I stopped watching dozens of YouTube channels about productivity for the following reasons:
- I made a choice in my stack and I am sticking with it
- There’s always something new around the corner
- They are not me, and I am not them
- It makes me confused
Nothing against the content creators who make videos about productivity, new productivity apps, or how to do XYZ.
There will always be an audience who’s out to improve, change, or just start with a specific tool.
It’s just that I caught myself watching video after another to end up with no thoughts or conclusions.
There was a tech channel that was pumping out a gazillion iPad Pro M4 videos in a week pre- and post-launch of this device.
I watched a few of the new iPad Pro M4s and I regret it ever since. I have to keep reminding YouTube that I am not interested.
Not because of the quality or the info given, but because my M2 iPad Pro 12.9-inch model is as solid as a rock and I don’t need an upgrade.
And this cycle goes on for every tech product on the planet.
Looking back (and my YT history), I caught myself watching tons of videos about different productivity tools with topics like:
- This could be a Notion killer
- I replaced X for Z
- This is better than ABC
Why did I keep watching them?
There’s no point in consuming more media, when I already implement a stack I am happy with, that’s working for ME and fits MY needs for what I do.
I realized:
- I don’t need to fix what’s not broken
- This would only put me down a rabbit hole
- I am wasting my time (for now)
- I am not going to change, so why would I even consider
This applies for new productivity apps or methods that can help you work faster.
- Either category is not needed for me to watch over and over again
- I am writing from my experience in this category with personal input. Nothing generic and surely not for the sake of earning money through affiliate marketing.
There’s Always Something New
This is the biggest trap. In my earlier days, I swapped tons of times to a new app or method just to revert to the basics.
There will always be new applications that might seem better to use, have new fancy features, and are cheaper (maybe).
That was before I considered the cost of switching when working on your business can be huge:
- You need to make adjustments, again
- Transition without making mistakes
- If it’s a new app, then it’s not mature enough and risk of failing is high
- It can impact other parts of your workflow that now require an alternative, which you often discover AFTER you migrate.
I feel comfortable with how I do it, and with what I work with.
For example:
Superhuman email is my go-to mail app.
Maybe another email application is cheaper or better, but I am not going to change when I know SH is blazing fast on Mac, iPhone, and iPad and is only making its way to the top. And I cannot imagine how much more time I would still save. (Currently on average 5 hours/week saved)
Plus that my brain is wired into using SH shortcuts, and I would be picking an alternative with different shortcuts, functions that not only me but some of my team members need to learn again.
It Works For Them, Not For Me
The type of business those content creators on YouTube run is not the same as what I do. I am not them, and I can’t compare my insides with their outsides.
They present the applications in their use cases, and not how I use them. The way they use Notion for example is far more complicated than how I handle it.
I mean, look at my guide on how I document my niche blogging efforts and SEO. It doesn’t require rocket science and is not complicated either.
Sure, I could swap that for something else than Notion or use a different style of documenting it, but it simply would not work for me as I want it to work.
It Makes Me More Confused
After watching a few in a row, I just get more confused.
Currently sticking to one rather than experimenting with features or apps.
Sure, once in a while there is an exception like NotebookLM by Google, and is a blessing rather than a curse. And I only discovered this by accident.
The difference is that I am not purposely looking to ‘improve my flow’ when I already have one that works.
After watching different content creators, they all approach the same applications or term productivity differently.
It became hard to pick one instead of trialing a hundred different recommendations.
Final Note
The more I watched new videos with new apps or methods, the more I got distracted.
I realized that I wasted too much time trying and less executing. And once you figured out your workflow or stack, don’t bother too much trying to improve it unless drastic changes are made in your business that might require pivots.
I fell into the trap of always looking for something different or new, just to realize that I don’t need much more than Notion, Apple Notes, Superhuman & Google Docs on iPad Pro to do my work efficiently.
If you find a stack that’s simple, easy and you’re comfortable with then stick with it. Spend more on building than figuring out “perfection”.