I’ve been watching you.

Well, not you specifically, but the statistics provided to me by Google Analytics. The stats tell me which headlines get clicked on, which articles get read, and how much time each person spends on a particular page.

For instance, I know that readers of my stuff clicked like crazy recently when I used “pornography” in a headline. I also get a ton of clicks whenever I use the word “productivity.”

I wondered what would happen if I put “productivity” next to “pornography.” If you’re reading these words right now, then I guess we know it drew your attention.

I like the phrase “productivity pornography” because that’s exactly what it is. The articles on productivity rarely say anything that matters, yet they arouse our interest. We see “productivity,” and we click. We assume there will be something useful at the other end of the link.

Sadly, there’s usually not anything helpful when we click. There’s often a list of worthless “tips” that take up our time and distract us from doing that which needs doing. It’s nearly always disappointing.

The Only Productivity Advice You Need

The best productivity advice is to do it. Yep, just do it. Get it over with, and don’t get distracted by productivity pornography.

Of course, you already know that doing it is the best way to get it done. You know the first step is the hardest and that it’s easy to put things off until the pressure is overwhelming.

You also know the tremendous relief you feel when you finish. You know how good it feels to sign it, send it, and have it behind you. You know how good it feels to hang up after the call you’ve been avoiding. You know how good it feels when the file is closed, the client is gone, and the fee is paid in full.

Some folks just do it. Others put it off. The winners are the doers. The doers aren’t that different from the rest of us. They just do it. They keep doing it. They don’t stop doing it.

At the end of the day, the week, the month, the year, and the lifetime, the doers have done more, gone further, and achieved what they set out to achieve. They’re done. The rest of us have a list we wish we’d finished.

I love it when you click on my links. I’ll probably offer more productivity pornography as time goes by. It’s hard to resist that thrill I get when you read my stuff. I like it.

But you should resist the urge to click on my “10 Top Productivity Tips” or “The Secret to a Productive Year.” It’s all porn.

You already know the solution to the productivity problem. It’s about doing it. And if knowing that doesn’t get you moving, then go back and read “Productivity Is Not the Problem,” because productivity is not the problem.