The Productivity Lie I Believed for 5 Years

For the last few years I’ve read so many productivity books. Watched tons of videos trying to figure out how can I get more done in my 24 hours than others.

This is the core driver of productivity types: Getting more done with the time they have.
It’s all about efficiency.

There is one major flaw with productivity that took me 5 years to understand:
It doesn’t matter how fast I run, if I’m running in the wrong direction.

In the productivity space there is a lot of clutter about tactics that make you faster.

There is little question about the tasks on your to-do list.
I know there is the Eisenhower Matrix — but in reality, it is not enough to categorize.

In my days of following the productivity experts, I was more focused to automate, batch, plan and optimize my schedule than I actually got to work.

There were three major changes for myself:

  1. I stopped looking for perfection and started striving for excellence.
  2. I stopped chasing efficiency and started opting for effectiveness instead.
  3. I stopped optimizing everything before I could be sure it’s the right thing.

The result now is the Revenue Routine.

It helped me actually build a habit stack that grows my business every day.
It means I take my time only for the things that make a difference instead of chasing all the hyped hacks or just checking things off my list.

Similar Posts

  • What if it doesn’t work?

    How often have you second-guessed yourself? I still do it almost daily. It’s hard sometimes. I’m trying, and I pour it all in. There is still a part of my brain saying:What if it doesn’t work?What if I’m just making a fool out of myself? There are so many little feelings of doubt. The one thing I tell myself — and it’s definitely going to come true — is the truth: When nothing gets done, you will also not get any reward. When the question of what if it doesn’t work? paralyzes me —then it will…

  • The Spiral of Salaries

    Hey Reader, Right now we feel the pressure. Many economies seem to struggle. There are many news reports about prices going up. A friend of mine said the math for January:Over the last five years, prices have risen by 30–60%. Even for singles—more for families with kids. Yet the economy is still feeling the pressure. The big danger is still ahead. Because in Germany there are a lot of people asking for a raise. They want to earn more. I fully understand this. People speak up to raise the…

  • Don’t become a Tactic-Addict

    Hey Reader, We are so often concentrated on learning everything there is. We want to be fully prepared. We do more and more research. It is all about knowing the latest tactics. We become addicted to learning the newest tactics. The new update to the tactic we’re already planning to use. There is a quote that got me thinking recently. I’m not sure who said it:“It’s not about learning all the tactics, it’s about becoming the person capable of using the tactics.” We need to become men of…

  • Have You Shared Your Story Yet?

    Many people try to grow their online presence —trying to build something unique. Yet they tell stories that everybody has heard before. You could share your story. Tell what happens in your life. It’s hard to do, so maybe — you think there is no story to tell. You have nothing interesting to share. Or you think that it’s scary. You don’t want to tell your story to nobody. I understand all that. But here’s the question:Why did you start? What made you want to start this business in the first…

  • The truth about the easy life.

    Hey Reader, Last night was rough. Our son woke us up in the night.Which happens to all parents, I know. He cried.He was hungry, so we gave him a bottle of milk. Just when I was about to fall asleep again, he cried again. At some point, he fell asleep again.I didn’t… My mind was wandering around. How nice would it be to have an easy life? Sleeping through the night. Sitting up rested. No commitments during the day. Just whatever I want to do. Do you also wish for an easy life sometimes? It…

  • The Curse of Convenience

    Hey Reader, I just started a new book:4000 Weeks – Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. I picked it up because after all the years of trying to beat productivity,I start to have my doubts what productivity really means. He also starts to talk about how everything is getting more convenient. I like to use AI.It gives my productivity a big advantage.It’s a major boost.I think that I actually get 20x more done than without AI.AI definitely makes my life more convenient. Yet there is…