When’s the last time you drove a stick shift?
Seems like an irrelevant question, until you recall the fact that I’m a writer. And as it turns out, being a writer affords me the ability to make the zaniest of analogies. Hence today we officiate the marriage between productivity and driving a manual transmission.
But first off, let’s discuss productivity overdrive (PO). Is it a fancy new term I made up? Yes. Is it important? Not really. Should we still treat it like pre-existing corporate lingo? Most definitely.
So what is it? In a nutshell, it’s basically flow.
You’ve probably felt PO at least twice in your life. You know, like that time the words just flowed out of you when you weren’t trying. Or when you ran those ten miles without feeling it. Or when started a doodle in the morning and finished after sunset, without even noticing.
That’s productivity overdrive. And chances are, you had to switch gears multiple times to get there.
The importance of switching gears
So why this talk about switching gears?
Well, you might remember that time I wrote about High You and Low You. That’s basically a post about your lowest and highest gears.
But productivity is a complex creature and is far from binary, so you’ll need other modes besides ‘Netflix all day’ and ‘balls to the wall’. Which brings us to the subject of gear-shifting.
And the most important point of that topic is the first gear. Why? Because that’s where it all starts, no matter the pursuit. Also, it’s the trickiest gear to learn, and you could even destroy your engine with it.
First gear: The one that gets you going
Here’s the golden rule: you can’t go anywhere without starting in first gear. But it’s also the hardest gear to master, especially when it comes to not stalling.
On the flip side, it’s important to note that the first gear won’t get you to your destination. That’s the other gears’ job.
In fact, if you look at it objectively, the first gear is pretty lame. With a top speed of 40 km/h (and that’s pushing it), you’re not travelling much further past the next block if you don’t switch gears.
Similarly, the first gear in real life seems comically useless. Writing 250 words a day looks stupid compared to the 80,000 words of an average novel. And getting dressed for the gym is pretty silly versus actually working out.
But put it this way. The first gear’s job is only to get you moving. Once you accept that perspective, it’ll be easier to see these ‘pointless’ tasks as what they really are: your gateway to PO.
One way I like to tap into the first gear is by using Mel Robbins’ five-second rule. All you do is count backwards from five to one, and you’ll be amazed at how often you actually get up and do what you’re supposed to.
Need to wake up but your bed’s too comfortable? Try counting down from five to one. On your couch and can’t be arsed to wash the dishes? Count backwards. Need to do the groceries but don’t feel like going out? Ditto. I’ve used this method to walk the dog, sweep the floor, write articles, and even start my workouts.
I know, it sounds like woo-woo crap that’s childish at best. I thought this was a load of bull too, until I actually tried it. It seriously does work. Give it a go and tell me what you think.
The other gears to productivity overdrive
Once you’re rolling, it’s time to keep the momentum going. In second gear, you’ll want to set deadlines or a daily schedule. In my case, once I’ve written my 250 words for the day, I’ll attach that task to a project—this article, for instance—which allows me to keep the bigger goal in mind.
Next, we enter third gear. This is where you fall into a groove and start optimising. Still using my writing example, this is where I find pockets of time where I’m most creative. Sure, I can crank out 250 words any time of the day, but if I realise that I’m wittier at night, then that’s when I’m going to write. No reason to make things harder for myself.
I know that cars typically have five gears, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s cap it at fourth gear. This is where you achieve your top speed and set personal records. This is the best you. Your flow state. And if you’re lucky enough to come here often, then this is where you ask more of yourself. Already mastered 250 words a day? Aim for 500. Then 1,000. Then the sky’s the limit.
Want to know why it’s always important to challenge yourself at fourth gear? Watch this video of people being great at their jobs. No matter what you do in life, you’ll always gain satisfaction from doing it the best way you can.
It doesn’t matter if you’re slicing bread or washing the toilet. There’s always a way to display your mastery. And if you feel satisfied watching that video, imagine how great you’d feel doing it.
Staying in overdrive: Troubleshooting
I feel like a broken record highlighting these possible pitfalls repeatedly throughout my blog. But the reason I repeat myself so much is because these problems are what you’ll most commonly face.
Procrastination
My reason for procrastinating is wanting everything to be perfect before I take that first step. Which, let’s face it, will never happen. There’s never a day where I truly get to write or work out the way I want to.
I’m most creative at night? I’ll end up getting overtime at work. Plan to swim? The pool will be closed.
How I combat this is by embracing no zero days. Regardless of what happens, I try and make the best with what I have. Writing ten words is better than nothing at all. Same with push-ups. And they may not be the perfect routine, but they’ll start to add up after a month or two.
Distractions
My second-biggest problem is doggone YouTube. The internet is such a blessing and a curse. But when it comes to overall productivity, I fall victim to the endless scroll every time.
This is a work in progress, but my current workaround is using low-tech alternatives for tasks. That means drafting my articles longhand or getting creative ideas from actual books and not Google. Abstinence works better than moderation in my case.
Multi-tasking
I’m always juggling multiple writing projects or chores, and you’ll even find me watching TV while on my phone. Not only is this a less-efficient way to approach my tasks (attention residue is a thing), but it also conditions me not to focus on the task at hand.
For some reason, to-do lists work well for me, especially the pen-and-paper variety. It keeps me focused on the tasks I’ve laid out for the day, even if I don’t consult the list again. I also try to keep my devices out of arm’s reach.
Let’s park this here
If we’re going to go all in on this analogy, I should probably bring up the fact that cars need routine servicing, which means so do you.
Take inventory of yourself every once in a while. Check your tyres. Change your oil. I don’t know what’s the real-life equivalent for you, because only you can answer that.
Also, don’t be afraid of the reverse gear either. Because sometimes you gotta make those three-point turns in life to get to where you want to go.
Anyway, that brings us to the end of the first post of 2023. Happy New Year if I haven’t wished you that already. May you achieve productivity overdrive for the entire year, and remember to shift into neutral every once in a while.
Vroom vroom, motherfathers. Have a great year ahead.
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Stuart Danker 
I’d love to hear your thoughts!