The Wrong Kind of Productivity, and How I Fell For It

I recently instated a new rule for myself: I’d rather be lazy than productive on the wrong thing.

This is a complete departure from who I am, and part of me is dying just by saying it…  but here’s why: 

I realized that "tick the box" productivity is often a cop-out that sidetracks from long term goals and deters from trying new, scary, important things.

Here's my story:

If you’re reading this newsletter, chances are you found it through one of my LinkedIn posts, where I’d been active since September 2023. 

Back in July, I decided to take a break from posting. Writing LinkedIn posts (4-5 times/week) and this newsletter had completely taken over my morning routine. I was left with very little time for anything else.

The plan was to take the summer off, recharge, and free up my mornings for other stuff: improving my German, learning basic coding, and reading a ton of fiction.

As my self-imposed deadline to "get back into it" loomed, I had zero motivation to do so. I was enjoying what I was spending time on instead. 

More importantly, I didn’t see the point of continuing.

The Metrics Trap

I realized I was focused on the Wrong Kind of Productivity.

My original mission, my Why, was to share personal finance content for beginners and ultimately offer help through workshops and coaching.

The process was simple: Share content → Reach the right audience → Offer help.

Building the "Share content" habit was the first challenge, so that's where most of my time and effort went. Metrics like # of posts, Likes, Impressions, and New Followers provided an immediate, seductive feedback loop.

I’m a sucker for "ticking boxes," and this gamification of my new habit worked too well: the metrics became the End Game itself. 
I was spending more time and more energy on the posts, leaving little energy for actually speaking to people or trying new things.

Was I productive? Absolutely. Two years of multiple posts per week, millions of impressions, and 10K followers.

But it was the wrong kind: I was focused entirely on the What (the activity) instead of the Why (the purpose).

I let the easy, visible metrics of my What hijack the ultimate value of my Why.

It’s something that happens to too many of us, too often, across different aspects of our lives.

So, it’s time to take my own advice and align my spending (time, effort, and money) with my Values.

This wasn’t a sudden moment of clarity but a process. If I had to “templatize it”, it would be through these 3 checks:

1. The Cost Check:

What am I saying "No" to in order to do this? If the activity is eating up the time and energy meant for my core values (like learning, deep work, or a new project), the What might be too costly.

2. The Feedback Check:

If this task stopped giving me its immediate metric (likes, completions, views), would I still do it? If my motivation vanishes without the external validation, I might be stuck on the What (the metric) and have lost sight of the Why (the purpose).

3. The Purpose Check:

What specific, long-term impact is this task creating right now? Force yourself to draw a direct line to your ultimate goal. If I can only say it’s "to build the habit" or "keep the streak alive," I’m focused on the process instead of the impact.

Looking at your routine today, which of your 'What' metrics is most likely distracting you from your true 'Why'?

The information contained in this newsletter is for general informational purposes only. It should not be construed as financial or investment advice. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.