The productivity paradox: How writing less leads to better writing

2 hours a day is all you need.

🚨 My prices are going up next month, so for one final time, you can get 20% off an annual subscription to How to Write for a Living for just £56. It’ll never be that cheap again, ever.

---

By

Benjamin Antoine

Allow me to let you in on a secret.

A long long time ago in a land far away I decided to write a novel in six months. I never told anyone at the time. This was my dirty little secret.

I had dreams of becoming a published author. I remember the day my resolve hardened and I finally took my first steps along the path towards my dream future. 

I started writing.

Discipline is not something I struggle with. Back then I would treat myself with the rigour of a military sergeant. I vowed to write ten pages a day, no matter what. And so that’s what I did.

It was a brutal experience. There were days when I literally would rather have done anything else than sit down and write, but I was uncompromising. I forced words out onto the page. 

I got it done.

---

AD | Find out why Vellum is the most loved software for formatting your books.

Gorgeous print covers. Beautiful ebooks.

All at once. All on your schedule.

Want to advertise on How to Write for a Living? Just email hello@davidmcilroy.com.

---

I achieved my goal of writing a book. I was so excited the day I sent it off to a bunch of publishers and subsequently devastated when it was unanimously rejected. A little part of me died that day. In fact maybe a large part of me died that day.

I did the work. I followed through. I was consistent. I showed up everyday but in doing so I killed my own dreams. I transformed my love into bitter hatred.

It affected my whole career trajectory. I avoided anything to do with writing or creativity. Now almost 15 years later I am on the cusp of reviving my old passion and I’m here to tell you why focusing on productivity is dangerous. 

In this article I want to share with you why working more isn’t better, Why your 9-5 gives you the edge and how adopting a “two-hour creator” mindset can transform your output, creativity, and quality of life. 

Society has been lying to you 

Since the industrial revolution and later the tech boom, society has told us that the more hours we put into work, the more successful we’ll be. Process has been superseded by output. Output is the only measure of value. To increase output we must increase efficiency. To increase efficiency at an individual level we must  develop strategies that allow us to do more in less time. 

It’s self-evident that some of these strategies work. Having rigid structures and routines can help us stay focused and get things done. However when it comes to knowledge work long hours actually hurt productivity, creativity, and overall effectiveness. 

Parkinson's Law states that “work expands to fill the time allotted for it.” 

Limiting your time and focusing on the right tasks yields far greater results. Both In terms of output and also internal alignment. 

That is why my publication is called 2Hour creator. However it is not just about time.

The energy with which you approach creative work is of huge importance. If you treat yourself too harshly, like I did writing my book, a keen interest is very quickly transformed into a deep hatred. It’s the quickest way to kill your creativity. 

It’s also why I advocate for 9-5s. Having a job gives you an unfair advantage. You are less susceptible to fall victim to audience capture. You have the time and space to develop your own voice without having a meltdown over money. 

If one of your driving goals is monetisation you will inevitably follow the money not your own internal interests or passions. A job takes care of the monetisation problem early on.

The Productivity Myth: Why More Hours ≠ More Output

The idea that “hard work pays off” is deeply ingrained in modern culture, but our brains just aren’t optimised for long stretches of focused work. 

By setting myself the goal of writing 10 pages a day I was not constraining my efforts through time. Sometimes this would take me hours, even whole days to get done. Prolonged work hours lead to diminishing returns, meaning we produce less value over time. 

The Decline of Cognitive Function Over Time

A landmark study published in the *Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine* found that cognitive performance drops significantly after eight hours of continuous work. Even a shorter stretch of just four to six hours leads to reduced creativity, and decreased problem-solving ability. 

It is somehow sad that I have to list a study in an attempt to gain some credibility but isn’t this obvious? When was the last time you sat down and just wrote for 8 hours a day without feeling tired? I’m guessing you can’t remember. I can, and the distant memory that I have is one of torture. It's not something I would willingly repeat.

The brain is simply not designed to sustain high levels of creative output for long stretches of time. When you push past your cognitive limits, the quality of your work suffers.

---

Consider supporting How to Write for a Living!

Upgrade to our paid tier to unlock every benefit in our comprehensive membership package. Become a Sustaining Member for a bit extra and book up to three 1-to-1 coaching calls with

David McIlroy

. Check it out. 👇

---

Rest is an integral part of the creative process

In his book *Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less*, author Alex Soojung-Kim Pang cites research showing that the most productive and creative people don’t work longer or harder; they work smarter. 

Pang studied famous artists, writers, and scientists who accomplished great feats while working only a few hours each day. Instead of putting in more hours, these individuals achieved more by giving themselves the time and space to recharge.

What does rest even mean?

The term “rest” is always met with confusion. The definition has been wildly distorted. I equate “rest” with “leisure”. Some people call it “deliberate rest” or “deep rest.”

To understand the concept of “rest” as i understand it some historical context is necessary. 

In ancient greek leisure σχολή (scholē) was considered to be the norm and work ἔργον (ergon) was a less desirable interruption of leisure. 

In this sense “leisure” did not mean being idle but was dedicated to intellectual pursuits and self improvement. In fact the greek word for leisure - scholē is the root of the English word "school," which reflects its original association with intellectual growth and learning.

In the UK, where I grew up, we have things called leisure centres. These typically include sports facilities such as football grounds, basketball courts, swimming pools and game rooms. 

Leisure is not about doing nothing it’s about active play. It’s about intellectual curiosity. It’s about social nourishment.

“Deliberate rest” or “leisure” allows the brain to engage in what scientists call “diffuse mode thinking”. While we’re actively working, our brains are in “focused mode”, tackling specific tasks. But in diffuse mode, the mind is free to wander, make creative connections, and synthesise ideas, leading to more “aha” moments and original insights.

One of the reasons I grew to hate writing was because of the energy with which I approached it. From the beginning it was a forced coercive energy. I was hyper-focused on productivity not creativity and so even though I achieved significant output, that came at a personal cost.

---

I Tripled My Part-Time Writing Earnings With This Substack-Medium Hybrid

---

The Creative Benefits of Working Less

Limiting your time is not only about living your life it actually provides a necessary constraint that encourages creativity. You are forced to prioritise and work efficiently. 

This limit prevents procrastination and helps you hone in on what truly matters. Interestingly, studies have shown that people who work fewer hours are more productive on a per-hour basis than those who work longer days.

The productivity of the German labour force, the country where I live, is almost equal to that of the US even though we work about 25% less.

Giving yourself less time to work may feel counterintuitive, but it creates urgency. The constraint pushes you to be more decisive and reduces the tendency to get bogged down in perfectionism. 

Over time, these focused work periods train your brain to maximise output and minimise wasted effort.

Working in time constraints also harnesses the power of The *Zeigarnik Effect*, a psychological phenomenon where unfinished tasks occupy your mind. 

By working within a two-hour window, your brain will naturally keep thinking about your work during downtime, allowing for subconscious problem-solving and creative idea generation.

Whatever the issue is you don’t need more time 

If there’s one thing you take away from this article I hope it is this:

Creativity cannot be forced. It must be nurtured, trained and honed. It is through the structure of focused work blocks that the strength of your creativity grows. It is during periods of “rest” that progress is made.

If you want to learn more about "diffuse mode thinking", the process of building desire and balancing a full-time 9-5 with your own life’s work subscribe here:

---

Table of Contents [Start Here]

---

What others are saying about How to Write for a Living:

---

📣 Want to support this publication + get more eyes on your brand? Become a How to Write for a Living sponsor. Just email hello@davidmcilroy.com for more info.