I hadn’t posted this yet because I wasn’t completely happy with it and hadn’t found the time for editing. Then, in a conversation today, my friend Lawrence told me to stop being a perfectionist and post it anyway. “I’m not a perfectionist!” was my immediate response. But he was right! So here’s the post, a few days late (sorry) and without further edits.
There's a lot of content out there focused on how to be more productive or build habits. If I'm honest, sometimes it makes me feel guilty. Usually because I agree with it. "You're right, I should be more productive! What's wrong with me?!" "I really should be building better habits!"
Are the people writing that content actually living it? I believe they are, but the hidden secret is that they're not able to do it all the time. I just wish they'd tell us.
In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear sets out different steps for making habits stick. It's a great book. One piece of advice that sticks with me is to make the thing you want to do part of your identity. For example, you might want to do more exercise but say things like "I'm not a runner." James argues that's not conducive to building the habit of running, because you need to make it a belief. Instead, if you start referring to yourself as a runner in conversations with friends, it becomes part of your identity - you believe in it - and therefore will find it easier to keep going.
In my head, James consistently decides he wants to do something new, and then gets it done. Meanwhile, I sit wondering why it's still a struggle even after reading his book and following the steps. The truth is that James (probably) isn't perfect and has also failed at building new habits from time to time.
Ali Abdaal, a doctor turned YouTube creator and author, shares tips about productivity. Like Atomic Habits, they're helpful and relatable. For example, Ali says a good way to be more productive and focused on a task is to make it enjoyable. If something's fun, you're more likely to get it done. Good advice.
In my head, Ali’s able to be at his most productive in every moment he needs to be. I should find it easy to follow his advice and do the same. Some days, no matter how fun or interesting, being productive is hard. I just need to give myself a break.
Similarly to the example above, the truth is no one (including Ali) can be at the height of productivity for every hour of the day or weeks on end. I sometimes joke (with a hint of truth) that I’ll either generate eight hours worth of work in one, or one hours worth of work in eight, and there’s no in-between! This isn’t a new feeling for me - I’d had the same experience during my jobs at Google and Adobe.
Don't get me wrong - James and Ali provide great advice and often for free. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that experts saying their systems don’t always work won’t sell more books or courses. Let’s also remember there’s often a team of multiple people helping to manage their time, brainstorm ideas and even develop their content. In which case, many of the barriers to creating the final output are taken care of.
I’m dropping this reminder here for myself, and it might be helpful for you, too:
Nobody’s perfect; we're all human. If you’re genuinely trying your best, you can stop feeling guilty when you're not being as productive as you'd like. Remember that the people providing amazing advice and guidance also face struggles of their own, even if they don't share it.
So, in case you read this newsletter thinking I find it consistently easy to think of ideas and write these posts... I don't. There are days when it's hard and I doubt myself. Because whatever systems you have in place, sometimes your brain and/or body just needs a break. I think that's the same for everyone, and hope you can relate!
Last week I talked about how I capitalise on the moments where I feel a spike of confidence. I do the same with productivity - lean into the moments when I have the best headspace for focused work. Speaking to a supportive friend for the nudge to get moving or to hold me accountable has also been helpful. (Shout out to Lawrence! It turns out he’s sharing more about his approach to productivity in his own newsletter this Sunday.)
Soon, I’ll share more thoughts on productivity and why we’re so focused on it. For now, I'd love for you to share your own productivity tip with the community of 200+ people subscribed to this newsletter! What's something you've found really helps you get down to deeper, more focused work, or deliver more consistently, even if it's only sometimes? Let us know in the comments. Nothing to share? No worries - if the post resonated with you, tap the like button below.
It’s story time! I’ll tell you about how I ended up travelling up and down the UK for Cadbury after randomly entering a competition. There’ll be video evidence from the archives and some reflection on what I learned about myself during those few weeks 15 years ago.
As always, thanks for reading.
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