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Why productivity hacks won’t help Many of us turn to hacks and tricks for an easy way to achieve more work in less time, but Amantha Imber explains that they may not get to the root cause of the problem
HAVING SPENT the last few years researching, writing and podcasting about the world of productivity, I’ve learnt that many people – myself included – love a good hack. A productivity hack promises us an easy way to achieve so much more in so much less time. For example, you might have read that batch-checking your email is far more effective than dipping in and out of your inbox multiple times an hour, as most of us do. You might have heard that using website
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blocking software such as Freedom will help you stay focused on tasks and not succumb to digital distractions. While both strategies will help improve your productivity, the problem with hacks like these is that they can be like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. If the way we work is fundamentally broken, hacks can only help so much before things come undone. If our inbox remains an overwhelming mess, checking it less won’t fix the fundamental problem. Likewise, if you are
suffering from digital addiction, websiteblocking software may not actually help you overcome your addiction.
Get to the root cause Instead of relying on hacks, try to get to the root cause of your productivity problems. Often, this comes down to reviewing your workflow. Workflow is the underlying explicit or implicit system that specifies how your work gets done. Workflow refers to how tasks are assigned, executed and tracked.
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24/03/2022 6:00:20 am
