F*ck productivity rules with Liv and Martha
Most productivity advice was never designed with neurodivergent business owners in mind.
It might be a hard pill to swallow, but once you accept it, things do get easier. Promise.
In Episode 36 of The One That Works For You, Martha and I unpack what happens when the rules, the hacks, and the rigid time blocks just… don’t work for your brain.
This episode isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about recognising what actually works for you (and unapologetically ditching what doesn’t).
Productivity was never meant to be a straight line.
From executive dysfunction to dopamine droughts, we explored how traditional productivity systems often clash with neurodivergent experiences. If you’ve ever said:
“I should be able to time block… but I never stick to it.”
“Why can’t I just stay consistent?”
“Everyone else seems to make habit stacking look easy. What’s wrong with me?”
Spoiler: nothing. Literally nothing is wrong with you.
We talked about the mental load of trying to live up to expectations that were never built for our brains. And then we compared notes and shared what’s actually helped us:
Strategic Spite (yes, being petty can be powerful)
Body doubling (a.k.a. sexy coworking)
Trusting your brain (eventually… and with practice)
This isn’t about becoming a better cog in the capitalist machine. It’s about reclaiming your energy, honouring your capacity, and getting shit done on your own terms.
Why habit stacking and time blocking might be working against you.
If you’ve ever tried habit stacking or time blocking and ended up feeling worse… you’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re probably just trying to operate in a system that doesn’t account for your nervous system.
Martha shared how learning to trust her own rhythms (even the inconsistent ones) has helped her rebuild her relationship with work. And I talked about how small sensory tweaks like lighting, music, and textures have helped me regulate my nervous system enough to even begin a task. Not to optimise, but to support. Not to fix, but to listen.
We peeled back the pressure to perform and opened up about what self-acceptance really looks like when your energy is inconsistent and your brain isn’t playing by the rules. Because productivity isn’t just about ticking off tasks on a calendar. It’s about recognising the internal and external cues that shape your ability to act.
Is your space calming or overstimulating? Is your body asking for rest, food, stillness, or movement? Sometimes the barrier is loud and obvious, like a crash in your nervous system. Sometimes it’s quieter, like a subtle tension you’ve been ignoring for hours. But either way, it’s not a character flaw. It’s information. And the more we listen, the easier it gets to work with ourselves, not against ourselves.
The real magic: trusting your brain (eventually).
A big theme of this episode is self-trust. Not the Pinterest-quote kind. The kind you cultivate slowly, over time, by paying attention to how your brain actually works.
We talked about the specific kind of pressure that comes from trying to follow a system that needs more executive function than you currently have. (Been there.) And the shame spiral that can follow when it doesn’t stick. (Also been there.)
For Martha, self-trust looks like recognising that her inconsistent capacity isn’t a personal flaw. It’s part of the equation. It’s about understanding that her brain will kick in, eventually, and that the process might not look tidy, but it still works. She’s learned that pushing through isn’t always productive but sometimes waiting until it’s the right time actually gets better results.
For me, it’s been about learning to trust the signals my body gives me, instead of overriding them. I shared how I used to think I just needed more discipline. More structure. More willpower. (Classic.) But over time, I’ve realised that what I needed was regulation, comfort, music, light, texture, or dopamine. Tiny cues that signal safety and readiness helped me get started.
There’s no perfect system here. But there is experimentation, pattern recognition and permission to try, adjust, and try again. And every time we honour our process, even if it’s slower or weirder or less linear than we hoped, we build that self-trust muscle a little more.
And that’s the real magic. Not productivity for its own sake, but the kind of grounded self-awareness that lets you get things done without betraying yourself in the process.
Your rhythms are valid. Your capacity is real. Your body counts, too.
One of the most powerful takeaways from this episode is the reminder that our brains and bodies aren’t separate. If you’re tired, burnt out, overstimulated, or navigating chronic illness, your productivity is going to look different. And that’s not just okay, it’s expected. It’s normal.
You don’t need to out-hack your nervous system or force yourself into someone else’s version of “productive.”
What we need is space to honour our capacity. To build systems that flex as we do. To create businesses that adapt to the realities of our bodies and brains.
That’s what this episode is about. Not pushing harder. Not pretending we’re fine. But figuring out what actually works and letting that be enough.
So if you’re ready to stop beating yourself up for not sticking to someone else’s rules, this one’s for you.
