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When you don't know what needs to be done, no amount of "productivity" will compensate for the fact that any work you do is meaningless and any result thereof accidental.
It seems like a lot of the productivity crap is that people feel that they're being productive when they're working on the stuff to make them productive, when in actuality while yes they're working, they're not working on what needs done. An example to me is note taking, it seems like the productivity people seem to fixate on doing it perfectly and in the exact right way to maximise productivity, instead of just taki…
It’s not just productivity crap. Reddit (and HN too) is built on people talking about things rather than doing things.
As an autistic individual, I find task management systems invaluable not for their own sake, but because they help me overcome my natural difficulty in switching between detailed and big-picture thinking. While I excel at focusing on details, I can struggle to identify true priorities. My simple system (voice memos processed through Claude) helps me intentionally zoom between granular tasks and high-level priorities.…
Thanks very much for taking the time to write it.
It seems like a lot of the productivity crap is that people feel that they're being productive when they're working on the stuff to make them productive, when in actuality while yes they're working, they're not working on what needs done. An example to me is note taking, it seems like the productivity people seem to fixate on doing it perfectly and in the exact right way to maximise productivity, instead of just taki…
Ultimately I realized it was more important to have a skeleton of notes and err on the side of paying closer attention in the moment. Then backfill any additional notes afterward.
Others would record the lecture audio. But that seemed like torture to me since it doubled the lecture time.
As others have said, the most optimum point varies per person and perhaps even changes per subject or over time.
When you know what needs to be done, you don't need "productivity", you just need to work. When you don't know what needs to be done, no amount of "productivity" will compensate for the fact that any work you do is meaningless and any result thereof accidental.
Any sustained system of externalizing or conceptualizing my tasks at all threatens my thought processes.
Once in a while I write something on a card.
The idea of having a system or process is to be able to; - be intentional, consciously engage, and be present. - participate by being active rather than passive. - be consistent and reliable in timing, expectation, and quality. - be finite by constraint around time, effort, or action. If one wants just to keep winging it, it is still a choice and OK to be that.
I’m interested in creative breakthroughs, not maximizing any predictable or conceivable variable.