Productivity Shifts: A Smarter Way to Be Productive
January forces the hard questions we don’t always stop to ask when we’re busy: What’s truly moving our business forward, and what’s quietly slowing us down or getting in the way?
We’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially as AI makes it feel like anything can be automated. And while that’s exciting, it’s also risky if we’re not careful. Just because something can be optimized doesn’t mean it should exist in the first place.
That idea really stuck with us after hearing Elon Musk talk about this on the Lex Fridman Podcast. His point was simple: Don’t optimize what shouldn’t exist. Question the requirement first. Delete before you refine. Otherwise, you’re just making unnecessary work more efficient.
We see this come up in brand and marketing all the time. As we’ve repeatedly said, we’re big believers in clarity and fans of Don Miller’s StoryBrand framework for exactly that reason. His rule is simple: If something doesn’t work in 7 words, it probably doesn’t work at all.
A lot of leaders assume their problem is visibility. And think that more content and more activity is the solution. But even when people see your brand, if they don’t understand it fast enough, they move on. Confusion slows everything down.
A clear message changes everything. That’s why we think the most effective productivity shifts are less about tools or tactics, and more about clarity and direction. Here are some of the productivity shifts that we’ve been making lately, and what you can try if you’re feeling that January reset energy too:
- Be ruthless about where your time and attention go.
We looked at the year ahead and made a list of must-attend events and commitments. If something didn’t clearly align with where we’re headed, it didn’t make the calendar. Being intentional about which rooms you’re in matters more than being everywhere. - Edit what’s coming into your world.
Inbox clean-ups (still ongoing), unsubscribing from overpriced and underused tools, and cutting back on things that add noise instead of clarity. Less coming in creates more space to think. - Protect focus like it’s a your most precious asset (because it is).
Fewer reactive days. Meetingless Mondays. Not overcommitting and then wondering why you’re stressed. More peace and time for deep work. - Ask better questions before you add anything new.
Not “what else can we add or do?” but “what can we remove or stop doing altogether?” Those small “nos” don’t feel significant in the moment, but they add up quickly.
None of this is flashy or perfect. We’re working through it in real time, too. But those small, deliberate choices start to stack, and clarity compounds.
Your time, energy, and attention are super valuable. And worth protecting.
So, what are you going to audit, edit, and subtract this year that doesn’t serve you anymore?
Later in the month, we’ll be sharing our 2026 Annual Trends Report, where we analyze what’s next for work, marketing, and brand building. Stay tuned.
