Most people don’t have a productivity problem.

They have a progress problem.

I call it the productivity trap, and it looks like this: you’re moving all day, you’re answering, fixing, responding, juggling, switching, and carrying everything. You fall into bed exhausted, mind and body drained.

And yet when you look at your life or your week, you’re still too close to Point A.

It’s like going on a hike where the goal is simple, start at Point A and reach Point B. You put in miles every day. You walk, you run, you push. And somehow… the scenery barely changes.

That’s the trap.

The treadmill you didn’t realize you stepped onto

Here’s what makes this so confusing.

You’re not lazy. You’re not avoiding work. You’re probably doing more than most people.

But busyness is not effectiveness.

Busyness is miles on a treadmill. Progress is movement toward Point B.

And when you’re on the treadmill long enough, a pattern starts to form.

The 3 symptoms you’re in the trap

Symptom 1: The endless to-do list

You’ve got pages of tasks. You cross a few off. You add more. You never feel caught up. Worse, the list doesn’t feel connected to anything meaningful. It’s just weight.

Symptom 2: Everything is important, which means nothing is important

Your mind stays on. It scans for the next fire. You bounce between tasks, emails, messages, meetings, interruptions. You don’t finish the email, you take the call, you handle the floor issue, you come back, you restart, and by the end of the day you’re drained.

Not because you worked hard, but because you worked fragmented.

Symptom 3: Guilt when you slow down

This is the part people don’t talk about.

You sit down for lunch and feel guilty.

You stop for a moment and your brain throws 15 reminders at you.

You get home and you’re still answering messages.

You’re not just busy. You’re carrying emotional pressure that hijacks focus.

And when guilt gets involved, the loop tightens.

The one question that breaks the loop

If you want to get off the treadmill, you have to stop treating symptoms as the problem.

Ask yourself one question, and don’t rush it:

What do I believe is the root cause of all these small fires and treadmill work?

Because most people don’t have 47 problems.

They have 1 to 3 root causes that generate the rest.

In manufacturing, I’ve seen this clearly. A dirty, messy floor looks like a daily problem. But the root cause might be training and accountability. Address that, and the “daily problem” starts disappearing.

Your life works the same way.

The Weekly Rhythm that moves you to Point B (the 3-3-3 matrix)

If you’re ready to stop spinning and start progressing, here’s the weekly system.

Step 1: Choose 3 big outcomes for the week

Not 12. Not 9. Three.

These are the “bonfires,” the root-cause issues that generate the smaller fires.

·        I will finish X.

·        I will make measurable progress on Y.

·        I will make a decision on Z.

That becomes your weekly Point A → Point B.

Step 2: Choose 3 daily actions that move those outcomes forward

Each day, your job is not “do everything.”

Your job is: what are the three steps today that move me closer to Point B by the end of the week?

Those daily steps break down the weekly outcomes into doable movement.

Step 3: Do a daily reset with 3 questions

This is where most people sabotage themselves. They don’t reflect. They don’t adjust. They just push harder.

Your reset questions are simple:

1.     What worked today?

2.     What took too much energy?

3.     What will I do differently tomorrow?

This is how you learn your own system. This is how you stop repeating the same “busy week” over and over.

The real win isn’t productivity, it’s fulfillment

The goal isn’t to do more.

The goal is to end your day knowing you actually moved.

That you’re not just maintaining, reacting, surviving, and carrying the weight.

That you’re progressing.

If this feels like it’s describing your life, start small this week.

Pick your three.

Break them down daily.

Reset at night.

Our Premium Monthly Membership has courses that will build the skills to become unstuck. Subscribe here: https://www.myndsetgrowth.com/resources

And if you want help building your Point A → Point B plan, schedule a Clarity and Alignment Discovery Call through my site. We’ll find the root cause, build your weekly rhythm, and design a path that fits who you’re becoming. Schedule here: https://www.myndsetgrowth.com/coaching

—Stephen McConnell

Founder, Growth Myndset Initiative