Productivity vs. Long Working Hours

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/productivity-vs-long-working-hours-real-difference-darija-mesko-phri-eg15e/?trackingId=BH5NqKgMTpedsVw435eLog%3D%3D

Hey, my friend, let me share something I have been thinking about a lot lately. I keep hearing people say, “I worked 12, 14 hours today! So productive!” And every time, I cringe a little inside. Because honestly, working long hours does not mean you are productive. It might just mean you are busy.

Let me tell you a story that changed the way I think about productivity.

THE PROBLEM: WHEN LONG HOURS FOOL US

When I moved back to Slovenia, I shared with some friends how one of the companies I worked for transitioned to a four-day workweek. Their jaws dropped. “What? That would never work here. You cannot get things done in just four days!”

But guess what? It worked. And not just a little. It was transformative. Productivity skyrocketed, employee satisfaction went through the roof, and we started achieving more than we ever did with five days of work. Why? Because we realized that being busy is not the same as being effective.

Let us be real. How often do we sit at our desks for hours, convincing ourselves we are working hard, but we are actually scrolling Instagram, jumping between emails, or getting stuck in back-to-back meetings that lead nowhere?

It is not just a personal problem. Many companies encourage this culture of “long hours equals commitment,” which ends up burning people out while productivity flatlines.

THE SOLUTION: LEARNING TO BE PRODUCTIVE

The secret we discovered in that four-day workweek experiment was this. Productivity is not about the hours you put in. It is about learning how to work smart.

And here is the kicker. Not every trick works for every role. For instance, a coder who is deep in flow cannot just pause every 25 minutes for the Pomodoro Technique. But someone in sales or admin? That might be perfect for them. The key is experimenting and finding what clicks for you.

TECHNIQUES THAT ACTUALLY WORK

Here are some practical techniques we used to supercharge productivity. They are simple, but they work if you commit to them.

1. TIME BLOCKING: PLAN YOUR DAY LIKE A CALENDAR At the start of your day (or even the night before), block out time for your most important tasks. Think of it as scheduling meetings with yourself. During those blocks, focus on one thing. No multitasking.

2. BATCHING TASKS: GROUP SIMILAR WORK Instead of checking emails all day, batch them into two or three specific times (for example, 10 AM and 2 PM). Do the same with meetings or small admin tasks.

3. DEEP WORK SESSIONS This one is a game-changer. Set aside uninterrupted time to focus on one high-impact task. Turn off your phone, mute notifications, and let everyone know you are unavailable.

BUILDING A PRODUCTIVE TEAM CULTURE

If you are a leader or run your own company, you cannot just expect people to figure this out on their own. Productivity is something you need to teach, train, and reinforce.

Here is how we did it when transitioning to a four-day week.

1. START WITH WORKSHOPS: We held sessions on what productivity actually means. People learned to identify their biggest time-wasters and started experimenting with new techniques.

2. CUSTOMIZE FOR ROLES: Coders, marketers, and sales teams all needed different solutions. We gave people the freedom to find what worked best for their unique tasks.

3. TRACK OUTCOMES, NOT HOURS: Instead of measuring productivity by time spent at a desk, we focused on results. Did the work get done? Was it high quality?

THREE TIPS YOU CAN START TODAY

If you are ready to shift from “working long” to “working smart,” here are three things you can try right now.

1. THE TWO-MINUTE RULE If a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. Do not let it pile up.

2. DAILY REFLECTION At the end of each day, ask yourself:

3. DIGITAL DETOX ZONES Turn off all notifications during deep work or personal time. You would be amazed how much more you can accomplish without constant pings.

You do not need to work 10 or more hours to be productive. You just need to work smarter. It is about being intentional with your time, focusing on what matters, and leaving the rest behind.

When you get this right, not only will your work improve, but your whole life will feel more balanced. So let us stop celebrating long hours and start celebrating real productivity. You are capable of so much more than you think, and you do not need to sacrifice your health or happiness to get there.