Why Most Productivity Advice Doesn't Work for Me

(Transcript edited for clarity.)

Hi, I'm Wes. Welcome to Why Most Productivity Advice Doesn't Work for Me.

I also often refer to this in conversation as productivity lies. Those are kind of two different things, but by the end of this, you'll see how they tie together.

Again, we're talking about why most productivity advice doesn't work for me.

Most productivity advice assumes the problem is getting more done.

I used to believe that too.

I don't think that's the problem any longer.

The real question is whether we're consistently doing the things that matter most.

Now let's look at both of those things.

Originally, I believed this too: Productivity was getting the most done.

Creating a list of 20 things and making sure I could cross off all 20 things at the end of the day.

Now compare that to getting the most important things done instead of worrying about getting the most things done.

I'm going to explain how I eventually came to this, and I'm going to quickly go over the system I use now and where I got that system.

But before we do that, I spent years - I mean years - trying all kinds of different productivity systems and success things like that.

I did a lot of research.

I'd look and read and find stuff and buy books, look online, watch videos, always looking for the productivity hack or the secret productivity system that would help me.

Here's what I was looking for.

I was looking for the things that helped me get more done.

Eventually, years later, I figured out I was looking for the wrong thing.

I've talked in another video about focusing on the things that are important and asking the right questions.

I found out I was asking the wrong question.

The question I was asking was, "How can I get more done? How can I get more done? I need to get more done."

It was crazy.

But the question I should have been asking was, "How can I make sure I get the most important things done?"

That doesn't mean getting the most stuff done.

I want to get the most important things done consistently.

My life improved when I stopped asking the wrong question.

When I stopped chasing productivity hacks and started building systems that helped me get the most important things done consistently.

You might have heard me talk about this a few other places. Maybe not.

The system I use is a system I learned from Hiram W. Smith.

He wrote a book.

He created the Franklin Day Planner, which eventually became part of Franklin Covey.

I use a variation of his system that works for me, which is what I've learned: Find the best systems and then adapt them to how they work best for me.

That's what I hope you're doing here.

I hope that's why you read my stuff, watch my videos, and learn from Your Life Systems.

That you take the systems I use and adapt them to make them work best for you.

Anyway, here's the system I use.

It's very close to what his original system was.

I go ahead and make the list.

I make the list of everything.

Then I split it up.

I split it up into the stuff that has to get done today, then the things I'd like to get done today but that aren't as important, and then everything else that would be fine whether I get it done or not.

Then I only work on the things in the first list until they're done.

Those are the most important things.

If I only have one most important thing on my list at the top, or two or three, no matter what, if I get those one, two, or three things done, I've had a productive day.

Even if I don't cross anything else off the list.

It took me a long time to figure this out.

The other part of his system that I also use is this: Let's say I have three things in the first category.

These are the three things that are going to move me the closest to this goal or my life goals today.

So they're in the top section.

I list them by importance: the most important, second most important, third most important.

Then I work on the very top thing.

I rewrite it.

Three things in my top section.

Number one is the most important thing.

Number two is the second.

Number three is the third.

I start and work on the first one until I get it done today.

Then I work on the second.

Only after I get those three things done, or however many there are, do I move to the next section.

That is not normal productivity.

Normal productivity advice says, "You've got 20 things on your list. Let's get more done. Let's get all 20 done."

That's not this.

This is me intentionally identifying what's most important to get me closer to my goal and focusing on it.

That's what you should do. That's my suggestion to you.

Instead of looking for the latest productivity hack, take ownership of the entire productivity conversation in your mind.

Because we're talking about what works for you and what's most important for you, not what's most important for anyone else.

You identify what your main goals are.

You identify the things you can do to get closer to those goals today.

Then you prioritize them.

You, you, you.

You get to choose.

You get to prioritize.

You choose what's most important, then you complete that.

That's production.

If I have 20 things on my list but only three things at the top, if I get those three things done today and don't get anything else done, that's a wildly productive day.

Because I worked on what was important to me and my goals.

So how can you use this in your life today?

You don't have to use the system I use, but you need to intentionally choose what's going to get you closest to your goals, whatever they are, and work on those things today.

Then do the same thing tomorrow.

Now, that's not what this is about, but you've got to understand I don't put a 20-hour task on today.

I break it down.

I might break that task over the week and then put a four-hour part of that 20-hour task at the top today.

So I'll get up today and work on that four-hour task until it's done.

Then I'll move on to the next one.

Tomorrow, the next four hours of that 20-hour task are tomorrow's number one productivity goal.

That's what I'm talking about.

But again, I get to choose.

I chose what my big goal is.

And that's what I'm telling you.

You choose, then you focus on the productivity there instead of marking everything off your list.

So productivity isn't the goal.

Progress is the goal.

Think about what I said.

If you work on the most important thing first, that has nothing to do with productivity.

That's progress.

Progress on your important goals.

Progress on what you think is important.

So remember, productivity is not the goal.

Progress is.

Busy doesn't always mean productive.

Just because you're busy doesn't mean you're making any progress toward what's important in your life.

So stop worrying about looking busy and start worrying about making progress on what's important.

Stop optimizing things that don't matter.

The 20-item list I keep talking about - I break mine up now.

The stuff at the bottom, I might have 10 or 12 things in the third category.

Those aren't important.

So I'm not going to optimize my day or my life for the things that aren't important.

I'm optimizing it and designing it for the things at the top that are the most important.

Build systems around your priorities instead of your tasks.

Build systems around your priorities.

This is really not about a productivity system.

This is about a priority system and a progress system.

Choose your priority.

Choose to make progress on the things that are most important to you.

Then take action.

Getting more done isn't always success.

Doing the right things consistently is what I call true success.

So make a list.

Make a list.

Look at your biggest goals or your most important goals or plans in your life right now.

Whether it's a life goal, business goal, family goal, whatever it is.

Make a list right now of what you can do over the next week that's going to bring you closest to those things.

Break them down day by day.

Then make the daily things the priority that day instead of looking for the next productivity hack.

So I'm going to leave you with this.

Productivity should support your life instead of becoming your goal.

Think about that.

Productivity is to support your life or your desired life instead of productivity being the goal.

Don't replace your goals with productivity.

Please sign up for updates, like the channel. I'll bring you more later.

Thanks for being with me.

What's Next?

·        Write down your most important goals or plans right now.

·        List the actions that would move you closest to those goals over the next week.

·        Break the important work into realistic daily steps.

·        Identify the one to three items that matter most each day.

·        Finish those priorities before optimizing lower-value tasks.

·        Judge the day by meaningful progress, not by how many boxes you checked.

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