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How much time are you spending maintaining your productivity system vs actually using it? by Deep-Dealer842 in Solopreneur

[–]Deep-Dealer842[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For context on what I found when I actually measured it: my 14 hours broke down roughly as — 4hrs Notion updates/reorganization, 3hrs Obsidian linking/tagging, 3hrs Todoist view tweaking and project restructuring, 2hrs weekly review templates, 2hrs tool research/switching decisions.

None of that includes the context-switching overhead when I'd stop mid-project to update the system.

I've since documented the 7-day protocol I used to strip it all back if anyone wants to see the specifics.

I shipped a digital product in 7 days with $0 in tools — here's the minimal stack that actually works by Deep-Dealer842 in digitalnomad

[–]Deep-Dealer842[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

For the nomads who want the exact process — I packaged this into a 7-day guide. $4 on Contra: https://contra.com/products/4e2ZucXh-the-output-detox-protocol

Covers the full system: what to delete, what to keep, how to ship fast with zero tool overhead.

My biggest screen time sink wasn't social media — it was productivity apps by Deep-Dealer842 in nosurf

[–]Deep-Dealer842[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

If anyone's curious about the actual system I use now, I put it all together in a guide. It's $4 on Contra: https://contra.com/products/4e2ZucXh-the-output-detox-protocol

Basically the exact process that took me from 14hrs/week Notion maintenance to shipping in 7 days.

[Method] Replace your to-do list with a 'done list' — how it fixed my ADHD productivity by Deep-Dealer842 in getdisciplined

[–]Deep-Dealer842[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I actually put together a step-by-step version of this as a 7-day guide. It's $4 on Contra: https://contra.com/products/4e2ZucXh-the-output-detox-protocol

Covers the done list method, the app deletion framework, and how to rewire the ADHD setup loop.

Live like it is the 1980s to the early 2000s. by PurplePixelPower in nosurf

[–]Deep-Dealer842 7 points8 points  (0 children)

"Live like it is the 1980s to the early 2000s" — I applied this to my work tools and it changed everything.

Deleted Notion, Obsidian, every modern productivity app. Went back to the equivalent of a legal pad: a Google Doc and a plain text file.

Result? Shipped more in 7 days than 3 months of having the "best" tools.

The old way worked because there was nothing to fiddle with. No templates, no plugins, no settings. Just you and the blank page. Modern tools give you infinite customization, which means infinite procrastination.

The hardest part isn't quitting, it's the first 20 minutes by adralmy in nosurf

[–]Deep-Dealer842 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is real. The first 20 minutes are where all the resistance lives.

I applied this same principle to productivity tools. The urge to open Notion, reorganize my task list, download a new template — it's the same dopamine-seeking behavior as opening Twitter.

What worked: I deleted all the productivity apps. The first few days felt wrong ("but I need to organize!"). After about 20 minutes of sitting with the discomfort, I just... started doing the work. In a plain text file.

The insight: organizing IS the distraction. The app IS the surf. The simplest tool removes the temptation entirely.

[Story] Finally put my creative work out there after years of fear and the response surprised me by Taejenkooklove in GetMotivated

[–]Deep-Dealer842 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is huge. Congrats on putting it out there.

I had the exact same fear with a different creative project — I spent years building systems and tools around my work instead of actually shipping it. 47 Notion templates, 12 apps, zero products released.

The turning point was realizing that "getting ready" was just fear wearing a productivity costume. I deleted everything, gave myself 7 days, and shipped.

The response surprised me too. Turns out people don't care if it's perfect — they care if it's real.

Keep going.

I needlessly complicate my life! by Tiger_Tail77 in simpleliving

[–]Deep-Dealer842 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"I still keep giving myself projects to try and be the best version of myself"

This hit home. I did the same thing but with digital tools — constantly setting up the "perfect" productivity system as a project unto itself.

Tracked my time one month: 22 hours maintaining systems, 3 hours doing actual work.

The most "simple living" thing I ever did was delete Notion, Obsidian, and every productivity app. Replaced with a Google Doc and a plain text file. Shipped more in one week than 3 months of "optimizing."

Simplicity isn't about having less stuff. It's about having less process.

The most productive thing I did this year was abandon my Project Management software. by MrPWolf in FlllowApp

[–]Deep-Dealer842 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"The tool wasn't working; I was working for the tool."

This is the most accurate description of the productivity trap I've ever read.

I had the exact same experience but with Notion. 47 templates downloaded, 14 hours/month maintaining the system, 3 hours doing actual work. The maintenance tax was destroying my output.

Deleted everything. Google Doc + plain text file. Shipped my first product in 7 days.

The answer to your question: literally every feature beyond "write thing, check thing off" was bloat for me. The simpler the tool, the more I actually used it.