7 Biases Destroying Your Productivity

1. The Complexity Bias

= You assume complex solutions are better than simple ones =

How to overcome it:

• Seek accountability partners to ensure you take action

• Commit to action before you feel ready

• Set deadlines

2. The Present Bias

= You favour small pay-offs right now over more impactful pay-offs in the future =

How to overcome it:

• Visualise your ideal outcome during your morning routine

• Reward yourself for the right choice

• Gamify deep work

3) The Sunk Cost Fallacy

= You continue to do a task, because you started it, when you should just let it go =

How to overcome it:

• Take regular breaks and check if there's another task with higher urgency or impact

• Score for all your todos for impact

4) The Planning Fallacy

= You underestimate how long tasks actually take =

How to overcome it:

• Break big projects into micro-tasks

• Set do dates for tasks, not due dates

• Leave buffer space in your work schedule

5) The Zeigarnik Effect

= You remember all the tasks you haven’t done yet =

How to overcome it:

• Do regular brain dumps

• Have a solid end-of-work routine + journalling practice

• Build a system that you trust will resurface the information when you need it

6) The Mere Urgency Effect

= You prefer doing shiny new to-dos with little long term payoffs over the important tasks =

How to overcome it:

• Clarify your single biggest impact task of the day and time block it

• Set artificial deadlines for the long-term projects

7) Hedonic Adaptation

= Always thinking that you’ll be happy when X happens = How to overcome it: • Pin your happiness on the journey, not the destination • Seek to find joy in building your best self • Surround yourself with uplifting people

Build your system to eliminate these 7 biases from destroying your productivity:

• Journal

• Set Deadlines

• Be Accountable

• Reward Deep Work

• Clarify Your Purpose

• Time Block Your Calendar

• Daily & Weekly Review Practices