Why Your Complex Productivity System Is Failing You

Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash

Seven months in hospital gives you a lot of time to think.

After my stroke, I lay in hospital watching my carefully constructed work life unravel. I realised something important: the elaborate productivity systems I’d built would no longer be possible in my post-stroke world.

Being made redundant when I came home added another layer of complexity. I wasn’t just recovering — I was rebuilding my entire career. And I had to do it within entirely new constraints.

The Forced Reset

Before my stroke, I loved my Productivity systems.

My calendar was colour-coded perfection. My task management system had sub-systems. I worked long hours and prided myself on being always-on, always available.

Then everything changed. My day was no longer dictated by meetings and deadlines, but by rehabilitation appointments and fatigue management.

The complex productivity systems I’d relied on weren’t just unsustainable — they were impossible to maintain.

The Reality of Rebuilding

Post-stroke recovery meant adapting to a new normal. My energy levels were unpredictable, and rehabilitation had to take priority. I needed to earn a living, but I had to do it…