My Productivity System - How To Be INSANELY Productive

Key ideas & wellness/productivity strategies (from Tom’s system)

1) Define productivity (so you know what you’re optimizing for)

• Productivity = output ÷ input
• Output: progress toward your goals (e.g., learning, exam scores, money saved, weight loss)
• Input: resources you spend (time, energy, effort, money)

Core implications:

• Being busy ≠ being productive.
• The goal is to increase output and decrease input (work more efficiently).

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2) Step-by-step productivity system

Step 1: Define your goals (and make them actionable)

• Define goals clearly (otherwise you can stay “busy” without progressing)
• Personalize goals (don’t borrow someone else’s priorities)
• If you’re unsure: pick something—pursuing a goal reveals what you want next
• Choose goals with the right level of challenge
  • Not too easy (doesn’t develop you)
  • Not too hard (you stall/fail)

Use either:

• Outcome-based goals (e.g., “lose weight,” “pass an exam”)
• Output-based goals (e.g., “make 1 video/day,” “study 2 topics/day”)

Prefer output-based goals: they’re more controllable and easier to iterate on.

Step 2: Create a tracking system

Track two things:

• Action (inputs you do): what you actually did
• Progress (outputs you achieved): how far you moved toward the goal

Examples:

• Deep work/action hours
  • Tool: Forest app (timed “focus” sessions)
• Outcomes (studying example)
  • Record topic + date (action)
  • Track practice score (progress)

Set up simple tables connecting input → output (e.g., study session → test score).

Step 3: Block time and space for focused execution

• Block your peak time (when your mind is sharpest)
  • Put your hardest/highest-value task there
• Protect that time from low-value tasks (admin, chores, emails)
• Create a dedicated place with minimal distractions
  • Examples mentioned: coffee shop, office, garage/workspace, library

Step 4: Repeated action + observe progress

• Take action in the allocated time/place
• Record action and outputs
• Do it repeatedly over time
  • Big goals require consistency, not just bursts of motivation
• Observe progress—even when early days look small
  • Use a “brick wall” mindset: progress accumulates slowly at first

Step 5: Avoid distractions (reduce input that doesn’t create output)

Common distractions to minimize:

• To-do list tasks (cleaning, paperwork, emails, admin)
• Shiny new goals (switching because the current goal loses novelty)
• Other people’s agenda (social events, requests that derail focus)
• Collaboration/new projects that steal time from your main objective

Practical tactics:

• Batch low-priority tasks
  • Put email/paperwork into dedicated sessions
  • Set phone notifications to silent
• Temporarily accept some mess/imperfection to protect goal time
• Use an “output test”:
  • Ask: “Does this input actually produce progress?”
  • If not, treat it as likely distraction

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3) General principles to sustain high performance

Less is more

• Fewer goals → fewer switching costs and less “overhead”
• Less day-to-day activity complexity → more chance to execute what matters
• Overheads still exist after the goal is “made” (uploading, replying, admin, maintenance)

Proactive vs. reactive

• Proactive: you choose the plan (e.g., go to peak-time place and focus)
• Reactive: urgent emails/messages/forms pull you away

Slow and steady

• Avoid “12-hour intense sprints” that burn you out
• Build steady progress—keep laying the brick

Be patient

• Big outcomes take time; consistency beats early motivation
• Don’t over-question the system—keep going through the boring/tough middle

Maximize the “machine” (mind + body)

• Balance stress and rest (avoid chronic stress)
• Sleep a lot (about 9 hours when possible)
• Use nutrition for stable energy:
  • Avoid fast-acting carbs that spike sugar → crash
  • Prefer low-glycemic foods (e.g., beans, sweet potatoes, nuts)
  • Improved productivity after fixing a midday energy crash
• Exercise can improve productivity (circulation/brain efficiency)
  • Don’t overdo it if your main focus is academic/creative work (too much can fatigue your nervous system)

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4) Long-term productivity approach

• Productivity increases with practice and repetition
• Work in phases with breaks
  • Example pattern: intense period → rest/relax → new intense period
• Focus on what’s feasible in your current “season of life”
  • You can’t do everything at once—choose the main target(s)
• Reframe time horizons:
  • Overestimate what you can do in 1 year
  • Underestimate what you can do in 10 years
• Progress compounds as you improve output and reduce input—eventually it feels “exponential”

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Presenters / sources

• Presenter: Tom (host of the video)
• Mentioned tools/videos/sources:
  • Forest app (focus/deep work tracking)
  • Tom’s related content referenced in subtitles: videos on tracking, stress and rest, weight training, and zero to finals