Productivity Doesn’t Have Hacks

An honest take on legitimate productivity and the mindset shift needed for its development. Ten practical strategies provided to build the skill of productivity.

Humble Beginnings

Growing up, writing was something I avoided at all costs. To write a one-page draft on a simple topic would require significant effort and time. I would have a dictionary, thesaurus, and books with similar themes by my side as I wrote anything - even stories about myself. Putting thoughts to paper felt like translating a language I had never learned. Often, I’d copy sentences from multiple sources and then spend time reorganizing them in order to make the end product seem like my own creation. This patchwork approach was tedious and made me feel like an imposter.

Being a reader, it was discouraging to see my friends excel in writing while I could only appreciate the work of others while not producing any quality results myself. This caused me to avoid writing unless obligated to do so. Being above average in other subjects, I became self-conscious about my limitations in writing.

I didn’t want others to find out I wasn’t as smart as I appeared.

My struggles with writing manifested as an aversion to any type of formal expression. For how challenging writing felt, it didn’t compare to oral presentations.

Above death, fear of public speaking is often the most commonly reported phobia. A previous Gallup Poll reported glossophobia, anxiety around public speaking, affects approximately 40% of the population. My personal opinion on those who claim they have zero issues talking formally in public are they’re either liars or psychotic…

If I wasn’t reading my notes directly, I was trying not to wet my pants when having to present in class. In junior high, I was called on to give a presentation about my grandfather serving in the Canadian Army one week earlier than originally scheduled. We all had been told to be prepared but my anxiety around even preparing for a presentation caused me to always wait until last minute when I “had” to. Walking up to the front of the class without any notes, you would have thought I was about to be executed based on the thoughts running through my head. As I began trying to talk, I became lightheaded and my vision started closing in. It was almost as if I was outside of my body watching some poor fool bomb his presentation. The teacher stopped me a few minutes in before I fainted, told me I clearly hadn’t prepared as directed, and failed me on the assignment.

You would think this core memory of extreme embarrassment would have changed my approach to public speaking… nope. I continued to be deathly afraid of any form of talking in front of people through my undergraduate education.

It wasn’t until I was in graduate school pursuing my doctorate in audiology that I reached a critical crossroads. I knew I wanted to be an audiologist, but my fear of formal speaking threatened to undermine my ability to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues. Something had to change.

I made a conscious decision to confront this limitation head-on. I began prioritizing all of my writing and speaking assignments instead of avoiding them. I’d act like they were due ~50% sooner from assignment to completion date. The pressure I’d place on myself last minute was now directed earlier in the process. After finishing a draft, I could then recover from the stress and then begin refining or practicing in a rational state. For presenting, I’d do some practice runs which initially felt as nerve-racking as live presentations. I eventually moved up to talking in front of trusted friends. This change in preparation, with the addition of stress testing, began improving my objective and subjective results. Writing began to flow easier as presenting in public without reading notes no longer induced panic.

Modern research indicates the prevalent fear of public speaking is quite reversible for those willing to train it.

It’s worth noting I initially added time and effort to my processes around writing and preparing for public speaking. I needed to slow down the process, deal with and overcome various points of hardship, and then refine my methods to evolve these skills. As I became more confident, less practice runs were needed. Outlines for talking points transitioned from written to mental. The time needed for preparation and execution eventually became less than my original method of procrastinated sprints.

No amount of supportive tools or environmental modifications could have made me a better writer or talker in my developing years.

Intention and consistency, regardless of circumstance, were required for my growth.

My confidence and ability to deliver quality results in multiple domains is derived from years of developed competence.

I am by no means an expert writer or presenter now. I am, however, significantly more comfortable and productive in both pursuits as I continue to show up daily to improve these skills. My evolution has opened doors that wouldn’t have been available to my younger self.

I no longer feel like an imposter. Instead, I’m assured that I’m on the right path of showing up and embracing challenge for continued development. Each word I write and every presentation I deliver gets a little easier and fractionally better.

There is no end state. Perfection is impossible. Good. I’ve found one of my arenas and I look forward to being in it forever.

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Slow Before Fast

Productivity is an evolved skill.

There are no hacks in skill development.

Moving from incompetent to competence in any skill takes time, energy, and humility.

Organizing your workspace, acquiring assistive technology, managing distractions, scheduling deep work, and taking nootropics are all tools that can support a productive person.

The most supportive environment alone, however, does very little for the amateur.