My friends make fun of me constantly for all of my many quirks that come along with a type A personality. I make a lot of lists, love outlining in a Google doc and typically have a plan, and I’m not ashamed to admit it!

Before I jump into this post, I want to rebunk the main myth in the room and remind everyone that productivity isn’t everything. Your goodness or effectiveness as a person isn’t measured by how much you check of off your to-do list every day.

I love organizing and making plans, and feel better when I have structure and routine to settle into things. But if the opposite works for you, that’s great. Do what works. Myth, debunked!

There are plenty of myths and misconceptions about the reality of being a productive person. We’ve created this ideal that the only people getting things done are waking up at 4am and crushing the Miracle Morning routine (a book I found so unbearable, I had to stop reading).

As a result of these misconceptions, people feel that if they don’t fit the mold, they can’t #getthingsdone. So I want to address and break those myths today.

Myth: You have to wake up before the sun to be productive.

WRONG! If you aren’t an early riser, you can still be incredibly productive. While I don’t recommend sleeping the day away, there is no alarm that signals the “official start” of a productive day. It could be 5am for me, but if it’s 9am for you, that’s fine.  Know when you work most effectively (you might be a night owl) and harness that time and energy to make the best possible impact.

Myth: Productive people never procrastinate. 

WRONG! Can I confess something…I’m a queen procrastinator. I know how I work so I can push things off to the last moment with the understanding that I’ll still get them done. But I hate doing it. I don’t work well under pressure, I work stressed under pressure!! Because I know this about myself, I work against the behavior and always try to work ahead. Just because you try to implement strong habits doesn’t mean you don’t have the opposite behavior in you.

Myth: You have it all together if you’re being productive.

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! You may think someone has it all together, but you’re likely only seeing one side of them. The blogger you follow on Instagram may always post pictures of organized lists in her planner, but she may also be putting off major projects to the last minute and arriving late to meetings. Life is a balancing act, and no one gets it 100% right all the time.

Myth: They KNOW they’re killing it!

Everyone is human. We self criticize and judge ourselves no matter how organized our workspaces are or how much we do before 10am. Personally, I’m always reminding myself that perfect is the enemy of good.

Myth: Productive people were born that way.

Eh, maybe? But also, maybe not! Just like anything else, productive habits can be learned, and have to be worked at almost daily. They become strengthened through regular routines, discipline and self-control.

These myths about productive or Type A people tend to be excuses for why we can’t or won’t achieve something. Don’t let what you perceive to be a certain lifestyle stop you from making things happen.

What perceptions do people have about your personality type?

This post was first published in 2015.

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28 Comments

  1. “the have it all together” yep I’m so prone to mega meltdowns sometimes; though you’re description of a Type A personality is me so right so haha!!

  2. I definitely agree with you on this one. I have been complemented so many times on having everything together, but in my mind at least, I feel like I am a hot mess. Even with all my lists and everything that I need to get done, I just feel like I should or could be doing so much more.

  3. UGH I LOVE THIS! So many of my friends ask me how I can be so productive like I’m an alien or something haha

  4. people think that I wake up super early and thats def wrong! I wake up around 9 or 9:30 every morning and still struggle to get out of bed haha

  5. Hmmm, this is an interesting read! I think I did carry some of these misconceptions about type A people. I’m more of a dreamer… I can sit down and work for hours on my dreams, but I have a hard time finishing or keeping a schedule. I could take a few tips from a Type A like yourself 🙂

    1. Ha! It’s all about balance. The “doing” part is crucial (obviously) but I sometimes wish I made more time to just brainstorm and daydream. Let’s trade off 🙂

  6. Thanks for busting these myths. I totally agree with the fact that not all productive people wake up early.

  7. Hmm… I’m not sure if I’m considered having a type A personality. I, like you, am also a list maker, reflection taking, goal setting, day planner toting pro, but do I actually take action with all the ideas I have going on in my head? I always somehow manage to get the work done though, so after seeing you say that productive people also procrastinate, it may still be a possibility that I’m a productive person.

    My mom is constantly remind me that talent can only take you so far. Then you have to work for the rest of it. In fact, people born with talent may be less inclined to work for it. -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

  8. Ha, number 1 was such a BIG lesson for me. Such an eye-opener. When I decided to freelance, I wasted so much effort on trying to wake up early to “get more stuff done” only to realize years later that I am much more productive—and useful—at night. So, I just let myself sleep when I need it and work my butt off when I’m alert and awake. Usually at night, lol.