20 Truths That Will Make You 10x More Productive (Without Losing Your Sanity)

Let’s be honest—most “productivity hacks” just make us feel bad about ourselves. Wake up at 4 AM? Meditate for an hour? Work out, journal, and read a book before sunrise? Meanwhile, some of us are just trying to remember where we left our coffee!

The truth is, productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing the right things effectively (and preferably, without burning out in the process). Remember, You simply cannot out earn disorganization. 

So, instead of another unrealistic morning routine, here are 20 brutally honest truths that will actually help you get more done—with your sanity intact.

Let’s dive in… before we get distracted. 🚀

1. Write down your top 3 priorities for the day—either in the morning or the night before.

   Because if you don’t, your brain will happily decide that your most urgent tasks are involve putting out fires all day.

2. Divide your day into blocks of time and assign a task to each one.
   Otherwise, your entire day will be one long, unplanned “I’ll get to it eventually” block.

3. Avoid 'priority ping pong' – stay committed to one task at a time.
   Multitasking is just an elegant way of saying, “I’m doing multiple things poorly at once.”

4. Schedule success. If it’s not on your calendar, it probably won’t happen.
   If you rely on “I’ll remember,” you’re setting yourself up for a surprise game of “Why didn’t I get anything done today?”

5. Begin every meeting defining its purpose and desired outcome.
   Or just let the meeting turn into a group therapy session about how busy everyone is.

6. If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it now.
   Unless you enjoy watching small tasks pile up until they become your entire afternoon.

7. Work expands to the time you give it. Use artificial deadlines.
   Because “I have all day” really means “I’ll start an hour before it’s due in full panic mode.”

8. Set firm boundaries to protect your time, focus, and energy.
   If you don’t, everyone will assume you have nothing but free time and a burning desire to solve their problems.

9. The first step to delegation is accepting that ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’.
   Perfectionism is just procrastination wearing a fancy suit.

10. Batch similar tasks together to minimize context switching.
    Because Multi-tasking is the complete opposite of how the brain is designed to function, and actually causes a level of brain damage!

    Every rapid, incomplete and poor quality shift of thought is like making a milkshake with your brain cells and neuro-chemicals.  This ‘milkshake’ multitasking creates patterns of flightiness and lack of concentration that are erroneously labeled as ADD and ADHD.

11. Create templates and written systems for repetitive tasks to save your future self hours.
    Your future self will either thank you or curse you. Choose wisely. And don't forget, as a Brady Group All-Access Member, we help you create and maintain a personalized Systems Play Book!

12. If you’re procrastinating on something, work on it for just 5 minutes.
    Because “just five minutes” tricks your brain, and before you know it, you’re actually being productive. Sneaky, right?

13. The best system is the one you will actually use. Don’t overcomplicate.
    A complicated system you abandon in a week is just a fancy way to waste time designing a system.

14. Burnout happens when you treat rest as a reward rather than essential.
    Time off isn't a luxury.  It's a survival strategy.

15. You’ll never regret taking a walk outside.
    But you will regret staying indoors through lunch and realizing you’ve become one with your office chair.

16. 1% improvement every day for a year = 37 times better.
    Small changes add up. So does neglect. Choose your side.

17. Nothing good ever comes from bringing your phone to bed.
    Unless your goal is to accidentally stay up until 2 AM reading about conspiracy theories.

18. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
    Rushing leads to mistakes. And fixing mistakes takes longer than doing it right the first time.

19. Don’t mistake being busy with being productive.
    Running in circles burns calories, not tasks.

20. Productivity is about making room for what matters most in life.
    Because the whole point isn’t just to get more done—it’s to have time for what truly brings you joy.