“Trying Harder” Isn’t The Answer

I hear this all the time from students, and maybe you say it to yourself, too:

“I know I could be more productive. I just have to try harder.”

On some level, I relate. I know I, too, could be more productive if I could manage to get myself to do more. And most students think that the way to do more is to put more effort into making themselves do things.

We imagine ourselves lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, doing nothing. Then we clench our fists, try harder, and voila! We get off the couch and go do something productive.

How often does that work, though? In my experience, rarely. But the myth of “trying harder” still abounds. And unfortunately, students who buy into this myth tend to collect a lot of guilt. Because if the answer is trying harder, then it’s their fault they’re not trying harder, so really, they’re to blame for the lack of their productivity.

And still, even with all that guilt, they can’t manage to be more productive. Strange, right?

Actually, it’s not so strange. It makes perfect sense! Let me explain.

You only have so much “try” to spend in a day.

Just like a muscle, your brain only has so much power. You can strengthen your muscles (and your brain) with training, but they don’t have unlimited energy, and they never will.

So if you have put forth a lot of effort to get yourself out of bed in the morning, and then put a lot of effort into doing your schoolwork all day, and then put a lot of effort into doing your least favorite chore…

Your brain will run out of juice. It won’t have any “try” left!

This is why people tend to eat unhealthy food when they’re stressed. Their discipline is worn down from making themselves deal with the stressful situation. After all that, they don’t have the mental energy to stay away from the McDonald’s drive-through.

So if you only have so much “try” in one day, how can you be productive? Are you doomed to a life of mediocre productivity, a slave to your whims once your “try” runs out?

No, of course not! Here’s the secret:

The really productive people aren’t “trying” super hard.

They do all their work without their brain putting forth much effort.

Now, of course, the question is… how in the world do they do that???

Well, to be honest, I haven’t totally, 100% figured it out yet. But I’ve figured out several things so far!

Here are a few consistent patterns I see in the most productive people I know:

Productive people are realistic about how much time they have and how long things will take

Productive people are good at estimating how long tasks will take them, and because of that, they avoid overbooking themselves. They’re realistic about how much time there is in a day.

In contrast, a lot of students who want to be “more productive” are actually very busy. They just haven’t made time for the things they want to be productive in.

Unfortunately for us humans, we are firmly trapped in a 24-hour long day, and we need a certain amount of sleep. Being productive means using our time well, not squeezing in too many things and frantically trying to get them all done.

Productive people are generally healthy in body and mind

There’s no way around it. Healthy bodies and healthy minds are more productive than unhealthy ones. Healthy people have more mental and physical energy.

I’ve been through times of general health, and general un-health. And let me tell you. It is SO MUCH EASIER to do things when you’re healthy. And it’s SO HARD to do things when you’re not.

Of course, there will be times in our life where we have to be at least somewhat productive despite major health challenges. (Think of all those new parents only getting 2 hours of sleep at a time!)

But when we aren’t our healthiest, whether from physical illness, mental illness, or just not enough sleep, we need to give ourselves plenty of grace. 

And if there are ways we can improve our health, those need to be first priority in our quest to be “more productive.”

Don’t underestimate the power in this! Improving your health will make the biggest difference in your productivity out of anything else I say here.

Productive people think about one task at a time

The most productive people I know are really good at only thinking about one thing at a time. At its core, this is a way of staying focused.

But I’m talking about something more specific than avoiding distractions. In particular, productive people aren’t thinking about other tasks when they’re doing the current task.

Students who struggle with productivity are often thinking several tasks ahead, or worse, wondering if they should switch tasks right now. They feel like they should be doing the dishes when they’re doing their math homework. Or they wonder when they’ll call Grandma while they’re drafting their novel. Because of this, their brain can’t fully commit to what they’re working on, and that makes it take longer than it has to.

So don’t worry so much about picking the “right” task. (Hint: there is no “right” task!) Just pick one and stick to it, and you’ll find that in the end, you’re more productive. And as a bonus, you’ll feel less stressed!

Productive people do things without striving for a particular outcome

Have you ever asked someone who gets really good grades how often they think about getting good grades? For instance, when they take a test, how hard are they “trying” to get an A?

Turns out, they’re not thinking about their grades at all. They’re just thinking about getting each problem right, one at a time.

And when they’re doing their homework, they’re not “trying” to raise their grade. They’re just doing their homework.

The most productive people do their tasks as a matter of routine. “Of course I’m going to work out after breakfast: that’s what I do on Tuesday.” “Of course I’m going to read my bible before bed: I do that every night.”

The problem with wanting a particular outcome is that you probably know, deep down, that the outcome isn’t guaranteed. For instance, there’s no guarantee your novel will be published one day. So if you’re trying to write a novel that’s good enough to be published, your brain will be constantly distracting you with all sorts of thoughts: 

It would be so cool to have fans and do book signings! If we don’t get this published, we’ll miss out on all that. And the likelihood that this particular novel gets published is small. So maybe we’re wasting our time. Maybe we should do something that’s definitely a good use of time, like helping to cook dinner. But it would be pretty cool to have our book on a bookshelf! Ahh, if we never achieve that, it would be so sad.

Productive people simply commit to doing the thing. Even if they have a goal, they’re not thinking about it all the time. They’re just doing the day-to-day work because, well, that’s what they decided to do.

In a sense, Yoda was right. Do, or do not. There is no try.

Productive people build systems that make it easy to be productive

What’s the easiest way to avoid the temptation to go through the McDonald’s drive-through? Don’t drive past McDonald’s!

Similarly, if you’re really tempted to play video games instead of doing your schoolwork, have your parent bring the game to the office with them. Or, get out of the house yourself and do your work at the library.

All of the productive people I know have at least some systems that make it easier for their brain to get focused and stay focused: a way to avoid distractions, a routine that gets them in the right mindset, a schedule that keeps them on task, or a reward for getting something done.

The key to coming up with these systems is to understand how your brain works. You can do this through self-reflection and trying things on your own, but there’s also a lot to learn about what human brains have in common, and the way God designed them to operate in different situations.

I put this item last on my list for a reason, though: there’s no “one simple trick” to becoming more productive, and sometimes students get too focused on these productivity “hacks.”

In reality, becoming a more productive person happens over time, with mindset shifts, changes in your patterns, understanding your priorities, and sometimes even improvements in your health.

We spend our whole lives in self-improvement. That’s what God intended!

So no, trying harder won’t magically make you more productive–unless you’re not currently trying at all! But if you’re reading this article, chances are you’re trying hard enough. 

Instead, try re-evaluating something else, and be realistic with yourself. 

Hopefully this gave you a starting point for a different strategy.