Why Popular Productivity Advice Didn’t Work for Me
And What I Use Instead
The end of August is here. And Autumn is at our doorstep!
A few years ago, I embarked on a journey to become more productive. I started watching videos on the topic, like those by Ali Abdaal, and even bought books, such as Deep Work by Cal Newport.
Did I become more productive? The simple answer is no, I didn’t. And why is that? Because none of these videos or books addressed the unique challenges faced by people like me, people with ADHD and ASD.
These resources are primarily designed for the "neurotypical" individual, so following their advice was anything but easy for me. But I didn’t give up. In fact, I learned a lot more about myself in the process.
In the beginning, I was obsessed with finding the perfect app to organize my life, scheduling my days, tasks, and everything else. I used TickTick for many years but eventually stopped and tried other apps. Despite my efforts, I always found myself reverting back to the default apps on my iPhone. With the new iOS update coming later this year, I’m hopeful that the Calendar and Reminders apps might finally become the only tools I need.
I tried scheduling everything, when I should draw, make videos, stream, and more. But the results were always the same, it didn’t work. I’d stick with it for a few days, maybe a few times, but as soon as it became routine, I lost interest.
I noticed that meetings were an exception. I could add them to my calendar, and it worked because they were one-time events, not recurring ones. Recurring tasks just didn’t hold my attention.
Despite repeated attempts to make scheduling work for me, I consistently failed. So I mentioned this to my occupational therapist, and she told me something that has stuck with me ever since:
“You already have so many things scheduled, like waking up at the same time every morning, taking your dog out, etc. You don’t need more of it.”
That hit me hard, because she is absolutely right! I don’t need to plan things down to the exact moment of the day because, in reality, that approach doesn’t work for me. My brain doesn’t function like that. If I’m not motivated, I simply can’t make myself do something. (Okay, even if I’m motivated, sometimes my body won’t move. Thanks, ADHD.)
So, I started doing something different. Instead of scheduling tasks, I began writing down what I wanted to accomplish each day, but without assigning specific times. If something didn’t happen, I could just move it to the next day or remove it altogether.
If I remove a task, it’s because I realized I didn’t really want to do it in the first place. No need to keep it on the list.
Where do I write these tasks down? Sometimes in my Reminders app, but I also have a big board on my wall that displays all the days of the week. I write tasks there, and either cross them off if I don’t do them that day or leave them until the board is wiped clean every Sunday. This way, I don’t pressure myself to complete something at a specific time, I do it when I feel like it.
Some days, I really try to get certain things done. But sometimes, those days are just bad days, and not doing a task doesn’t make me feel bad anymore.
I’ve stopped scheduling when I’ll draw, make videos, or stream because that only stresses me out. Now, I do these things when I feel like it, the way it should be.
Hopefully, you can take something valuable from my experience. 😊
🌻 Life Update
I have no new art to share with you. So I decided to write a little life update for you.
When I decided to return to Patreon, I thought there would be a lot of interest. However, reality has a way of surprising us. It turns out, there wasn't as much interest as I had hoped. But don't worry, I’m keeping my Patreon page alive and will occasionally upload free wallpapers. Once there’s enough interest in exclusive rewards, I’ll start creating them. Until then, I’m conserving my energy for things that truly matter.
I had also planned to sell some of my creations on Gumroad, but that idea has been put on the back burner, too much effort for too little return.
So, what's next? I’m committed to continuing my weekly newsletter, "The Howling," which is free to subscribe to. In it, I’ll be sharing my latest art book reviews and videos whenever I have something new to offer. I’m eager to learn from these books, and the videos will be posted on YouTube.
Speaking of YouTube, I’ve decided to make some changes there, too. I’ve realized that what’s been holding me back from making videos is the voice-over process, it’s just too time-consuming. So, moving forward, my videos will feature subtitles only, no voice-overs. This will make it easier for me to create content more regularly.
I recently watched a livestream with Pat Flynn about podcasts, which reignited my interest in giving it another shot. This time, though, I’ll be focusing solely on audio, no video involved, as that demands too much energy. I’ll be uploading the podcasts to Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, aiming for at least one episode a month.
That’s all for now! Wishing you a fantastic rest of the week! 😁
Oh by the way, I got a new little figure in my collection.
Nendoroid Hawks 😁
🌻 What to read next?
Thank you so much for your generosity and support!
I had a very similar experience with productivity advice! Two other things I do that really helped my productivity are:
1- Downloaded a couple of tools that help me do my research while walking by listening to my materials. I write for a living, so a lot of my prep work requires me to read a lot of material and revisit interview transcripts. Instead, I listen to all of this stuff while walking or riding my bike—I need to move with my work!
2 - Scheduling social work sessions. I am lucky to work with a few people as collaborators, and scheduling work sessions with them where we both have, say, a document in front of us and can talk it through, really helps me carve out the time to get to it.
Thanks for putting this out there!
Yep, our brain just works differently 🤷♀️