I remember when I first discovered productivity apps.
Man, I was so excited. Those early days.
I wanted to optimize everything. My content creation, my business tasks, my entire life running like a well-oiled machine.
But something interesting happened. (Yeah, it always does).
My Notion dashboard?
It was getting all my attention. Beautiful databases, color-coded tags, automated workflows.
The setup was screaming at me: “Look how organized you are!” And you know what? I listened.
I totally fell in love with the system instead of the work.
For months, that’s who I was. The productivity optimization guy.
I made so many templates. All about task management, content workflows, the latest productivity methods. And on paper? My system looked incredible. Everything was categorized. Everything had a place.
But something felt… off. Deep down.
Every time I sat down to create, I just felt this heaviness.
Aside the fact that I was an incredibly lazy person, that initial excitement I had dwindled every day.
Replaced with this feeling of obligation. I wasn’t building the content I actually wanted to create.
Nope.
I was maintaining a productivity system that looked impressive but kept me from being productive.
And the worst part? Whenever I tried to just write something quickly by grabbing my phone and jotting down an idea, it felt wrong. Like I was breaking my own rules.
It messes with your head in a way no one warns you about.
We’re in this epidemic of productivity theater. And you can see the symptoms everywhere: perfect systems that never get used, beautiful templates that collect digital dust, and creators who can tell you exactly how their workflow should work but can’t remember the last time they just… created something.
It all looks the same.
It took me longer than I like to admit. But I finally realized something.
Something really crucial: The system you build to help you create?
That isn’t actually helping you create.
You’re spending more time on the infrastructure than the actual work. And believe me, that’s a productivity trap disguised as productivity optimization.
But here’s the good news.
You can break this cycle.
And you can do it with just three tools.
No magic productivity method here. It’s about systematic simplicity.
Getting back to the one thing no app can ever give you: the confidence to create without perfect organization.
What you’re about to read is the exact approach I used.
How I went from a productivity system addict to someone who actually gets stuff done.
The kind of creator who makes things happen instead of just planning to make things happen.
The Productivity Paradox: Why More Tools Means Less Output
So, here’s the trap. Most creators fall right into it.
They find a productivity method.
They set up the perfect system.
They spend hours organizing everything.
And then? They wonder why they’re not creating more.
It seems logical, right? Better organization should equal better output!
But there’s a big problem with that.
Your productivity system? It only knows how to organize what you’ve already thought of. It can’t generate the creative insights you need. Because those come from doing the work, not organizing it.
How could a system know what you’re going to create next?
Think about it.
If Christopher Nolan had spent his mornings color-coding his writing projects, we might never have gotten Oppenheimer or Interstellar
And if Maya Angelou had only written when her filing system was perfect, we’d be missing some of the most powerful words ever written.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
I talked to this creator recently.
She spent six months building the “perfect” content system in Notion. Databases for ideas, templates for posts, automated workflows for everything.
The system looked incredible. You could teach a course on it.
But she wasn’t creating anything. “I spent so much time organizing my ideas,” she told me, “I forgot to have any.”
Then one day, she just decided to write something.
Grabbed her phone.
Opened Notes.
Wrote a quick post about what she was thinking.
Her first real piece of content in months?
It went viral.
And six months later? She’d simplified her entire system down to three tools. Her content was better than ever. Her business was more successful than she’d ever imagined.
That’s huge.
I call this “Creation-First Productivity.” And it pretty much flips the typical productivity approach on its head:
Traditional way: Build the perfect system > Organize everything > Plan everything > Maybe create something > Repeat.
Creation-First way: Have an idea > Capture it simply > Create it immediately > Organize only what’s necessary > Keep creating.
It’s a small shift.
But it changes everything.
Instead of letting your system dictate when you can create, you create when inspiration hits. Then you use simple tools to support that process.
When I finally stopped obsessing over my productivity setup? When I started creating first and organizing later? Something interesting happened.
My system complexity? It dropped dramatically. But that felt scary at first.
