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I've dabbled in productivity (getting as much good things done as possible in your short stay on Earth) throughout my life (the last year), but while "hustle culture" may inspire you in the moment you don't really want to live like that forever (unless you really do). Many tricks for getting more things done actually work, but they stop working if you use them too much, because it's the unproductive moments in between that seem to give the productivity a spark. Too little time spent being productive and nothing gets created, too much and your brain doesn't get enough relax to come up with those genius ideas you only think about when you're not doing anything. You could make some equation out of this, like "use 50% of your time for productive work, and 50% to relax and let your mind be unconsciously creative!", but there isn't a definitive answer. There never is! That's the beauty of looking for answers.
I had this in mind while I tried to finish creating my game (click here for an unfinished or finished version) during a time when I was low on energy and had to use my few energetic hours in the best way. I started writing down what works for me when it comes to achieving ambitious goals (read about one of the goals). Plan to do one thing per day. Nothing more, nothing less. One small thing a day becomes one big thing in a year. Trying to do very many different things may feel productive but isn't and kills joy in the long term so it doesn't help the big picture. Switching between tasks seems to take more time than actually doing the tasks, and focusing on one thing at a time removes this. If you focus for longer than a day you'll get so deep into the subject that you'll learn stuff you wouldn't otherwise and in a faster and deeper way, it's like reading through a book during three days compared to reading the same amount of random internet content in the same amount of time (if you've done both you know the huge difference in how much you learn). When done with one thing, start planning for the next thing. Then when you take a shower or a walk or a car ride you'll automatically think about that thing you'll do tomorrow. Stuff gets done without even trying, and you'll get started with that thing much faster the next day because plans have already been made in your head. If something gets boring, do something else. The problem will be solved when you return, for some reason. So when it gets hard, don't stick to it, move to where it's easy and fun instead. This doesn't sound like advice teachers would give? No, it's because they're wrong and I'm right. When you've stuck to your plan for too long, moving away from the plan is the right way to stick to the plan. It has to be fun. What's the purpose of getting things done if you don't have fun while doing it? Maybe saving people's life if you do stuff like that. But I'm not sure. No matter what the top entrepreneurs say ("if you want to be at the top, prepare for a life in pain"?), I believe the joy needs to be there first if you're going to do anything incredible at all.
... And after a month behaving like this, all I wanted to do was to play Mario Kart in my bed. Maybe resting is the final piece to the productivity puzzle! Or, productivity just doesn't work. In the end of my productivity mania I thought more about the plan than about the actual things (classic mistake). So I took a break from being productive, and during this break I was still convinced I'm a genius in process who just needs to recharge right now, "it's the unproductive moments in between that seem to give the productivity a spark", as I said in the beginning. And that's where I am right now. The problem now is, I may get stuck in this unproductive state but with an illusion of getting things done. It feels good to think, and write, about productivity, maybe better than being productive. If we're really unlucky I may start watching motivational videos and mouth tech gurus' words to myself in the mirror every day until I'm filled up with dreams but empty of action. Which is why I write this text, so I know what all parts of this process actually were. This text could have been longer but sorry, gotta bounce, have a game to finish, and I have a great plan for how to do it in a productive way...