Why Productivity Tools Don’t Work for Everyone

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by a planning or productivity system, or wondered “why can’t I just stick to this?” this episode of The Leaders Kitbag is for you.

It may not be a discipline problem at all. Instead, it could be a mismatch between the tool you’re trying to use and how you actually perceive time.

In this episode, I explore why so many productivity and planning tools are built with through-time people in mind, and why those with an in-time perspective often find them restrictive or draining.

You’ll discover:

• The difference between in-time and through-time approaches to planning
• Why one-size-fits-all productivity advice often fails
• A simple 3-3-3 formula for in-time leaders to stay focused while retaining flexibility

This is about working with your natural strengths, not forcing yourself into someone else’s system.

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Podcast Transcript

If you’ve ever found yourself getting increasingly frustrated trying to use a particular planning or productivity tool, or even caught yourself thinking “why can’t I just stick to this system?” then today’s episode of The Leaders Kit Bag is for you.

Let me share an insight straight away that I hope will help.

If anything of what I’ve just shared resonates with you, it might not be the case that you have a discipline problem. Rather, there could be a mismatch between the tool you’re trying to use and how you actually perceive time.

So, to today’s episode of The Leaders Kit Bag. I want to start with a statement of the blindingly obvious: we’re all different.

Whilst we know that cognitively, I think many of us would feel and perform better if we truly internalised that message. If we really took on board the fact that one approach doesn’t work for everybody.

What works for one person or one expert might not work for me.

The challenge is that often we hear advice from a particular guru, usually online because they have a platform and large following. Their experience of what worked for them quickly becomes a prescription for all of us.

But the same approach doesn’t work for everybody.

Another challenge is that many planning, prioritisation, and productivity tools are often created by and for people with what we call a through-time orientation.

Through-time people generally see the past, present, and future laid out in front of them, almost like a calendar.

If you ask them to point to the past, they point to the left, with the future to the right. Planning, structure, and forward thinking energise them.

But if you’re struggling with these systems, can’t stick to them, or find them draining, it could be because you have an in-time preference.

In-time people see the past behind them and the future in front, but not in a neat, linear structure.

They thrive on being in the present. They enjoy spontaneity and flexibility. Structure can feel restrictive or frustrating.

If that’s you, one approach that might work is to retain the principles of those tools but add more flexibility.

One I’ve started using with in-time people is what I call the 3-3-3 formula:

• Three things coming up in the near future to focus on

• Three tasks to complete today or this week

• Three people you need to speak to today or this week

That 3-3-3 formula helps in-time leaders stay focused while working with their natural strengths.

I’ll continue sharing tools and ideas that work for both through-time and in-time people.

As always, look after yourself, look after those you’ve got the privilege and responsibility to lead, and until next time…

#LeadOn