Why Most Productivity Systems Fail – And What Actually Works

 Productivity Gurus

At some point, most of us have come across a productivity guru selling their new course or book—promises of four-hour work weeks, happy productivity, and lowering the amount of work you do whilst making your output skyrocket.

Before I became a teacher, I spent two years volunteering in a local primary school and thought to myself, “This doesn’t feel like work.”  Previously, I’d been working in a stuffy office, glued to a computer screen, searching for potentially fraudulent customer accounts. Every break away from my desk was logged. Time taken to review accounts was monitored. Decision-making was scrutinised by leadership. It was the opposite of a fun workplace. This made the days in school feel amazing. Watching children engage with fun activities really didn’t feel anything like my boring office job.

My Obsession with Productivity Systems 

It was only during my teacher training that it dawned on me—all those fun activities had to be planned, resourced, and sequenced by the teacher. I found the workload especially hard as I had a one-year-old at home.

Over the next few years, I created system after system of productivity perfection. Inspired by YouTube gurus like Ali Abdaal, I built a Notion database of lessons for the year. I used Evernote to record notes and hoard resources. I went all-in on the idea of having a second brain.

I installed countless apps on my phone and laptop. Each one promised to be the to-do list app that would finally conquer my workload. I began to batch tasks. I blocked out time for emails. I created spaces for deep work. I even used a Pomodoro timer to push through longer work sessions.

But after years of refining my systems—after hours of YouTube advice, books, audiobooks, and podcasts—I was still no more effective than those around me.

What was going on?

The Turning Point

It was slow at first, but over time my opinions changed. Eventually, the biggest hurdle I faced was the sunk cost fallacy.  Could I really have learnt so much, worked so hard… and achieved so little? 

Ultimately, I realised that most productivity advice is just a variation of:

- Time management 

- Focused effort 

- Eliminating tasks 

- Managing tasks 

These aren't bad principles. But they’re often presented in ways that don’t reflect how most people actually work.

Three Big Problems I Noticed

1. Serving the System

Eventually, I was no longer using my systems—they were using me. 

The time needed to research, create, and maintain them wiped out any marginal benefits I gained.

2. Productivity as Procrastination

A lot of the work I was doing was actually just avoidance. 

Yes, it felt like progress when I listened to experts, tweaked systems, and explored tools. But truthfully, I wasn’t getting closer to finishing the actual work I needed to do.

3. Ignoring Real-World Constraints

Take the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s a classic framework for prioritising tasks and eliminating the unnecessary.  It sounds brilliant—but in reality, most jobs expect you to do all the tasks, even the unimportant ones. Delegation isn’t always an option. You can’t outsource your daily grind.As a teacher, I’d still have 90 books to mark every night—no matter how I valued my time.

What Actually Works (for Me)

From experience, I’ve found that just enough structure beats the perfect system. Anything more has diminishing returns. Anything less leaves easy wins on the table.

Strategies (The Big Picture)

- Set long-term goals—quarterly, not yearly. 

- Break tasks down into their smallest components. 

- Block time wherever possible. 

Tactics (The Day-to-Day)

- Create your to-do list before the day begins. This gives direction before you get pulled into reactive mode. 

- Spend the last 10–15 minutes of your workday reviewing what went well. Adjust tomorrow’s plan. Look for patterns. 

- Tackle the hardest task first, if you have a choice. 

- Turn off notifications. If something is truly urgent, people will find you. 

- Remember: work expands to fill the time you give it. Be intentional about carving out time for yourself and those around you. 

- Revisit your long-term goals weekly to check you’re still on track. 

Final Thoughts on Sustainable Productivity

The benefits of being more productive only matter when they’re sustainable. That’s why the simplicity of how you work matters more than making every gain possible.

For me, I’ve minimised the bloat. Currently, I just only use Apple Notes and a bullet journal—and that’s enough.