The uncomfortable truth productivity apps don't want you to know

Hey Reader, how do you feel about Mondays? Personally, Monday morning hits and I’m pumped.

Sundays are sacred in my house. No work, no hustle, just rest. So when Monday rolls around, I’m like a kid on Christmas morning ready to tackle my big goals.

I sit down at my desk with my coffee and my vision. Yeah, that sounds a little corny, but I actually think about where I want my life to go. Even just for a few minutes to start the day.

Here’s where things went sideways...

I’ve got contractors and assistants helping me this year. It's very helpful and I can get a lot more done, but it's not without challenges.

You see, we use Notion to keep everything organized. Makes sense, right? I can’t exactly text them photos of my note cards.

But the moment I opened Notion, I got sucked into the "productive" vortex.

First, I knocked out a quick client task. Then I helped my editor with an email. Then I updated a few project statuses. Then I reorganized a database that was “bothering me.”

Before I knew it, my stomach was growling and it was almost lunch time.

An entire morning. Gone.

I’d been busy as heck but hadn’t touched the stuff that actually moves my business forward. You know, the work that only I can do. Writing emails like this one. Recording YouTube videos. Vibe coding my planning app.

All those urgent little tasks felt important in the moment. But they weren’t what I’d planned to focus on.

Today I tried something different.

I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down three things that would actually move the needle. Then I did those three things before I even thought about opening Notion or Slack.

Guess what happened? Nothing fell apart. The world kept spinning. My team was fine.

And here’s the kicker. I felt amazing.

I had that deep satisfaction that comes from doing what you set out to do. Not what your apps and notifications told you to do.

This is the uncomfortable truth about digital productivity tools. They promise to help you focus but often become the biggest distraction of all.

Right now, whether you’re reading this at your desk or on your phone, try this. Write down three important things you want to get done today or tomorrow.

Not email. Not social media comments. Not busy work.

The stuff that only you can do. The work that gives you real satisfaction and hopefully pays the bills.

Write them down with an actual pen on actual paper. Then do those things first.

I promise they’ll feel easier when you’ve got them written down and you stick to that list before diving into the digital chaos.

The thing is, most of us have been trained to think we need complex systems to stay productive. But what if the opposite is true?

What if the simplest approach is actually the most powerful?

That’s exactly what I teach in Analog Action. It’s a system that helps you double your productivity with just pen, paper, and 15 minutes a day. No apps, no notifications, no digital overwhelm.

Just clarity, focus, and the satisfaction of actually finishing what matters.

Talk soon,

Matt “paper beats pixels” Ragland