28 Signs You’re Becoming a Productivity Junkie

If you are a frequent visitor of Lifehack.org, then it is probably
safe to say that you thrive on productivity tips, lifehacks,
the latest tech tools, and all things GTD. However, how do
you know when you’ve crossed over to becoming a
productivity junkie? This article will point out some of
the warning signs to look for.

1. You have a shortcut created for every program on your
computer.

2. You try out a new productivity tool at least once a week.

3. LifeHack.org has become your second home.

4. You get excited about crossing off one of your to-dos.

5. You organize your desk at least once a day.

6. You have your RSS feeds organized by priority and
filtered by keywords.

7. Your friends think you’re in a cult called GTD.

8. You’re training your kids to become future GTD masters.

9. You argue with your friends about which GTD system is the
best.

10. A few hours away from your PDA puts you into
withdrawals.

11. You’ve learned every Gmail hack in the book and you now
wear a t-shirt that proclaims your official title of Gmail
master.

12. You have performed in-depth studies to find out when
your peak cycles of productivity occur throughout the day.

13. The timer has become your new best friend.

14. You know exactly which type of music puts you at the
highest level of productivity.

15. An empty inbox gives you a pleasant satisfaction
that you still can’t quite explain to your family.

16. You plan on naming all of your future kids after
productivity principles: Pareto, Zen, and of course, the
great GTD master himself, David Allen.

17. You have read “Getting Things Done” multiple times and
every page is covered with notes and references.

18. Whenever a friend or family has a birthday, you give
them a productivity gift basket composed of a planner,
calendar, to-do lists, and your favorite productivity
books.

19. You’ve delegated all of your lower-level tasks to your
kids. They now run all of your errands while you work on
your most important to-dos.

20. You reminisce about the bygone days of procrastination.

21. You listen to educational audio books in the car to
insure that you don’t miss a minute of potential
productivity.

22. Your closet is organized by color and all of the most
worn clothing is placed in the most convenient and
reachable spots.

23. You have over clocked all of the toothbrushes in the
house. Your kids are thrilled with the idea but your wife
has now put all of her personal belongings under lock and
key.

24. Friends and family are beginning to set up appointments
for allotted times in order to fit into your schedule.

25. On your next vacation, you are planning to take the
whole family to a GTD seminar.

26. You’ve started your own book club for all thing related
to productivity and GTD.

27. You’re now starting to wonder if your fascination with
productivity is actually making you less productive.

28. You’re thinking about joining a support group to
recover from this addiction.

Kim Roach is a productivity junkie who blogs regularly at
The Optimized Life. Read her articles on 50 Essential
GTD Resources, How to Have a 46 Hour Day, Do You Need
a Braindump, What They Don’t Teach You in School,
and Free Yourself From the Inbox.