Most productivity problems don’t start with bad tools or weak habits. They start earlier—at the moment we’re less than honest with ourselves.
We overestimate what we can carry. We commit optimistically instead of realistically. We say “I don’t have time” when what we mean is “I chose something else.”
None of this is malicious. It’s human. But it’s also where things quietly go sideways.
Honesty, in this context, isn’t about being harder on yourself. It’s about being clearer—especially about capacity, intention, and energy.
One of the most revealing phrases we use is “I don’t have time.” It sounds factual, but it’s usually a story. Time didn’t disappear. A decision was made. When we acknowledge that, we regain agency—and agency changes how we plan.
The same goes for urgency. Not everything that feels pressing is immediate. When everything is treated as now-or-never, reflection vanishes. And without reflection, honesty doesn’t stand a chance.
Patrick Rhone and I explore these ideas—and a few uncomfortable truths about calendars, commitments, and self-trust—in this month’s PM Talks episode.
The thread running through our discussion is simple: when we slow down just enough to tell ourselves better stories, everything else gets easier. Plans become lighter. Commitments become cleaner. And productivity stops being about doing more—and starts being about doing what actually matters.
