12 Common Productivity Myths You Need To Stop Believing
Productivity advice is everywhere, but let's be real—not all of it is helpful. Actually, some of it is downright misleading. You've probably heard that multitasking is the key to getting more done, or that waking up at 5 AM is the secret to success. Spoiler alert: these so-called "productivity hacks" might actually be holding you back.
These kinds of myths are hot topics on Reddit’s r/productivity community, and I'm here to set the record straight. In this article, I'm rounded up some of the most popular productivity myths and the real advice that will actually help you get more done.
1. Myth: Multitasking will help you get more done
Truth: “Multitasking is not real. It may seem like you’re doing two things at once but technically you’re not. Your brain is just switching back and forth at an extremely high rate which makes it appear that you are.”
2. Myth: You need to do everything by yourself
Truth: “Delegation can be extremely helpful. We generally are reluctant to delegate because we think that we will be considered lazy if we delegate, and we also feel that we can do that task best in this world. In reality, both statements are wrong! When you delegate tasks, you actually empower others to do more. And it frees up your bandwidth so you can focus on more important stuff. ... All these years I overestimated myself and underestimated others. Now whenever a new task comes in, the first step for me is to see if that task can be delegated.”
3. Myth: You need to be a morning person
Truth: “Getting up earlier will not automatically make you more productive, especially if you're not compensating by going to bed earlier. Getting enough sleep will make you much more productive than getting up earlier, if you have to choose between the two.”
4. Myth: You need to finish everything on your to-do list
Truth: “Long lists of tasks don't work. In reality, they need to be layered: a long backlog, a reasonable 3-day list, and finally a short list of ‘needs to be done today.’ This is a matter of prioritization and focus. There is also a matter of self-bashing: If you do 7 tasks out of 21, you are a 33%-done loser. If you do 7 tasks out of 10, you are a superb 70%-done powerhouse.
5. Myth: Anything worth doing is worth doing well
Truth: “Acting like you shouldn’t do something if you can’t do it perfectly the first time is such a stupid gatekeeper move.”
6. Myth: You can manifest your way to success
Truth: "Positive visualization/manifestation can actually stop you from ever doing or getting what you want. Daydreaming about achieving a goal without doing mental contrasting exercises in which you think realistically about the obstacles to achieving said goal will lower your likelihood of success. I learned about this in a book called Rethinking Positive Thinking. Basically, you need to think about all the hard truths, too. You might think that even a little of this would make you lose hope and give up, but it helps!"
7. Myth: Everyone else is more productive than you
Truth: “There's literally not enough time to do everything, at least if someone is ambitious. There is always something that has to be put aside due to priorities, and that is okay.”
8. Myth: Creative people can produce masterpieces every day
Truth: “Creative work requires energy and time, and our bodies don’t produce the exact amount of energy every single day. If you don't sleep well, energy goes down. If you don’t eat well that day because you can’t afford it, energy goes down. If you have a soul-sucking day job and the level of difficulty increases that day at work, your energy goes down. If you’re a writer and think you 'failed' because you couldn’t write 1000 words every day of the past week, buddy, be kind to yourself please.”
9. Myth: If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life
Truth: “I get what they were trying to say, and 100% you need to love what you do if you want to be any kind of productive, but you can love what you do and still have to work hard to achieve things.”
10. Myth: Productivity only depends on your own habits
Truth: “Whether someone is actually productive or not depends not only on that person but also on the kind of surroundings they work in. Productivity as a general idea leans too heavily on the individual, and we rarely consider the impact of the environment. If a supportive environment is in place, you can definitely achieve productivity with your own efforts. However, even with your best efforts, if the surrounding environment isn't supportive, productivity will be difficult to attain. Environment refers to all the people and things around you. This includes your colleagues, those in higher positions of responsibility, and those reporting to you.”
11. Myth: There is one magic solution that will make you more productive
Truth: “There is no shortcut to productivity. Like most habits, being effectively productive takes time. You will have to try different methods because many methods WILL NOT WORK FOR YOU. Only some things will work for you and even that may change over time.”
12. Myth: Being busy is the same as being productive
Truth: “Seeing people brag that they woke up at 3 AM, went to the gym, and did a million things by 5 PM is useless. Productivity = working on things that align to what one deems as a metric of success. If it’s working out, then you should be at the gym. If it’s being a real estate guru, then you should learn how to sell homes. What it’s not is working on things that don’t align to your overall goals. But it’s an important caveat that hobbies are helpful to the overall well-being of an individual.”
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