My Productivity Strategy to Reset, Get Unstuck, and Focus on the Right Things

The moment you feel as though you’re walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart, mind, and inner self—showing too much of yourself—that’s the moment you might be starting to get it right. This is a quote from Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite fiction writers. It comes from his university commencement speech, and it resonates deeply with me. Now, let me bring this back to my own story.

A few months ago, I had a birthday party. It was fantastic—dozens of friends and I spent a few days soaking up the sun, enjoying the beach, and having barbecues, catching up on life. It’s something we do every year. But on the last day, I didn’t wake up until 11:30 in the morning—late, even for me. I knew my last few remaining friends would be leaving around noon, yet I stayed in bed, hiding under the covers like a child. Why? Because I was afraid of being alone. I dreaded the feeling of loneliness so much that I kept hitting snooze, avoiding reality until I couldn’t delay it any longer.

So, why am I telling you this? Why am I being so self-indulgent with such a ridiculous story? It’s because we all strive to appear successful—a nebulous concept at best. The media loves to portray certain individuals as superheroes, showcasing their seemingly flawless lives. These stories of overcoming obstacles can be inspiring, but they often lead to unhealthy comparisons. We may think, “Maybe they can do it because they’re incredible. They have no faults. They’re conquering each day with ease, while I’m just a normal person, struggling.” The truth is, most so-called superheroes are nothing of the sort. They’re as strange and neurotic as the rest of us. They do big things despite their self-doubt and self-defeating habits.

To personalize this, let me make it clear: I am definitely no superhero. I’m not even consistently “normal”—whatever that means. Here’s a glimpse into my reality: Not too long ago, I cried while watching Rudy on an airplane, which concerned those around me. I often hit snooze for hours because I simply don’t want to face the day. I’ve considered giving everything away and moving to a far-off place like Montreal, Seville, or Iceland—depending on what I was trying to escape. I’ve even wasted time on websites that provide “distractions” when I had far more important things to do. And I wore the same pair of jeans for a week straight just to have a sense of constancy during chaotic times.

Listening to all of that, it probably sounds pretty dysfunctional, right? I assume so—it certainly feels that way. But during that same time, especially in the last few weeks, I was also able to increase my passive income by 20%, buy my dream house, and get back into a regular meditation practice—20 minutes, twice a day. I also managed to cut my caffeine intake drastically, which improved my sleep, signed an exciting business deal, and even improved my health by transforming my blood work. And I realized, once again, that the highs and lows I experience—what some might call manic-depressive tendencies—are simply part of entrepreneurship.

Where does this leave me? Personally, I’m terrible at efficiency—doing things quickly or doing things exceptionally well—but I’ve developed a coping mechanism. It’s an eight-step process for maximizing efficacy, which is about doing the right thing, not just doing things fast.

1. Wake up at least an hour before you need to be at your computer. Email is a mind-killer, so avoid going into reactive mode first thing.

2. Make a cup of tea—my preference is puer tea—and sit down with pen and paper. Analog is the way to go.

3. Write down three to five things that are making you anxious or uncomfortable. These are often tasks you’ve been putting off. The most important ones tend to be the most uncomfortable.

4. For each item, ask yourself: If this were the only thing I accomplished today, would I be satisfied? Also, will moving this forward make other tasks easier or irrelevant?

5. Focus only on the items you answered “yes” to. These are your high-leverage tasks.

6. Block out two to three hours to focus on just one of these tasks today. Let the rest of the less important, urgent tasks wait.

7. Again, block out two to three hours of uninterrupted time—no distractions, no social media. Cobbling together 10 minutes here and there does not work.

8. If you get distracted, don’t panic. Just gently come back to your task.

This is how I manage to create big outcomes, despite my constant impulse to procrastinate. It works incredibly well, and I’ve realized that if I have 10 important things to do in a day, nothing important will get done. But if I focus on just one must-do, I can usually manage to make progress.

In the end, it doesn’t take much to seem superhuman or successful to others. Single-tasking is key. Remember, what you do is more important than how you do everything else. Doing something well doesn’t make it important. So, focus on what matters most. And when you feel like you’re losing at the game of life, remember that even the best of the best feel that way sometimes. As Kurt Vonnegut once said about his writing process: “When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth.” So, don’t overestimate the world or underestimate yourself. You’re better than you think, and you’re definitely not alone.

