I’m really frustrated with how complicated productivity has become. Does anyone else feel like we’re overthinking this?
I spent hours setting up elaborate systems in apps like Notion, creating templates that took longer to build than actually completing my tasks. I bought tons of colored pens for time blocking simple things like making shopping lists. I tried waking up super early thinking it would make me more efficient, but I just ended up tired and drinking way too much coffee.
The pomodoro technique made me feel like I was back in school watching the clock. I stressed about keeping my email inbox completely empty even though new messages kept coming anyway. I downloaded so many productivity apps that keeping them all updated became a job itself.
I read about deep work but couldn’t even focus long enough to finish articles without getting distracted. I tracked every habit obsessively and felt terrible when I broke my streaks.
Then I realized something simple. Previous generations got things done without all these complicated systems. They didn’t need apps to remind them to drink water or special notebooks that cost a fortune. They just had basic tools and work to complete.
What actually works for me now:
Write down what I need to do
Start with the hardest task
Everything else comes after
That’s my whole system. It’s not fancy or expensive, but it works better than anything else I’ve tried.
Every time I add more complexity to my productivity setup, I end up spending more time managing the system than actually working. I just need to turn off distractions, close unnecessary browser tabs, put my phone away, and focus on the task at hand.
Anyone else found that simpler approaches work better than elaborate productivity systems?
This hits hard. I went through the exact same thing - got so obsessed with optimization that I was optimizing my optimization tools. Spent weeks color-coding my calendar, building automated workflows, researching productivity methods like I was writing a PhD dissertation. The wake-up call? I missed an important deadline because I was too busy reorganizing my task system. That’s when it clicked - I’d become a productivity hobbyist, not someone who actually gets shit done. Now I mostly use a basic notepad and pen. No fancy features, notifications, or syncing. Just write it down, cross it off. Writing by hand makes things stick in my brain better anyway. The productivity industry has us thinking that being busy with systems equals being productive. It doesn’t. Real productivity is boring and repetitive. It’s doing the work when you don’t feel like it, not finding new ways to organize work you might do someday.
You nailed something I wish I’d figured out sooner. I used to think productivity meant having the perfect system - turns out it just made me a slave to that system. My breaking point? Realizing I spent more time updating my task tracker than actually getting stuff done. Why did I need an app to remind me to call my dentist or grab groceries? Everything changed when I stopped trying to capture every tiny detail and started trusting my brain with routine stuff. Now I only write down genuinely important things - stuff with real consequences if I forget. Most daily tasks don’t need tracking, they just need doing. The productivity industry makes bank convincing us we’re broken without their solutions. But humans got incredible things done for centuries with basic tools and common sense. Simple beats fancy every time.
Totally agree! I used to waste Sunday mornings “planning” with fancy spreadsheets and color codes. Just procrastination with extra steps. My grandmother raised 5 kids and ran a business with a kitchen calendar and determination - no apps. Now I ask myself “what’s the most important thing today?” and do it first. Everything else falls into place. These systems trick you into thinking you’re working when you’re just avoiding real work.
The productivity rabbit hole killed my work output for months. I spent so much time building the perfect system that I forgot systems should help you work, not become the work. My rock bottom? Three hours reorganizing digital files instead of finishing a project due the next day. That’s when it hit me: complex doesn’t mean effective. Now I use the ‘napkin test’ - if I can’t write my daily priorities on a napkin in under two minutes, my system’s too complicated. Most days I skip the napkin and just tackle the most annoying task first. The relief from finishing something hard carries you through everything else. Productivity gurus want you to think this stuff requires specialized knowledge and courses. It doesn’t. Just do what needs doing without excuses or finding fancy ways to organize your excuses.
The productivity trap is absolutely real - took me years to figure this out. I’d hop between systems every few months thinking the next one would fix everything. GTD, bullet journals, fancy apps - they all promised to be the solution but just created more busywork. The wake-up call came during a crazy week at work when I had zero time for my usual system maintenance. Grabbed a random piece of paper, scribbled three urgent tasks, and just tackled them. Got more done that day than weeks of careful organizing ever delivered. Most productivity systems exist to sell you something or trick you into feeling productive while you’re really just procrastinating. Real work happens when you stop obsessing over the ‘how’ and just dive in. Best productivity hack? Accept that the work itself matters, not your beautiful organizational setup.
Been there way too many times. The worst part? You spend more time tweaking your productivity system than actually getting anything done.
I did this for years before realizing most of my “productivity” was just fancy procrastination. Game changer was automating all the repetitive junk that cluttered my brain instead of trying to organize it manually.
Now automation handles the routine stuff - sorting emails, scheduling follow-ups, moving completed tasks, updating project statuses. Clears all that mental clutter so I can focus on what matters.
Here’s the thing: you don’t need some complex system. You need to kill the busy work entirely. Once the boring repetitive stuff runs automatically, your simple approach of writing it down and tackling the hard stuff first becomes incredibly powerful.
I use Latenode for these automations since it connects everything without needing to be technical. Takes 10 minutes to build something that saves hours weekly. Way better than maintaining some elaborate manual system.