Five Productivity Principles That Actually Work

I’ve tried hundreds of productivity “hacks.”

• Waking up at 4AM to do hours of guided meditations
• Color-coding my calendar like Bob Ross without enough canvas
• Drank mushroom coffee in a frigid shower (not recommended)

None of it made me more productive.

It just turned my avoidance into an art project.

But after years of trial, error, and very expensive to-do lists, I’ve landed on a few principles that actually work.

As someone with ADHD who’s been self-employed his entire adult life—here are the five things I swear by:

1. Work with your biology, not against it.

What works for someone else might not work for you.

Don’t force something that’s not a fit.

2. Embrace the minimum viable action.

Take the smallest action that feels doable to you in this exact moment.

Motivation is not just the cause of action—it’s also the effect.

3. You only improve what you measure.

But be careful with the metrics you choose—incentives are powerful, and it’s easy to game the system to meet your goals.

4. Don’t fight your emotions. Leverage them.

When you’re excited about your work, you’ll do more of it.

Let passion be your North Star.

5. More is not always better.

Working more hours might actually create negative returns after a certain point.

Pushing yourself too hard harms both your work and your emotional state.

See you Monday,
Mark Manson

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
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