But my output? It doubled.
My ideas went from “I’ll add this to my idea database” to “Let me write this right now.”
My planning changed too. From elaborate project management to “What do I want to make today?”
That perfect system I built to help me create more?
It wasn’t really helping me at all.
It was just giving me something to do that felt like work without actually being work.
Your best ideas, the ones that really matter? They don’t follow your organizational structure.
They hit you in the shower, during a conversation, while you’re walking. They need simple capture and immediate action, not perfect categorization.
Simple tools that get out of your way.
That’s not just some nice-to-have approach for creators. It’s essential.
Essential to that creative flow where you’re making things instead of managing things.
It’s the antidote to productivity theater and all that organizational anxiety.
And the best part? You can build this for yourself. Today.
The 3-Tool System: How to Actually Get Things Done
“The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.”
William James.
The path to real productivity is not about finding the perfect system.
It’s about finding the simplest system that actually works. So you create more and organize less.
These three tools?
They’re going to transform how you work. Not because they’re sophisticated. Because they’re not.
Each tool has one job.
Not seventeen jobs. One.
And that clarity? That’s where the magic happens.
Tool 1: One Place for Everything You Need to Do
Before we talk about which app, we need to talk about you.
Are you an analog or digital person?
This isn’t just preference. This is crucial for picking tools that you’ll actually stick with.
Some people think better with pen and paper. Others need everything synced across devices.
Figure this out first, or you’ll keep switching systems forever.
I bought Things 3 for iPhone and Mac years ago and I kept ditching it to try other task managers, but I always find myself coming back just based off the simplicity.
There are so many to choose from, but you need a place to store all the things you have to do.
The rules are simple:
One list per day
Maximum 3-5 tasks
Content creation gets the first spot, always (if this is your goal)
If it’s not important enough to write down, it’s not important enough to do
That’s it.
Tool 2: One Place for Your Time
All events should go here as soon as possible.
As soon as anyone mentions anything, add it to your calendar.
I use Apple Calendar personally because of how synced it is with all my devices. Apple fanboy here lol.
But here’s what matters more than the app:
Time-block your content creation like you’d block a client meeting. Batch similar tasks—all writing on Tuesday, all video editing on Thursday.
Protect creative time like it pays your bills.
Because it does.
Tool 3: One Place to Capture Ideas
You just need a place to write.
Content ideas, message drafts, learning from other sources, or just a place to store important info.
Apple Notes works fine for most people. I’ve dabbled in Evernote. Currently using this new app called Kortex, but this is OD and shouldn’t be used by anyone looking for simplicity.
But if anyone wants to know my note-taking system, just ask and I’ll let you know. But you can sign up for Kortex for free here
The key is one central place for all ideas. No categories, no tags, no organization.
Just capture and move on.
Review weekly, act on the best ideas, delete the rest.
Lock in this week
Here’s your action plan:
Day 1: Pick your three tools based on whether you’re analog or digital.
Day 2: Transfer only the essential stuff into them.
Day 3: Delete everything else. Yes, even that beautiful Notion template you spent three hours setting up.
The rest of the week: Create something every day using only these three tools.
I know it’s scary. You feel like you’re going backward.
But here’s the truth, your content output will double because your mental overhead just got cut in half.
The thing is, we make productivity way more complicated than it needs to be.
But being able to just capture your thoughts, schedule your time, and know what to do next?
That’s everything.
The best system is the one you actually use, not the one that looks best in screenshots.
The creator economy doesn’t need more people building perfect productivity systems.
It needs more people creating things that matter.
That’s how you build not just better productivity.
That’s how you build a body of work that actually moves people.
That’s the stuff that lasts.
When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
The YOUnique Branding System for Q3 is full so I'm not taking on any more clients for this month and next unfortunately.
Want to learn how to make content that grows a business. Grab my worksheet and guidebook pack here
Good read? Coffee donations appreciated :)
I appreciate all the love and support!
See you on social
Love, Mike.