Instead of just pushing harder, learn to be eagerly productive.
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I had a realization the other day that I can’t stop thinking about. Over the past few years, I’ve often wondered why the standard behavioral treatment for ADHD only includes task and time management, when I believe mind and pull management are also critical. Here’s my realization: mind and pull management aren’t discussed because non-ADHD…
The content and quality of work you produce is tied to intelligence. But your ability to get yourself to start and continue work tasks, resist distractions, switch tasks when needed, etc., has little to do with intelligence. Those are just productivity skills. Low productivity isn’t a sign of low intelligence Productivity skills simply depend on…
Last updated: March 4, 2026 Productivity can be push- or pull-driven Productivity can be pursued by force or eagerly: by pushing yourself through unpleasantness or by pursuing aspects of the task that pull you in. I already made the case here for the value of being eagerly productive—increased psychological well-being, work engagement, and work quality—but…
As I mentioned in my last article, I focus on teaching people 3 things: We covered the Productivity Controls Framework in my last article. Next comes the 1 productivity habit. Consider all the different productivity tips and tricks that are out there online. One takeaway from that is that there are a lot of things…
What do you do when stuck? I often ask clients what they do when stuck—when they’re dragging their feet on a task, or mentally depleted, or procrastinating, or constantly seeking distractions. What do you do in those situations? Let’s get more specific: think of a task you’ve been procrastinating on or a recurring task you…
There’s more to productivity than high or low We think of productivity as present or absent, high or low. But productivity is also experienced in different ways. When you picture someone being productive, are they enjoying the process? Are they pushing and straining or does it feel more effortless and immersive? Our society tends to…
