The Hidden Secret to Productivity: Easy, Actually!

Discover the techniques that keep South Korean teenagers productive and how you can apply them with ease.

In South Korea, thousands of teenagers wake up each day and spend more hours doing schoolwork than most people spend awake. While many people view these students as disciplined and driven, the reality is that many of them simply want to finish school and join an esports team.

Surprisingly, some don’t even shower regularly, and their most popular productivity hack is to drink an entire iced Americano between subjects.

So, how do they stay so productive? What’s their secret?

The Easy Secret to Productivity

Productivity is motivation + work .
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Productivity can be boiled down to a simple cycle. It starts with motivation, which drives you to do work. Completing work makes you feel good, which in turn boosts your motivation to do more work. The more motivated you are, the more work you do, and the more work you do, the more motivated you get.

This cycle explains why you can procrastinate on an essay for three weeks but turn it into prime Shakespeare 30 minutes before it’s due. When the deadline is imminent, your motivation spikes, speeding up the productivity cycle and making it nearly impossible for distractions or sleepiness to deter you.

The power of To-do-List
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The Power of a To-Do List

A detailed to-do list can significantly enhance productivity. Each time you cross off a task, you signal to your brain that you’ve accomplished something, which boosts your motivation. Breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable ones increases clarity and gives you frequent motivation boosts. The more detailed your to-do list, the smoother the productivity cycle becomes.

Jumpstarting the Cycle with Self-Motivation Tricks

You don’t always need motivation to start the cycle. Sometimes, just starting the work, even for one minute, can be enough to kickstart the cycle.

Here are some self-motivation tricks to help:

■ Remind yourself why you’re doing the work and what your end goal is.

■ Focus on what you enjoy about the work.

■ Challenge yourself to see how much you can accomplish in an hour.

■ Integrate work into your daily routine to make it a habit.

Dealing with Obstacles

Distraction.
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The productivity cycle isn’t foolproof. Tiredness, confusion, boredom, anxiety, and distractions can all disrupt it. Here’s how to tackle these issues:

• Tiredness: Taking a walk can boost your energy, clear your mind, and reduce anxiety
• Confusion: Change your work location or face a different direction to reset your focus.
• Anxiety: Ask yourself if your worries are reasonable, if they matter in the long run, and what you can control. Often, just starting the task can alleviate anxiety.
• Distractions: Put your phone on silent and place it in another room to minimize interruptions.

In conclusion, productivity isn’t about waiting for motivation to strike. It’s about starting work and letting the cycle build your motivation.

The students at Oxford University exemplify this by studying 6–8 hours a day, even on low-motivation days. They start small, finish tasks, and let the cycle propel them forward.

So, the next time you’re struggling to get started, remember: don’t wait for motivation — start working and let motivation follow.

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