The Way You Work Doesn’t Work | Find Your Productivity Fit
For years, I thought I was the problem.
If I could just try harder, stick to the schedule, use the time-blocking templates, and do what all the productivity gurus said, then I’d finally feel like I was doing it “right.”
So I bought the planners. I color-coded my Google Calendar. I even set timers and tried those little productivity cubes.
And I hated every second of it.
It took me a long time to realize nothing was wrong with me — the problem was that I was trying to work like someone else’s brain lived in my body.
If you’ve ever felt like the “right way” to work doesn’t work for you, you’re not alone. There is no one-size-fits-all productivity system. There’s only the system that works for you.
Want the full conversation?
I talk more about this in my podcast episode: The Way You Work Doesn’t Work (Non-Traditional Productivity)
Why Standard Productivity Advice Doesn’t Always Work
Most “traditional” productivity advice — wake up early, plan your day hour-by-hour, stick to a rigid to-do list — was built for environments where tasks and schedules are predictable.
That’s not the reality for most entrepreneurs.
Here’s why those strategies might not fit you:
Different energy rhythms: You may not have your peak focus at 8am.
Neurodivergence: ADHD, autism, or other brain differences can make rigid systems feel suffocating.
Creative workflows: Ideas don’t always arrive on a schedule.
Business flexibility: Your workload changes from day to day — you need a system that adapts with it.
If you’ve been frustrated because a system “everyone swears by” didn’t work for you, the problem isn’t you — it’s the mismatch between your reality and the system you’re using.
Step 1: Map Your Energy Peaks and Slumps
Before you can design a work style that fits, you need to know when you work best.
Track your day for a week and note:
When you feel most alert and focused.
When you naturally start to fade.
Which tasks feel easiest or hardest at different times.
Don’t be surprised if your patterns don’t look like what the books say they should. I’ve worked with clients whose most productive time is 9pm to midnight — and they’ve built successful businesses working when it works for them.
Example: If your focus is strongest from 10am–1pm, block that time for high-priority, creative, or strategic work. Save admin tasks for later in the day when your brainpower dips.
Step 2: Build a Flexible Workflow
Once you know your natural patterns, create a system that matches them. That means:
Batch similar tasks to reduce mental load (e.g., answer all emails at once instead of every time your inbox dings).
Theme your days (e.g., client calls on Tuesdays, content creation on Thursdays).
Leave white space for unexpected opportunities or problem-solving — overscheduling is a fast track to burnout.
If you want a simple template for mapping your week around your energy peaks, the CEO Starter Kit includes a customizable weekly schedule that works for any work style.
Step 3: Redefine Productivity
You’ve probably been taught to measure productivity by how much you can check off in a day. But here’s the thing: you can be “busy” all day and still not move your business forward.
Instead, define productivity as consistent progress toward your goals — not constant activity.
Try this:
At the start of each week, write down your Top 3 business priorities.
At the end of each day, check if your work moved at least one of them forward.
If you spent all day in “urgent but unimportant” tasks, it’s time to recalibrate.
Step 4: Drop the Guilt
One of the hardest parts of creating your own work style is letting go of the idea that there’s a “right” way to do it.
It’s okay if:
You don’t start your workday until mid-morning.
You work in short bursts instead of deep-focus marathons.
Your to-do list is scribbled on a sticky note instead of in Asana or Trello.
The real question isn’t “Am I doing it the right way?” — it’s “Is my way working for me?
Step 5: Keep Adjusting as You Go
Your work style isn’t fixed. Seasons change, client needs shift, and life throws curveballs. What worked six months ago might not work now — and that’s normal.
Do a quarterly check-in to see if your systems still fit:
Are you working during your peak energy times?
Are you overloading yourself with low-value tasks?
Do you need to delegate, automate, or eliminate anything?
If something’s not working, it’s not a failure — it’s a sign that you’re paying attention and willing to adapt.
Mindset Shifts to Support Your Work Style
If something’s not working, it’s not a failure — it’s a sign that you’re paying attention and willing to adapt.
You don’t need to earn rest. Rest isn’t a reward — it’s part of being effective.
Less can be more. Doing fewer things well beats doing everything halfway.
Your work style is your advantage. When you design your day to match your brain and energy, you gain a level of efficiency others can’t replicate.
Where to Go From Here
If the way you work doesn’t work for you, you don’t need more discipline — you need a different approach.
When you design your schedule around your strengths, energy, and life, you stop trying to “keep up” with productivity standards that don’t fit you… and you start actually getting things done.
Your business isn’t meant to be run on someone else’s rulebook.
Your best results will come when you create a rhythm that works with your life, not against it.
So, experiment. Adjust. Keep what works, toss what doesn’t. And most importantly, give yourself permission to work in a way that makes sense for you.
