Introduction
People often talk about productivity as a question of speed.
Go faster, do more things, squeeze more tasks into the same day.
In reality, productivity is based on an equation that is much simpler, and also much more demanding.
Being productive is not about constantly speeding up. It's first about knowing where you're going, what to focus on, and when it makes sense to move faster.
Organization, focus, and speed
If you think about it seriously, becoming more productive always goes through three distinct steps.
The first is choosing which tasks to work on, and how much time to give them.
Productivity is not about doing the maximum number of things. It's about doing the things that help you reach your own goals. So the first step is learning to organize your work.
The second step comes once those tasks are defined.
You still need to be able to give them real attention, without being interrupted all the time by emails, messages, or notifications. Learning to focus becomes essential, which we'll explore in the chapter on focus and concentration.
Finally, once you're organized and focused, it becomes relevant to try to go faster.
Speed means improving execution, removing useless friction, and making your work flow. But this step only makes sense if the first two are already in place.
Organization, focus, speed: these are the three pillars of productivity.
Why speed alone is not enough
Productivity is often reduced to its last component.
People think being productive is mostly about mastering your tools, typing faster, knowing every shortcut, or using the best software.
That's a classic mistake.
Most productivity gains do not come from execution speed. They come from choosing the right tasks and giving them full attention. Going very fast in the wrong direction is still wasted time.
That's why this guide starts with foundations, then covers work organization in detail, then focus, and only then speed.
An equation that depends on your situation
The importance of each of these three levers varies a lot depending on your job, your autonomy, and your responsibilities.
If you're more junior, part of the organization is often decided for you.
On the other hand, if you lead a team or manage multiple projects in parallel, organization becomes central, sometimes far more than execution itself.
So this equation is not fixed.
It's a lens to understand where your main improvement levers are at a given moment.
The logical next step
This equation sets the frame.
The rest of the guide starts with the first lever, the one that conditions all the others:
Work organization.
That's where it all starts.