The ultimate productivity hack

I used to spend time almost everyday figuring out how to be productive.

Tools, techniques, notebooks. I read about everything and tried a wide range of ideas.

While a lot of these tools, techniques, notebooks did give me the desired results - I would become very productive - the system would eventually break down.

It could be due to burnout from being hyper productive.

It could be an unexpected change in my lifestyle or life’s circumstances that broke my routines.

Eventually I would rebuild a new system, or go back to practicing an old system. Only for shocks to dismantle them again, sometimes in weeks, sometimes months, sometimes over a year.

For the past 18 months of my life, I haven’t stuck to any of the tools, techniques, notebooks. Instead, I actively discarded them whenever I found myself trying to adopt any such system.

Yet, I’ve been the most productive I’ve ever been in my life, without any sort of burnout.

The ultimate productivity hack?

What’s important gets done.

Gaining too much weight? Cut back on junk food, exercise or run in the mornings. It’s important to be that I remain healthy.

Customers facing problems? Help them or fix the bug in the software. It’s important to me that my customer’s get the best experience.

Finances getting out of hand? Create a spreadsheet and track where your expenses are going, and where to cut down spend. It’s important to me that I not splurge on frivolous things.

There’s no tools, techniques or notebooks required.

This is a simple and straightforward mindset shift.

Do you know how to identify what’s important?

Do you know why it’s important?

Do you believe your life will be better if what’s important gets done?

Answer these, and internalise them.

Now you’ll do what’s important without having to plan to do it.