As indicated in the title, this is Part 2 of a two-part series. If you haven’t already read Part 1, I encourage you to take a few minutes and do so now. Part 2 won’t be as meaningful if you haven’t read Part 1.
The Freedom of Imperfection
When you realize there is no perfect system that can control our lives, you’re free to stop pursuing one and instead can “…start pouring your finite time and attention into a handful of things that truly count.” Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts, by Oliver Burkeman.
Recognizing that no perfect system exists—and that we’re not limitless—frees us from chasing the impossible. Instead, we can embrace our limitations and shift focus to making meaningful improvements in areas that truly matter to us.
“And then – once you’re facing your real situation, not fixating on a fantasy alternative – you suddenly find yourself able to start making a few concrete improvements, here and now, unburdened by any need for those improvements to usher in a golden age of perfection.”
Death: The End of Self-Improvement. oliverburkeman.com
Practical Steps to Escape Productivity System Enslavement
So, how do we get out of this situation we’ve put ourselves in?
1. Recognize that we’ll never be in control and never be able to do everything. Accept that total control and doing it all are unattainable. The perfect system doesn’t exist—it’s a fool’s errand.
2. Figure out what is most important to you. The Productivity Field Guide by David Sparks helped me define what’s important to me by identifying my roles and writing my best behavior in each role. A simple system of reviews reminds me of what I think is important and helps me to gauge my progress in each role and decide what to do with my limited time.
A task manager can help remind you of tasks that you consider important. But don’t look at it as a boss telling you what to do, but rather as a list of possible tasks you can draw from. You decide when (or if) to work on a task, not the task manager.
3. Then, intentionally do that work. Instead of trying to usher in the golden age of total control (which doesn’t exist) or find a system that will enable you to do superhuman amounts of work, just do the work that’s important to you, and don’t worry about control or not being able to get everything done.
Flexibility doesn’t mean chaos. A simple structure, like starting your day with a morning intention or a brief review, can provide direction without overwhelming you.
You don’t have to have a complex system to be able to start working on the things that matter to you. You can pick one of them and start doing things. With so many productivity tools and systems available, it’s easy to feel paralyzed by choice. The truth is, any system can work if it aligns with your values and helps you focus on what matters most.
Some systems can help with this process and by providing a minimum of structure. Something simple like the Anchor Technique might help you focus on important work and also give you a sense of choice and control over your actions.
Find your ‘Goldilocks’ app; enough to meet your needs, but not too much. Your system doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to work for you right now. See Why the Most Powerful Apps Often Aren’t the Right Choice for You, by Jim Eagar.
4. Think more about each activity as you do it, don’t just check items off a list. Why are you doing this? Why is this important enough to spend your limited time on? Don’t just perform tasks, do things that matter to you!
One way some do this is through interstitial journaling. I have several friends who swear by the technique. They work on something, then stop and write a few lines in their journal about what they did and how they felt about it. They then write about what they will work on and then move on to the next important task.
5. Instead of starting out the day feeling like you’re under the burden of a “productivity debt,” start with a blank slate and enter what you do in a ‘done list.’
You get to choose your attitude toward productivity. If you’ve had the “productivity debt” mentality, which has made you a slave to it, you can change that. First, it’s important to realize that you have this mentality.
“My favorite way of combating the feeling of productivity debt in everyday life is to keep a ‘done list,’ which you use to create a record not of the tasks you plan to carry out, but of the ones you’ve completed so far today–which makes it the rare kind of list that’s actually supposed to get longer as the day goes on.”
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
It’s all about your attitude. Instead of feeling like you’re laboring under a debt, choose to have the attitude that each day you’re starting out with a blank slate, and you get to fill it up as you work during the day on the things that are important to you.
Make a ‘done list’ of what you do, and celebrate everything you accomplish during the day.
How I Use NotePlan to Freely Choose and Record My Work Throughout the Day
I use the NotePlan app to organize and record my work and to produce my ‘done list.’ It provides just enough structure to help me stay on track with my intentions. It’s my ‘Goldilocks’ app that’s neither too complex nor too simple for my needs.
Every morning, I review my task manager and calendar. I select and list tasks that I can choose from in three broad categories in my Daily Plan template: Possible Tasks (which are very optional), Today’s Tasks (which I intend to complete sometime today), and a Priority Task (which is my primary task for the day).
As I go through my day, I choose what and when to work on specific tasks (or even if I want to work on them that day). When I choose a task to focus on, I drag it over to my timeline, automatically creating a time block. This graphical list of time blocks functions as my ‘done list.’
When I started this approach, I didn’t consciously intend to create a ‘done list’ in the sense of filling a blank slate, but rather a way to record the work I did so I could review it during formal weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews. However, I found I was using this as a ‘done list’ in the sense that as I completed items it gave me a feeling of progress and fulfillment.
This approach gives me a sense of freedom and choice as I work through my day. It also creates a list of what I worked on that day, which I can review on Sunday during my weekly review. My time blocks help me focus on my accomplishments and celebrate my progress.
Some people pre-populate their day with time blocks and use them as a guide during the workday. That works well for them. However, for me that approach is more likely to create the sense of ‘productivity debt’ and ‘productivity enslavement’ we’re trying to avoid.
For more information on my use of NotePlan, see my blog posts My NotePlan Workflow — Everything I Need to Plan and Execute my Day in One App and One View and Why I’m Making the Switch: A Two-Week Journey with NotePlan.
You don’t have to use NotePlan to organize your work and produce a done list. You can use any number of apps or even just a piece of paper. Experiment and use whatever works best for you.
Productivity as a Means, Not an End
At its best, productivity is a tool, not the goal. When we see it as a means to live intentionally rather than an endless pursuit of efficiency, it becomes liberating rather than enslaving.
Stop letting productivity control you. It’s a tool to help you live intentionally, not a master to be obeyed.
Every day is an opportunity to begin again. Start with a blank slate, focus on what truly matters, and let productivity serve you, not enslave you. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s purpose.
What will you fill your blank slate with today?
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