Increase Productivity Through Addition

A counter-intuitive method

Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash

So, you’re looking to accomplish more as a creative or creator.

But you wake up late, check your phone first thing in the morning, and end up watching videos on YouTube before even getting your day started.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But motivation is an inside job, and unless you have a reason to get up and do what you know you should be — and want to be — doing, you either won’t do it or won’t give it the attention it deserves.

One productivity hack that has worked for me, and that goes against conventional wisdom, is addition.

Doing More is Doing More

I’ve shared much about focus and doing less, but the primary reason I get so much done is because I have deadlines to meet and because I keep adding new to-do items to my list.

What!? How does that work?

Look, I’m not saying I don’t cull my list periodically. Whether it’s things that don’t bring me joy, don’t help me create an income, or simply aren’t effective, I actively eliminate, automate, or delegate what shouldn’t be on my docket anymore.

But before I ever reach that point, I just keep adding new items to my to-do list…