, each time you say no to something that doesn’t serve you, you’re taking a step toward your long-term vision.
Myth #2: You Must Fill in The Gaps
Closely related to the idea of “doing more” is the belief that you should capitalize on every spare moment you have throughout the day to maximize your productivity.
From learning a language on your commute or doing a brainteaser between meetings, the internet is full of suggestions about how you can make so-called “gap time” more productive. (This blog is no exception but to be fair, when you use these tips responsibly, they can make a positive difference!)
But take it too far and you don’t leave any time for doing nothing. You deny your brain the opportunity to recuperate, process, and subconsciously explore any problems you might be facing. There’s also a downside risk of becoming overstimulated.
What To Do Instead
Aim for a healthy balance between using spare moments to stretch your brain and giving it permission to stray.
For example, some days you could listen to an audiobook while doing the dishes, while on other days you could do it in silence. If you already did a lesson on your language learning app during your morning commute, you could spend your journey home daydreaming. Accept that not every minute needs to be used wisely (which is, ironically, using it wisely).
Myth #3: Leisure Is Not Productive (and A Waste of Time)
Many of us fall into the trap of thinking of rest and leisure as the opposite of productivity: a waste of valuable time that we should feel guilty for.
There is also the tendency to view downtime as transactional: a nice-to-have that you can only enjoy once you’ve achieved something.
Both ways of thinking discount how important rest and leisure are for productivity. Without extended periods of downtime to recuperate, fatigue can seriously impact your cognition, your motivation, and your health, completely undermining your capacity for getting things done.
And while activities you do simply because you enjoy them such as a few episodes of your favorite show may feel shamefully self-indulgent when you have a lengthy to-do list, they are vital for replenishing your emotional energy and increasing your resilience.
What To Do Instead
Take regular breaks. You should also experiment with different styles of break so you can see how different durations and activities make you feel.
Schedule regular restorative activities and don’t skip them, even if you don’t feel you’ve “earned” them. You can also use techniques like the Reitoff Principle to help you take time off without guilt.
Lastly, make sure you properly unplug. By being intentional about how you finish your workday and by prioritizing your digital wellbeing, you can make sure your downtime is not being highjacked by unfinished business or the feeling that you need to be responsive all the time.
Myth #4: The Early Bird Gets the Worm
We’ve all seen the posts from people who get up at 4 a.m. and complete half a day’s work before most of us have even downed our first coffee. Tim Cook, Richard Branson, and Anna Wintour are all confirmed early birds. There are certainly potential productivity advantages.
But an early start isn’t a success shoo-in… it may even be counterproductive for some. That’s because your chronotype (biological clock) is genetically hardwired. Being a night owl could quite literally be in your DNA.
If you try to adopt a sleep pattern and work schedule that is drastically different to your body’s natural ebbs and flows, you risk missing out on the times when you are at your most alert and productive. It could also lead to sleep deprivation or problems with your circadian rhythm, negatively impacting your health.
What To Do Instead
Maintaining a regular, healthy routine with quality sleep could matter more than just waking up early.
Identify the times of day when you’re at your most productive by tracking your productivity and how you feel (over a period of time several weeks, ideally). You can then adapt your sleep schedule accordingly.
If you do want to make the most of your mornings, focus on getting up “earlier” for you (rather than a time recommended by someone else) and gradually build up to the change in a way that feels right. To feel awake more quickly, try to maintain a regular schedule where you go to sleep and wake up at set times and expose yourself to lots of natural light.
Myth #5: What You Need is Another Tool
With every productivity tool promising to revolutionize how you do things, it’s incredibly easy to believe the hype and keep adding to your digital toolkit in the hope that it will make you more productive.
In reality, if you burden yourself with too many tools, it can lead to a feeling of overwhelm and a fragmentary workflow. It can also cause communication breakdowns between you and your colleagues if everyone is trying to work across multiple platforms.
One study found that workers are constantly switching between an average of 35 apps, adding up to over 1100 switches per day! This inevitably disrupts any flow and increases the likelihood that things will fall through the cracks.
What To Do Instead
Do an audit of the tools you’re using as an individual or team (in the way an organization might complete a tech stack audit), taking note of any that are ineffective or redundant.
Use this to whittle down the number of tools you are reliant on. Finding just a few effective platforms (like streamlining your feedback process with an online proofing tool) that help your entire team collaborate seamlessly can greatly reduce frustration – and time wasted on chasing one another.
Myth #6: If It Works for Someone Else, It Will Work for You
We tend to turn to the routines of other (particularly successful) people for inspiration. After all, if day-theming works for Jack Dorsey and Tom Hanks wrote a book with the Pomodoro method, that must mean it’s a sure thing.
But as an individual, your needs and ways of working will be just as individual, so it’s unlikely that someone else’s approach will be perfect for you. Likewise, days and tasks also differ, so what works in one context may not in another.
What To Do Instead
Experiment with different productivity methods. Try out each one for a period so you can adjust to it and gage whether it works for you.
Don’t be afraid to tweak a method or even mix and match. Getting to know what you need in different situations will be far more effective than faithfully following someone else’s blueprint.
Overcoming Productivity Myths With Self-Awareness
Conflating productivity and busyness, regarding rest as a reward, and constantly reaching for yet another tool – productivity myths like these stick in our minds because they feel logical. But in reality, they’re deeply unhelpful and will only undermine your ability to be productive.
The answer to overcoming most of these insidious myths is getting to know yourself better. Getting clarity on what you want to accomplish, when you do your best work, and how you can best manage your time and energy will make it much easier to jettison unhelpful ideas about productivity.
