Productivity gurus are selling you the wrong solution.
They want you to organize your chaos better. Color-code your calendar. Use the perfect app. Follow the 47-step morning routine.
But here’s what they miss: The problem isn’t disorganization. It’s task inflation.
Last month I worked with a founder who had 312 items in his task management system. He was proud of his thoroughness. His revenue hadn’t grown in two years.
The issue? He was optimizing for busy, not productive.
Every small action felt important when written down. “Email Sarah about the thing.” “Follow up on the follow-up.” “Research the research we discussed.”
Meanwhile, the three activities that would actually move his business forward got buried under a mountain of administrivia.
The highest-performing leaders I know don’t have better task management. They have better task elimination.
They focus on the vital few things that create disproportionate results. Everything else gets automated, delegated, or deleted.
Most weeks, they have 3-5 real priorities. That’s it.
This week, try the subtraction method: Instead of adding more tasks, cut your list in half. Ask: “If I could only do three things this week, what would matter most in six months?”
Your future self will thank you.
If you want help identifying which activities actually drive results versus which ones just feel important, I’d be happy to take a look. Sometimes an outside perspective spots the time-wasters you’ve grown blind to.
We’ll separate your signal from your noise. Let’s chat.
Lloyd
