8 Overrated Productivity Methods That Never Worked for Me

We’ve all fallen for the hype around trendy productivity hacks. But after trying these methods, I found that some productivity methods seem more suitable for selling books than for improving everyday life.

1

Time-Blocking and Timeboxing

As one of the most popular productivity techniques, time blocking was also one of the first I tried. But to be honest with you, it was a complete disaster. I met the many disadvantages of having a rigid routineas I feel constantly overwhelmed. Also, I heard that every day is perfect; if it was off for a few minutes, it would automatically cause a backlog.

So I tried timeboxing. This is similar to time blocking, but instead of blocking specific tasks, you assign time to a certain type of assignment. For example, I dedicate time to freelance work in general rather than a particular client project. While it was better, I still didn’t like being confined this way.

While I still work almost the same hours every day, my routine is more fluid. As a result, I get more done, and I’m also much happier.

2

The Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique usually involves working for 25 minutes before resting. I needed to get some screens in my routine because I stared at my computer for six hours straight, and then wondered why I couldn’t do anything later in the day. However, the Pomodoro Technique did not work in its normal sense.

My main problem with this tactic was that 25 minutes is not, in my opinion, enough time to do meaningful work. At that point, I’m just hitting my stride with a task. The stop-start nature was too much, and I became frustrated.

To face it the disadvantages of the Pomodoro TechniqueI instead take a break every hour (or when I write 1,000 words). If you want to try this tactic, I recommend increasing the times, especially if you are procrastinating.

3

Build a Second Brain

I was on a huge productivity arc a few years ago, and that’s when I found out Tiago Forte’s book Building a Second Brain. However, while I like Forte’s advice on YouTube, the second brain method didn’t work for me. Instead of simplifying my life, I felt overwhelmed and didn’t even finish the book.

I have tried many Apps to build a second braintoo, but that didn’t help. Soon after, I discovered the “Just Use Apple Notes” meme (which pretty much summed up how I felt at the time).

To be honest, I actually think that building a second brain is a great idea if you are a researcher or in another kind of academic field. However, I don’t think my personal needs require anything so complex.

4

Eating the frog

Eating the frog is when you complete the most difficult task of the day before. The idea is that your day becomes much easier once you’ve done what you don’t like anymore. I always tried to eat the frog, but it only worked about half the time.

I took some time to think about why this was the case, and I realized that eating the frog works if I have a personal project or something I like to do. However, if I don’t like something, I find it better to finish something else and cross it off my to-do list. Then, I can focus on the other task without distraction.

Becoming more essential and only doing tasks that move the needle forward helped me not need this technique. For example, I only check my emails twice a day. Also, I deliberately put less on my to-do list; if every hour is full, I burn quickly.

5

The Eisenhower matrix

Can you prepare to-do lists using the Eisenhower Matrix dividing tasks into four sections: Do Now, Do Later, Delegate and Delete.

While the concept is great, I spent too much time obsessing over where the jobs should be and then getting very little done. For me, it was another way of procrastinating.

Like eating the frog, on the other hand, I found it easier to identify consistent tasks that help me reach my goals. For example, what moves the needle forward as a freelancer is writing, editing, pitching, and building relationships. Everything else is a “nice to have” rather than a necessity.

6

I plan my week’s to-do list

I went through a stage when I planned my weekly to-do list in advance. While I thought this would help me focus better, I couldn’t concentrate better in practice. Also, I found that planning my entire week in advance meant I couldn’t adapt to changing scenarios.

Since I am a freelancer, my daily schedule is not always the same. Also, I may need to react to a certain story with short notice. Both of these results make me feel stressed all the time.

I must note that I can definitely see the benefits of planning your entire week in advance if you are a student or an employee. It is also good if you own a business with repetitive tasks. However, you need to decide if you fall into these categories and then experiment to see if you really benefit.

7

The triage technique

The Triage Technique is quite similar to the Eisenhower Matrix; prioritize your tasks in order to focus on what is important and save time. But while I think it might work for some people, it has done very little to improve my daily life.

Once again, this tactic was just a form of procrastination. Not to sound too arrogant, but I’ve been obsessed with productivity long enough to know what I should and shouldn’t be doing. All the Triage Technique did was make things more confusing and it didn’t save me every time.

If I need to prioritize a task, I simply mark it as urgent on my paper to-do list. Previously, I added a priority marker in my to-do list app; many tools, such as TickTick and Todoistlet me do this.

We recommend that you explore a variety of productivity techniques to discover what works best for you. Although I found success with some methods, I also spent a lot of time on tactics that didn’t suit my needs.