I’ve long been an advocate of ‘Deep Work’.

But, if I’m being honest. I often engage in an inordinate amount of “Shallow Work”. And I do this while convincing myself that I am not procrastinating on the most import thing.

I call this pseudo-productivity.

A definition of pseudo-productivity would be

Pseudo-productivity: Engaging in shallow tasks that distract from important, productive work.

For me, this often takes the form of reading or studying tutorials. While neither of those things are bad, they are time consuming. Especially when you already know the subject matter to an adequate level.

To fight this I have implemented a practice of defining all my activities as ‘Inputs’ or ‘Outputs’.

An ‘Input’ is anything you consume. Food, water, media, information.

Inputs can be passive, like scrolling Twitter. Or active, like making notes, or solving problems from a math book.

All that matters is that you are taking something from the outside world and consuming it.

An ‘Output’ brings into existence something that did not exist before you started.

An Output can be as simple as folding a pile of socks (creating order where there was chaos). Or as advanced as writing a research paper, creating a product, or crafting a work of art.

Deep Work, Inputs, and Outputs

Generally speaking, you will be spending the majority of your Deep Work time on Output Tasks. But this isn’t always the case. Some forms of Input tasks are intense enough to apply. For example, academic study and research.

Ryan Holiday believes that reading is deep work. Period.

I, for the most part, disagree. The majority of books read do not deserve ‘Deep Work’ levels of concentration. Furthermore, few people need to read as deep as Ryan. Few of us make a living off of books and writing.

Sports Periodization, Inputs, and Outputs

Sports Periodization is a concept familiar with every elite-level athlete.

It’s the process of cycling through several facets of their training regime. This is so the athlete can maximize gains, and optimize recovery time.

It’s also the model for what I have come to call “Productive Periodization”. Defined as:

Productive Periodization: The cycling of tasks of varying productive value. Preventing burnout, minimizing stress, and maximizing the use of time.

One can best use productive periodization by alternating time between Inputs and Outputs.

Check in with yourself on a regular basis throughout the day. Or whenever you begin or finish a new task, and ask yourself, “Was this an Input or Output task?”. Or “Will this be an Input or Output Task?”. Strive to split your time between the two according to your goals.

That’s how you can use Inputs and Outputs to bring your productivity to the next level.

Do you want to get on the path to living your most productive life? Download the Inputs and Outputs tracking sheet here.