10 productivity myths you shouldn’t believe

The most productive people are early risers. You should learn to eliminate procrastination. Stress is terrible for productivity.

You’ve probably come across many of these statements in productivity articles (some of which were probably in Fast Company). But as psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman and time management expert Laura Vanderkam told the audience at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, some of the most commonly cited productivity principles are not always correct. Or they are true, but there’s more to the statement. For example, Vanderkam says that while research might show morning people do better in tests as kids and get better jobs as adults, it’s not because they are naturally more productive, it’s because the world is set up to reward them.

In a bonus live episode of Secrets of The Most Productive People, my cohost Kate Davis and I speak to Vanderkam and Kaufman about some of the most common productivity myths and where they come from. You can find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play,  Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please stay subscribed as we’ll be back for season two with more productivity-related content in early 2019.

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