Why More Productivity Leaves You Less Fulfilled

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It was 10 P.M.

Rubbing my eyes in exhaustion, I stared at my next video’s script in Google Docs.

It had been worked on since 11 A.M.

A decent chunk was completed, but I felt annoyingly unsatisfied.

Why? Why is it that sometimes, we can work all day on something, but feel like we did nothing, while other days, we can only work a couple hours, and feel more fulfilled and productive than a full day’s work?

Let’s get the obvious point out of the way: If you’re doing vapid, soul-sucking work that doesn’t quench a creative itch, it will almost never feel like a satisfying productivity task.

But I think we can go deeper than that. Because even when I’m doing meaningful work, I don’t always get a sense of accomplishment when I’m finished.

The difference lies between Perceived Productivity and Actual Productivity.

Perceived productivity is how focused and in control we feel during the task, and after we complete it. It has little to do with the objective outcome, and more to do with how it felt getting to that outcome.

Actual productivity is the quantifiable results produced from a period of work. It’s the amount of hours you spent working, the number of pages written, videos recorded, files organized, etc.

Therein lies an important distinction you may not realize:

You don’t want to be more productive. You want to feel more productive.

What I’ve noticed is that I achieve Perceived Productivity when I meet these criteria:

• I focus less on how many hours I want to work, and instead, focus on how I can produce higher quality hours.

• I set realistic daily targets, and meet them.

• The work allows me to flex my creativity and skills I’m interested in developing.

That means:

• Flow state work is more important than hours worked. If I can just get in 2 hours of uninterrupted work per day, I’ll probably be satisfied, even if I don’t hit my daily targets.

• Checking my phone every 5 minutes will make even the most creatively fulfilling work feel like a jumbled mess of “just okay.” (And this is very often the case. The work I produce in flow state is of a much higher quality.)

The key is to find where that sweet spot of focused work is for you, that aligns with your daily goals. Then, create an environment (or find one) that allows you to get into that state of satisfied productivity more easily.

With this approach, you’re not just producing better work. You’re producing better work in less time, leaving you with more free time to reflect on the day.

Procrastination is a nasty habit that has even spread into our sleep. In the past, I’d often catch myself prolonging my bedtime routine because of distractions. It was an addiction I couldn’t break.

But once I surrounded myself with people who were focused on becoming their best versions, and did the inner work, my urge to procrastinate virtually vanished.

If you’re struggling with holding yourself accountable to become the person you want to be, my Self Mastery School might help you.

Self Mastery School is a place for those who want to actualize their greatest potential, strengthen their self awareness, and connect with like-minded, down-to-earth humans.

When you join the school, you’ll get access to:

• Full length courses/eBooks (including my Ultimate Self Mastery Course)

• Weekly coaching calls and lectures (related to self-awareness, making money online, social skills, fitness, etc.)

• An exclusive community of ambitious, open-minded people

It’s a place for those who feel like they can’t talk to anyone about self-improvement in real life, and are trying to find their tribe.

The friendships in there feel genuine.

And I have a feeling you’re going to find your tribe in there, too.

Hope to see you in there.

Book Chronicles #1

As promised, I’m here to give you updates on my upcoming novel, Fractured Worlds. (That name is not official yet.)

A very successful week of writing. The biggest thing I’m realizing through this process is how much proofreading and editing is required to make beautiful prose.

There are writers like Stephen King who write fast, and wait to do big edits until they’re done with the first draft. But I find myself naturally drawn to the method akin to authors like George R.R. Martin, who continuously edit chapters as they go.

I’m glad I discovered different ways of editing after I already started writing. It just means that my “edit-as-you-go” approach is more authentic, not taken from any suggestions.

I’m just about done with the first two chapters. I had to hash out an opening scene that showed the strong relationship between the main character and one of his family members (who will remain anonymous for the sake of avoiding spoilers.) The warm scene is starkly contrasted by the end of the first chapter, where it’s revealed that something tragic happens to that family member in the near future. I think it’s enough to get the reader invested in continuing, though we will see if any changes are made by the final version.

The fantasy element of the story hasn’t even started yet, and I’m sure that will come with it’s own array of problems. But that’s where the fun will begin.

See you next week with more updates.

Quote of The Week

Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

-Cole