How to Be More Productive by Doing Less

Bonny Morlak
12 minutes ago
2 min read

You’ve heard it a thousand times, work smarter, not harder. But what does that actually look like in real life?

When I first started my company, I thought productivity meant addition. More hours. More tasks. More tools. Now I know the truth: productivity is subtraction. It’s the thousand things you don’t do every day.

The more I coached founders, the clearer it became. We’re not short on time, we’re drowning in noise.

Focus Is a Filter, Not a Muscle

Most people try to build focus like it’s a skill. They brute-force it. They download apps, block websites, and push harder.

But focus isn’t about effort, it’s about clarity. It’s a filter that removes what doesn’t matter so you can see what does.

Try this: instead of writing a “To-Do” list, write a “Not-To-Do” list. It’s a list of things that drain your energy or create fake progress. Meetings that don’t move the needle. Tasks that someone else should handle. Projects that make you busy but not effective.

Start there. You’ll be shocked how much space opens up.

Protect Your Energy Like It’s Equity

There are people who leave you charged, and there are people who drain you. Both shape your output.

I call them “energy investors” and “energy vampires. ”Spend more time with the first group. Politely limit the second. Your calendar is a reflection of your energy priorities.

Design Flow State, Don’t Chase It

Flow isn’t luck. It’s a ritual.

For me, it starts with small triggers, coffee, headphones, and a playlist with no lyrics. Once I put them on, my brain knows it’s time to focus. It’s Pavlov for productivity.

Find your own cues. Maybe it’s a place, a time of day, or a sound that helps you drop into deep work. Design around it and guard it fiercely.

Be Unavailable (On Purpose)

Email, Slack, DMs, they’re just other people’s to-do lists. If you’re always available, you’re never creating.

Start blocking time for yourself. I call mine “Bonny days.” No meetings, no calls, just creation. If you’re leading a team, model that boundary. It gives everyone permission to focus.

Work Around Your Energy, Not the Clock

Time management is overrated. Energy management wins. You don’t need to fill your hours, you need to protect the ones where your brain is sharpest.

For most people, that’s within eight hours of waking up. For some, it’s late at night when the world is quiet. Find yours and defend it. That’s your real productivity window.

Final Thought

How to be more productive by doing less isn’t a trick, it’s a mindset shift. It’s about quality over quantity, subtraction over addition, and calm over chaos.

So, what could you stop doing this week that would make everything else easier?

That’s where it starts.