*** Setting: Productivitic Anonymous (PA) meeting with a few productivity addicts sitting in a circle.
Hi,
I’m Olivier and I’m an addict.
I’m addicted to getting things done. I’m addicted to efficiency. I’m addicted to living in the future.
I can never just sit there and do nothing. I can’t take a shit without being on my phone. I can’t do dishes without watching a youtube video. I can’t listen to an audiobook or podcast at 1X the speed. I can’t go for a walk or hike without my AirPods. I can’t stand small talk. I can’t justify cooking different meals each night so I meal-prep for the entire week on the weekend.
I monetized all my hobbies and passions. I dropped all the ones that weren’t easily monetizable. I force myself to meditate for 5 minutes daily using an app. I get mad at my cat for always bothering me when I work. I always work with the door closed. I take pride in answering emails fast. I take pride in being the busy person in my social circle.
I implemented Jim Rohn’s advice and narrowed my social circle to 5 people I want to be the average of. I only had to let go of a few childhood friendships. I know how to influence people to get the most value out of my interactions. I attend social events to build my network.
I self-identify as a bio-hacker. I always change my diet and try new supplements to optimize my health and performance. I stopped doing yoga and playing sports and started going to the gym to do HIIT-style group sessions. I’m always training to compete in some fitness event. I can’t remember the last time I had a carbohydrate.
I force myself to read every day. It’s the best way to achieve my new year’s resolution to read a book per week. I only read non-fiction books. The entire list of books is planned in advance based on the must-read books of others. I have a complex note-taking system to ensure I retain all the information I consume.
I wake up at 5 am every day with an alarm. I take pride in never snoozing. I tend to work till late at night so the morning often comes too soon. But I’ll get to sleep when I’m dead. Life is short. We have to squeeze what we can while we’re here.
I believe that I’ll be happy someday. I’ll be rich. I’ll be successful. I’m doing all these sacrifices now to work toward this vision of mine. I’ll have tons of free time in the future.
I’m a huge fan of setting goals. I always need to be working towards something.
I plan to be financially independent by the age of 30. I have an advanced investing strategy to maximize my returns. I’m willing to treat myself as a means to an end until I achieve my goals.
When I do take a vacation, I justify it by telling myself I’ll be more productive when I get back to work. I document all my experiences on the trip to ensure that I learn and gain social recognition from them.
*** NOTE: Some details above are not accurate for my current situation. They’re examples of pathological productivity patterns I have observed over the years.
Read This Next
- Life is a Jar
- What I Learned from Tracking my Mood for 1000 days
- My 10-day Vipassana Silent Retreat Experience
- The Do-Nothing Morning Routine Experiment
- Atomic Habits – Book Notes
Affiliate Links
- High-interest savings account and zero-fee credit card – Neo
- Invest automatically – Wealthsimple Invest Robo-Advisor
- Build your own portfolio – Wealthsimple Trade
- Save money and make a little – EQ Bank High-Interest Savings Account
- Take effective book notes – Readwise
- Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu (Translated by Stephen Mitchell)
- Four Thousand Weeks – Oliver Burkeman
- Walking – Erling Kagge
- Silence – Erling Kagge
- Atomic Habits – James Clear
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey