Started this experiment because I felt like I was always busy but never productive. Decided to track literally everything for a month to see where my time was actually going. The shocking results: 2.3 hours daily on 'fake work' (emails, meetings that could be texts) 47 minutes daily on phone during 'work time' (didn't even realize) Only 3.2 hours of actual deep work per 8-hour day 1.2 hours daily reading productivity articles instead of actually working Biggest surprise: The popular '2-minute rule' actually made me LESS productive. I was constantly switching between tiny tasks instead of focusing on what mattered. The 3 productivity myths that kept me stuck: Myth #1: "Just wake up earlier" Tried 5am mornings for 2 months. Was exhausted by 2pm, productivity actually dropped 40%. It's about energy management, not time management. Myth #2: "Multitasking makes you efficient" Tracked my multitasking days vs single-focus days: Single-focus days: 5.2 hours of real work Multitasking days: 2.8 hours of real work The switching cost is massive. Myth #3: "Busy = productive" Realized I was addicted to feeling busy. Checked email 47 times per day (yes, I counted). Most "urgent" tasks weren't actually important. What the 30-day experiment revealed: Peak energy hours: 9-11am and 2-4pm (yours will be different) Decision fatigue hits after 3 major decisions Phone notifications destroyed focus for average of 23 minutes each time Lunch timing affected afternoon productivity by 60% The biggest time-wasters I discovered: "Research paralysis" - Reading about productivity instead of being productive "Perfectionism tax" - Spending 40 minutes on emails that needed 5 minutes "Meeting creep" - 6 hours weekly in meetings that could've been messages What actually worked: Energy audit: Track when you feel most/least focused for one week Time-blocking based on energy, not convenience The '3-priority rule' - everything else is just noise Working in 90-minute blocks (not 25-minute Pomodoros) Protecting peak hours like your life depends on it What I stopped doing (game changers): Checking email first thing in morning Saying "yes" to requests without 24-hour delay Working past 6pm (actually became MORE productive) Results after implementing this system: Same 8-hour days, but 3x more meaningful work completed. Finally felt like I was making real progress instead of just staying busy. The uncomfortable truth: Most productivity advice is written by people who've never actually tracked their time. Anyone else struggle with feeling busy but unproductive? What's your biggest time-waster?