The threat to knowledge workers is not AI or automation. It’s their horrifying lack of productivity

Author’s Note: This article was written over 60 hours with love and care using the blockbuster mental model. If you like my writing style, and you want to create high-quality viral content using the blockbuster approach, you’ll love my Blockbuster Blueprint newsletter, which delivers three in-depth articles every week.

This article is part of a series on productivity that was researched and written over hundreds of hours (yeah, I know, I’m fun at parties) using the blockbuster philosophy. Below are the three other articles in the series:

1. In 1911, a genius revealed a forgotten science of how to be 50x more productive without working more hours
2. We’re in a productivity crisis, according to 52 years of data. Things could get really bad.
3. The Brutal Truth About Life-Changing Opportunities We Overlook Every Day

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

As I dive deeper into the history of productivity, the more I see how we are unproductive at being productive. As a result, the GIF below feels more like a brutal truth than a humorous joke.

Most of us probably think we’re the person confidently demonstrating how to use the…