Breaking Free from Bad Advice: How to Work Smarter on Your Own Terms
I used to believe that waking up at 5 a.m. would make me more productive.
So I tried it.
I set my alarm before sunrise, convinced that early mornings were the secret to success. But instead of feeling accomplished, I felt exhausted. My brain wasn’t wired for deep work that early, and by mid-afternoon, I was running on fumes.
That’s when I realized—productivity isn’t about following generic rules. It’s about finding what actually works for you.
So today, let’s bust some of the biggest productivity myths that might be holding you back.
3 Productivity Myths You Should Stop Believing
1. Multitasking Makes You More Efficient
I used to have 10 tabs open, Slack notifications pinging, and a podcast playing in the background—all while trying to work. I thought I was being productive.
But research says otherwise. Studies show that switching between tasks can drop productivity by up to 40%. Each time you shift focus, your brain wastes energy refocusing, leading to slower progress and more mistakes.
🔹 What works instead: Pick one task. Set a 25-minute timer (Pomodoro style). Work on that task—and only that task—until the timer runs out. Then take a short break.
You’ll get more done, faster.
2. You Need to Wake Up at 5 a.m. to Be Successful
I fell for this one hard. I thought the world’s most productive people all started their day before sunrise.
But here’s the thing: Success isn’t about when you wake up. It’s about how you structure your day.
Some of the most productive people I know do their best work at night. Others are at peak focus in the morning. The key isn’t forcing yourself into a schedule that doesn’t fit—it’s aligning your work with your natural energy levels.
🔹 What works instead: For the next week, track when you feel most focused. Use that data to schedule deep work during high-energy hours and save admin tasks for low-energy periods.
This one shift changed everything for me.
3. Productivity Means Doing More
I used to believe that being productive meant packing my to-do list with as many tasks as possible. More tasks = more progress, right?
Wrong.
Adding more doesn’t mean accomplishing more. Real productivity is about doing what actually matters—and cutting what doesn’t.
🔹 What works instead: Every morning, write down three high-impact tasks—the ones that will move you forward the most. Once you’ve completed those, consider your day a success.
Fewer tasks, better results.
A Gift to Help You Work Smarter
I’ve built a Notion Goal-Setting Template to help you set meaningful, realistic goals—ones that align with how you actually work. It includes:
✅ A system to break big goals into small, actionable steps.
✅ A simple progress tracker so you can see your wins.
✅ Weekly review prompts to keep you on track.
🔗 Grab your copy here (Free template available to Newsletter subscribers). 👉Subscribe for FREE here
This Week’s Takeaway
Forget the one-size-fits-all productivity advice. The best systems are the ones that work for you, not against you. Experiment. Pay attention to what feels natural. Build habits that stick.
Talk soon,
Gav
P.S. Have a productivity myth you’ve been wondering about? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to tackle it in a future issue!
