A different way to look at productivity

An ideal scenario — the caffeine-fueled worker

When we imagine being productive, we often think of hitting a flawless stride, and swiftly completing tasks as if they were second nature.

We picture waking up, diving right into the most important work while sipping coffee, then jumping to another task, slipping into a meeting, and returning to finish what we started. We picture ourselves creating a project blueprint, laying down the initial code, and making real progress all on the same day, all without losing momentum.

This vision seems possible, at least in our minds (and certainly in movies). We like to believe that we can squeeze the juice out of every last drop of productivity drop of our limited hours. When we picture that perfect day, it becomes our golden standard—the best, most productive day ever, fueled by caffeine and endless energy.

The question is: how do we connect this imagined world to our real one, where we’re not nearly so flawless and where distractions lurk around every corner? Is it possible to focus in and out of work in such a way that, out of the 17 hours we’re awake, we can we can squeeze the juice out of even four of them to the kind of deep, satisfying effort we dream about and feel happy with the result?

Understanding Autopilot

It’s worth looking at what happens when we slip into a kind of automatic mode, working simply because we have to. We may even enjoy the task we need to do, but somehow our attention drifts. We tell ourselves it’s important, yet we still struggle to stay fully present.

This loss of focus can come from several places. Sometimes it’s the sheer number of tasks we’re juggling, and the mind wanders because it can’t settle on where to begin.

Other times, we might put too much pressure on ourselves, hoping to get everything right at once. Our surroundings also play a role if they’re crowded with distractions. With no breaks or moments of calm to help us reset, we slip into a state where we move forward without really thinking, and before long we’ve lost track of why we cared in the first place.

Reframing productivity starts with asking a simple question: Why?

Why do you want to work on this task?

Maybe it’s your job and you need the money. Maybe you want to build something and share it with others. Maybe you have an exam or an interview ahead, and you need to prepare. Whatever the reason, the work must be done within a certain time, or it won’t matter much. In some cases, there may even be consequences

Before starting, be clear about why you’re doing it, how long you’ll spend, and what you expect to see at the end. For example, I’m writing this article now, at 1:30 AM on a Sunday, and I want it finished by 3:00 AM. That means I have a simple goal for the next couple of hours.

Setting smaller goals like these can help you avoid working on autopilot. It helps you stay aware of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. By doing this, you gain more control over your tasks and your time. It may not sound like much, but it can make a real difference.

This is important.

Avoiding autopilot is the first step. Then asking ourselves why we want to do something.

And now, it's more about understanding the speed.

Slow Productivity, Framing and Thinking in Tens

Currently productivity is no longer about how efficiently you work. Productivity is about how much you accomplish.

Have you questioned about, when reading the first part about the article: "Why are we trying to do a lot of things?" Why do want to see so much results on day 1.

It's because I don't have patience, you don't have patience, and we both don't have patience 🤡. And in order to be patient you have to go slow. (Yeah, drive slow as well. Else you'll be a patient 💀 for real).

Go slow, understand efforts and then eventually focus on the early results. This is a framing problem. You can work on something for ten days and then expect some results, however trying something just on day one and expecting results won't bring anything but disappointment.

That's why I bring the idea of thinking in tens. Which is to spend ten days working on something and then evaluate results on day eleven. While trying to avoid autopilot-mode and being deliberate in your efforts by asking why.

When you think in a different sense of time as compared to what's being told something different happens. One you can adjust the speed of your work accordingly. You'll always will be slow to start and then fast eventually. So, the first ten days you'll be struggling however eventually as your TENets pass by things will become simpler.

Maybe this will be your version of caffeine fueled worker, however it is going to look simpler and calm, like tropical house instead of rock me Amadeus.

Eventually you will come with a good frame and this is what is more important. The measurement of time isn't what's given to you by others. It's what you define for yourself.

In the end, it's your life and your time. Live life on your own terms and frame things on your own terms too!

Thank you for reading. Follow me, Saurabh Rai (@srbhr) on Peerlist. Instagram, LinkedIn and GitHub.

Greatness is coming!