Doing It Wrong? Try This Productivity Trick

In today’s fast-moving world, productivity is the golden word everyone’s chasing. We fill our calendars, color-code our to-do lists, and download every “ultimate guide to efficiency.” But despite the hustle, many professionals still feel stuck, treading water without real progress.

The truth? Most of us have been approaching productivity the wrong way.
And there’s a hack so simple that hardly anyone talks about it: Doing Less but Doing It Better.

Sounds counterintuitive, right? Let’s dive deeper.

The Hidden Power of “Less but Better”

Many believe that being busy equals being productive. However, productivity isn’t about how much you do, it’s about how much of the right things you get done.

The most effective people and organizations don’t just work harder; they work smarter by ruthlessly prioritizing and saying no to what doesn’t matter.

Think about it:

Apple became one of the world’s most valuable companies by drastically cutting down its product lines under Steve Jobs. Instead of producing dozens of gadgets, they focused on a few—and made them excellent.
Google’s 20% Rule, where employees spent 20% of their time on passion projects, led to breakthroughs like Gmail and Google Maps—not from working longer hours, but by working smarter.

In both cases, success didn’t come from doing more. It came from focusing intensely on what mattered most.

Why Most Productivity Advice Falls Short

Traditional productivity advice often centers around:

Scheduling every minute of your day
Multitasking between calls, emails, and projects
Using endless apps and systems to track tasks

But here’s the issue: multitasking burns out cognitive energy. Scheduling every second leads to rigidity and stress. And juggling dozens of tasks dilutes your focus.
Real productivity isn’t about managing time better—it’s about managing energy, attention, and priorities better.

The Real Hack: Priority Over Activity

If you want a real shift in your results, here’s the approach you need:

Define Your “Big 3” Daily Tasks

Instead of writing 20 tasks for the day, identify the three most critical outcomes that would make today a success.
Ask yourself: If I could only complete three things today, what would move me closest to my goals?

Time-Block with Purpose

Set aside distraction-free time for these tasks. It’s not about filling 8 hours—it’s about dedicating the best 2–3 hours of your day to your highest-value work.
At Unilever, leadership encourages “focus hours” every week where meetings are banned, helping employees tackle important projects deeply.

Learn to Say No

Success often comes from strategic subtraction.
If a task doesn’t contribute directly to your goals, learn to delegate it, defer it, or decline it.

Master Deep Work

Shallow work (emails, routine updates) can fill your day but leave you feeling empty.
Deep work—work that requires focus, creativity, and skill—moves the needle.
Set aside uninterrupted windows for deep work every week.

Real-World Success: How Companies Are Applying It

Microsoft Japan experimented with a 4-day workweek and saw a 40% increase in productivity, simply by cutting unnecessary meetings and focusing on impactful work.
Buffer, the social media company, trimmed down their project lists significantly—and saw faster innovation cycles with less burnout among teams.

In both cases, focusing on fewer priorities led to better outcomes.

How Faber Infinite Helps Organizations Focus Where It Matters

At Faber Infinite Consulting, we help organizations transform productivity not by adding more work—but by refining what matters.
Our Operational Excellence strategies, combined with Lean Management practices, have helped companies achieve measurable outcomes like: