Things I've noticed about productivity

Thoughts are atomic and thinking is structured and non-linear. Most tools give you a flat, linear container (text, audio, video), which reflects none of this.

The gap between an idea in someone's head and how others understand it is a common failure point for things (projects, relationships).

Zooming from macro to micro (and vice-versa) brings clarity and focus. You need both. (Seeing the woods for the trees, and the trees from the woods).

The Control Paradox: The more you try to feel in control (routines, processes, doing things yourself) the more out of control you get (overwhelmed, forgetting to do things, burning out).

Routine and discipline matter for productivity. We all know this. It’s hard to maintain them.

Systems are abandoned when the system becomes the job.

Simplicity is a short-term antidote to overwhelm, but over time, simple things degrade into the chaos they're meant to prevent.

People like simplicity, but really they want "Out of sight until relevant".

Friction makes people more aware and deliberate in their planning. Automated and 'Smart' make them feel out of control and disconnected.