3 Principles to Finding The Best Productivity System

When it comes to productivity, everyone has an opinion on the best approach to get the most done and do your best work.

Some people are devotees of the 5 AM Club; others are all about late night work sessions.

Some people swear by to-do lists; others pledge allegiance to project management based systems.

Some people glue themselves to one desk all day and don’t move until everything is done. Others seems to flit around aimlessly, moving from space to space.

Some people love the Eisenhower Matrix, while others like Getting Things Done.

Some insist that the best approach is to “eat the frog” and do the hardest thing first; others insist on a slow build to the hard thing.

So which is really the best one?

This isn’t a question with an absolute answer. Instead, here are 3 principles to consider when you’re looking for the best productivity system.

3 Principles to Find the Best Productivity System

(1) Productivity is Personal

The question “what is the best productivity system?” is the wrong question.

Let’s start by reframing the question:

What’s the best productivity system FOR YOU?

This reframing is key, because here’s the truth — and the first principle:

Productivity is personal.

I used to have a pilates teacher who would say that on the pilates reformer “no setting is right for everyone.”

I’ve found this to be true in all things related to productivity and performance.

I spent years trying to fit myself within the confines of productivity systems offered by neurotypicals, only to realize that those wouldn’t work for me.

Even within the broad spectrum of neurodivergence, what works for one person doesn’t work for the next.

The key to generating your best performance is to find the system that works for you.

This requires experimentation and adaptation.

(2) You Already Have The Strategies That Work

Rather than looking to other people for inspiration or answers, I found it helpful to look to my own experiences, even outside the realm of work.

This gives us the second principle:

Your success strategies from one part of life can be adapted to other parts of life.

For example, my workouts have been the source of many of my best productivity strategies. When I have a particularly effective workout, I look at what conditions were present and how it was structured.

I extract the lessons, principles, and strategies beyond the surface of the workout, then I apply those strategies to my work sessions.

Essentially, I treat work like a workout and structure it as such. When all the factors on my list of good workouts make their way into my work, I know I’ve set myself up for a productive day.

(3) The Best System Isn’t Static

Life goes through seasons and cycles. Our bodies change. Our hormone levels change. Our cognitive capacity and focus change.

This brings us to our third principle:

The best productivity system — even for you — isn’t an absolute.

As we go through those seasons and cycles, we need to adapt our systems.

For example, in my workouts, I’ve had periods when I needed to do a more lengthy warm up and a lot of mobility before I’m ready to lift. Lately, I’ve noticed that too much mobility without grounding it is dysregulating to my nervous system. Instead, I’m finding strength-based prep to be more effective.

In a similar way, the systems that once worked for me in my work don’t work the same way.

The best question to ask is

What’s the best productivity system for you right now?

Experiment, Record, and Adapt

So how can you find the best productivity system for you right now?

• Look at where you’re already successful. Observe the conditions and strategies and conditions that aid your success.
• Apply those conditions and strategies to your work. Experiment with different approaches.
• Record notes about what worked and what didn’t work, and how you felt in the process.
• Adapt your system based on what you learned.

Other people’s systems can be good information and a helpful starting point, but there’s no substitute for finding what works for you.

In fact, one reason I don’t teach my productivity system or strategies is because I know they won’t work for everyone. Instead, I help my clients find the system that works for them — based on where they are, what they need, and how they find success.