So, where does this leave us? It leaves us with the understanding that nobody has everything figured out, and most of the time, we’re all just trying to do the best we can. The world often overestimates people, placing them on pedestals, but we tend to underestimate ourselves. We believe we’re not capable of the same success, when in reality, everyone is facing their own battles that we know nothing about.

We’re all in this together. It’s easy to look at others and think they’ve got it all figured out, but behind the scenes, they’re struggling just like we are. They have doubts, fears, and insecurities. The trick is not to let these things paralyze you. Instead, you have to move forward anyway, despite the self-doubt. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that it’s not about being perfect or having all the answers. It’s about taking consistent, deliberate action, even if it’s uncomfortable.

When you’re facing a day where everything feels overwhelming or you feel like you’re losing at life, remember this: success isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things. And often, that means focusing on just one thing at a time. The media might portray successful people as superheroes, but that’s far from the truth. Even the people we admire most have days where they feel like they can’t do anything right.

That’s why I live by one simple rule: What you do is more important than how you do everything else. This mindset has been a game-changer for me. It’s not about volume or doing a million things at once. It’s about choosing the most important thing and giving it your all.

And remember, being busy isn’t a sign of success. In fact, it’s often a form of laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action. We use busyness to avoid the few critically important actions that are uncomfortable or challenging. When you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck, remind yourself that more doesn’t always mean better. Focus on the few things that matter most and do them well.

In moments of despair or self-doubt, I often turn to what Kurt Vonnegut said about his writing process. It helps remind me that even the most accomplished people feel inadequate sometimes. Vonnegut described writing as feeling like an armless, legless man holding a crayon in his mouth. That image is powerful because it captures the essence of what it’s like to struggle and feel small, even while creating something meaningful.

So, don’t overestimate the world or underestimate yourself. You’re capable of far more than you think, and everyone around you is fighting a battle you know nothing about. We’re all in this together, and the more we share our vulnerabilities and imperfections, the more we’ll realize that we’re not alone.

And that’s where the real power lies—recognizing that none of us are alone in our struggles. We all face fears, insecurities, and moments where we feel like we’re failing, but those moments don’t define us. What defines us is how we choose to keep going, how we pick ourselves up even when it feels impossible, and how we decide to show up each day, despite our flaws.

One of the most liberating things we can do is embrace those imperfections. When we stop trying to live up to impossible standards and allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we open the door to real growth. That’s what Neil Gaiman’s quote is all about—when you feel like you’re exposing too much of yourself, like you’re walking down the street naked, that’s when you might just be getting it right. It’s in those moments of honesty, when we reveal what’s inside, that we find connection, purpose, and meaning.

Vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s courage. It takes bravery to admit that you don’t have everything figured out. It takes strength to ask for help or to say, “I’m struggling.” But in doing so, you invite others to do the same. And suddenly, you realize that the façade of perfection we all try to maintain is just that—a façade. Underneath it, we’re all humans, dealing with the same fears, the same uncertainties, and the same desire to feel like we’re enough.

So, the next time you feel overwhelmed, remember that you’re not the only one. Remember that everyone, even the people you admire most, has those days where nothing seems to go right. And that’s okay. What matters is that you keep showing up. You keep pushing forward. You focus on the one thing that matters most and give it your best shot.

When you shift your focus from doing everything to doing the right things, you’ll find that success becomes more attainable. It’s not about being a superhero or never making mistakes. It’s about learning to manage your time, your energy, and your priorities in a way that allows you to make meaningful progress.

And when you feel like you’re not doing enough or that you’re falling behind, remind yourself of this: success doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from persistence. It comes from showing up, day after day, even when you don’t feel like it. It comes from choosing to take action, even when it’s hard. And most importantly, it comes from believing that you’re capable of achieving great things, even when doubt creeps in.

We’re all in this together, navigating life’s ups and downs, and the more we embrace that truth, the easier it becomes to move forward. Don’t underestimate yourself, and don’t overestimate the world around you. You have everything you need to succeed inside you—you just need to trust yourself, take things one step at a time, and remember that it’s okay to be imperfect. That’s what makes us human.