The Golden Rule of Productivity
You may have seen a quote floating around on Instagram-worthy images that sounds something like this:
“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
- Lots of people, who probably didn’t always follow their own advice.
I’ve tried to follow this advice more than once. Each time, a burst of motivation hits, I try to capitalize on it by doing everything right away. But motivation doesn’t last very long, and sudden increases in how much I’m doing tend to overwhelm me and soon I’m doing even less than I was before motivation struck. Using what you can do as a reason for doing it is like asking to fail.
“Never do to-day what you can do to-morrow; you may never have to do it at all.”
- There’s wisdom here too.
Isn’t it wonderful that procrastination is something you can do today, and tomorrow?
Since productivity isn’t just shown by what you can get done “on a good day” when you’re motivated, I needed a principle that adapted to good days and bad days. I needed to find a principle that told me how to deal with all kinds of tasks, not just the most urgent ones, but also let me recover when I needed it. I needed a principle that could answer the following questions.
There has to be something other than burnout to live your life by.
What to do with Tasks that aren’t Worth It?
“Ain’t nobody got time fo’ that.”
- Sweet Brown
Every so often I’ll have something that, even on my best, most motivated days, I still won’t want to do and yet it’s found its way onto my to-do list. Sometimes it’s talking to people, sometimes it’s making the bed. Whatever it is, the easiest thing to do is to ignore it and hope it goes away. Unless you’re Bilbo, it’s likely there won’t be thirteen dwarves in your house tomorrow if you just shoo away the old wizard.
But tomorrow, the bed will still demand to be made, and I’ll still feel guilty for avoiding it. And it will be there day after day after day…
Not acting is an action. Not choosing is a choice. It’s true about characters when writing stories, that you can define them by their refusal to act, and it’s true of us when we decide what tasks to do or to procrastinate.
Never put off till tomorrow what you can avoid all together.
- Preston’s Axiom
Instead of choosing not to act and having something continue to hang over my head, it’s so much more freeing to choose not to do something. Yes, making your bed might be some admiral’s most meaningful task, but I’ve got more important things to do with my time. I choose not to do that task, because I want to do other things — not because I’m procrastinating. Just don’t tell my mom.
What do?
Be conscious about your choices. If it isn’t worth doing, try not to do it. Accept that you’ve chosen not to do it rather than feeling stressed about leaving it undone. If that doesn’t work, it’s probably worth doing. Any Golden Rule should acknowledge tasks that can be dropped.
What to do with Tasks of Dubious Worth?
“Does it bring you joy?”
- Marie Kondo
The more that something stresses me out, the more likely I am to procrastinate it. The longer something hangs over my head, the more it stresses me out. Why did I commit to taking a university course with so many assignments in the first place? Oh, right, because it was required for my degree, and I’d decided already that my degree was worth it.
An assignment is not exactly necessary, but also something I can’t just avoid. It’s beneficial but not enjoyable, probably worth it but not (yet) urgent.
“Do not put off till tomorrow what can be enjoyed today.”
- This guy knows what’s up.
Rather than stress about my looming deadline or avoid my friends because I have to finish the assignment to stop worrying about it, I’d rather do it when I have a group to do it with so we can bounce ideas off each other. I’d rather do it when I’m rested, and when there’s still plenty of time to get help with it. And today I’ll spend my time doing things that are more important.
It’s not procrastination if it’s scheduled.
What do?
Put tasks in their place. If it’s easier to do something later, maybe you should do it later. Any Golden Rule should acknowledge tasks that can be delayed.
What to do with Tasks of Necessity?
“Do, or do not do. There is no try.”
- Some green magician.
Some things can’t be avoided. You have to go to work because you committed to doing it. You have to sleep, because last time you didn’t, you fell asleep while you were driving and your passengers left stains on your seats. So, you eventually take advantage of a burst of motivation, knuckle down, and discover a hundred other things that need to be fixed before you can change a light bulb.
“A rolling snowball gathers more mass.”
- A dad, probably.
If you really want to change a light bulb, change the light bulb. Do you really need to fix the shelf the light bulb sits on to change the light bulb? Keep track of the other stuff that comes up, but just because something is new doesn’t make it higher priority.
Even if something comes up that really is a prerequisite for what you’re trying to do, such as not having the correct light bulb at home, it might be time to re-prioritize. Is it worth spending all that time to go out and buy a light bulb right now?
If it feels like you’re building the bicycle while you’re riding it, try settling for a unicycle.
What do?
Do the minimum amount necessary, then go back and fill in the rest if you have to or want to. You can procrastinate by doing something you “need” to do just as easily as you can procrastinate by doing nothing. Any Golden Rule should acknowledge tasks that support what you need and cut away tasks that are distractions.
The Principle
“Do it when it’s worth doing, don’t worry about it before then.”
- The Golden Rule of Productivity
I prefer a version that’s a question that’s easy to ask yourself: “When is this worth doing?” Like we discussed, the answer can be “never,” “when it’s opportune,” or “as soon as possible.” By asking this question about your tasks, you can take advantage of your motivated days and stay afloat on your less motivated days.
The great thing is that what might stress you out one month can be doable the next. Rather than pushing yourself past your limits every time you want to be productive, you can work within your comfort zone and test the edges when you’re feeling motivated. What’s worth it to you now might be different from when you’re feeling comfortable.
Practicality
It takes practice to replace worry with planning. To avoid worrying until it’s time, I use a system consisting of a calendar, a task list (with due dates), and notes to know when I should do something and when I should think about it. We’ll talk about how to externalize your worries later, but however you do it, letting a piece of paper worry for you is immensely relaxing. Organize your worries externally.
Notifications from a phone or computer are the enemy of tranquility when they’re not what you wanted to deal with at that moment, but if they’re for your calendar or task list they can be a great way to organize your worries to interrupt you when you want them to. Otherwise, avoid notifications as much as you can!
It’s easy to overestimate what you can get done in a day and underestimate what you can get done in a week. That’s a recipe for burnout. Remember that most things aren’t as important as they claim to be. Try experimenting with what you can do and be willing to change it up day by day. Be honest with yourself about what you can and should do.
TL;DR
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and procrastinate. Instead, just make the choice to either not do your task at all, to do it when it’s appropriate, or to do it now but focus on doing what’s required. Procrastinating your task is still a choice, but it won’t make you happier.
Do something when it’s worth doing, don’t worry about it before then.
