MSS #0127: The Productivity Trap – Why Working Harder Isn’t the Answer

MSS #0127: The Productivity Trap – Why Working Harder Isn’t the Answer

14 June, 2025

🕒Read time: 2.7 minutes

🚀 In a hurry? Jump to “The 4 D's of Real Productivity” for a reduced reading time of 1.4 minutes.

We often equate productivity with effort –

more hours,

more tasks,

more intensity.

But what if this mindset is the very thing holding us back?

In this edition, we unpack the truth behind productivity and why doing more isn’t always better.

You’ll learn a simple framework to prioritise what truly matters and regain energy and focus throughout your day.

Are You Producing, or Just Busy?

The line between being productive and simply being busy is easily blurred.

One gives you progress.

The other gives you exhaustion.

True productivity is about:

• Making deliberate choices

• Protecting your focus

• Aligning tasks to energy

• Letting go of low-value activity

If you find yourself constantly working but feeling like you’re falling behind, you may be stuck in the Productivity Trap – where you confuse activity with impact.

The Cost of Being Busy

Working harder without direction comes at a cost:

• Your attention becomes scattered

• Your creativity drops

• You lose track of what really matters

• You feel perpetually “behind” even when you’re busy

Instead of expanding your to-do list, shrink your focus.

The 4 D’s of Real Productivity

(Start here for a 1.4-minute read time)

I have a full process I share with leaders and their teams call “In The Zone” that will radically change your productivity and wellbeing.

What I cover here is just a small fraction of “In The Zone” but it will still be a big help.

Ready?

This method helps you simplify, prioritise and reclaim control over your tasks:

1. Do – High-impact actions only

Ask: What task today delivers the greatest return?

Not all work is equal.

Focus on what you must do and what will make other tasks easier or irrelevant.

Examples:

• Draft the client proposal, not tweak the font on slides

• Follow up with a potential partner, not file your inbox

• Send the pitch, not perfect the spreadsheet

Schedule your “Do” tasks during your energy peak for best results.

True focus occurs when you have role clarity, purpose defined, and a way of mapping your core objective, habits and one off projects – that’s what “In the Zone” delivers and way more.

2. Defer – Plan, don’t panic

Ask: Does this need done now? Or later?

Too many tasks crowd our focus because we treat everything as urgent. It isn’t.

Create a someday list or set a calendar date for later.

This frees your mind and reinforces priority.

Example:

• “I’ll respond to that request Friday when I batch admin”

• “I’ll revisit that idea next month”

You’re not forgetting it. You’re managing it intentionally.

But it must still be of value to defer, do not defer “rubbish” or fillers.

3. Delegate – Share the load

Ask: Am I the only person who can do this well enough?

Be very truthful about this question.

Too often I see people convince themselves only they can do this because,

- They have not even tried delegating it

- They have not invested time in training someone else

- They work for themselves and do not think delegation is possible” It is.

Delegation is not giving up control – it’s creating capacity.

Let go of the perfectionist mindset that says “I must do it all”.

Examples:

• Ask a colleague to prep the draft – you review it

• Use scheduling tools instead of manually chasing reminders

• In life: outsource grocery orders, automate simple chores

Even small acts of delegation create mental space.

There are so many electronics and human resources available you can use for specific tasks and projects.

4. Delete – Cut with courage

Ask: What will happen if I never do this?

You’ll be amazed how much survives being deleted.
The habit of doing things because you “always have” or “should” is one of the greatest energy leaks.

Examples:

• Social media check-ins that don’t add value

• Meetings with no clear purpose

• Over-polishing internal documents

If it doesn’t serve your goals or wellbeing – let it go.

Align Your Tasks with Your Energy

Not all hours are equal.

Instead of treating your day as one long stretch of time, break it into energy zones.

• Peak energy: Morning or late morning for most – do your high-focus work

• Low energy: Mid-afternoon slump – batch admin, organise files, respond to low-stakes requests

• Recovery zone: End of day – plan the next day, decompress, wrap up loose ends

Map your day around your biology, not just your calendar.

Deep work

Plan some uninterrupted sessions for 1 to 2 hours focused on one topic.

Schedule this in and never let this space get used for anything else.

Bonus: Build a Stop-Doing List

Every time you catch yourself doing something that drains your time but adds no value – write it down.

Your Stop-Doing List becomes a powerful tool for reclaiming focus.

Ask weekly:

• What will I stop doing this week?

• What will I replace it with that fuels progress?

In the past I have also shared the idea of a “start list” a very different concept to overcome procrastination.

Summary

If you want to use my “In the Zone” process and training for you or your team, ping me an email at [email protected]

True productivity is not about doing more – it’s about doing more of what matters.
Use the 4 D’s to protect your time, focus and energy.

And remember, the most powerful decision you’ll make today might be what you choose not to do.

Quick Recap:
• Productivity ≠ busyness
• Use the 4 D’s:

• Do high-impact work

• Defer what’s not urgent

• Delegate when possible

• Delete what adds no value
  • Align tasks with energy
  • Track what to stop doing

See you next week. One more thought 👇

Want more? 

When you're ready, 3 more ways I can help you:

1. My book - Nuclear Powered Resilience

2. Self confidence and resilience - £48 training course based on my book

3. Coaching packages - start with a FREE 15 minutes exploration session.

Other resources

If you haven't already, follow me on LinkedIn and hit the bell for daily posts on tips, insights and techniques or take a look at my website.

Want to explore what else I do? Including corporate speaking, coaching and workshops, or simply ask me a question or give me feedback on my newsletter - say hello in an email.

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, really hope this helped. Contact me if you think I can help you further at [email protected].

Happy thinking.