Productivity, in the context of effective altruism, refers to the practices, tools, and mental models that help individuals or teams increase the amount and quality of impact-focused work they can accomplish over time. While often associated with efficiency and output, productivity in EA is typically framed with an emphasis on sustainability, focus, and long-term capacity for doing good.
Many EA-aligned thinkers have critiqued the simplistic view of productivity as “doing more faster,” pointing instead to risks of burnout, the importance of prioritization, and the value of rest. A common theme is that maximizing total long-term impact requires maintaining mental clarity, health, and slack—much like a well-managed system or a computer with sufficient RAM. These ideas are sometimes referred to as a counter to the “productivity fallacy”—the mistaken belief that maximizing short-term output leads to long-term effectiveness.
On the Forum, productivity discussions include:
Personal systems for solo workers (e.g. brainwriting, time blocking, rubber ducking, structured walks).
Mental models for managing energy and capacity (e.g. “delegating to future selves,” prioritizing tasks based on mental load).
Techniques for coordination and follow-through, such as weekly check-ins, project management tools, and placeholder notes.
Organizational practices to prevent “dropped balls” and encourage clarity in team communication.
Forum authors often tie productivity to career choice, cause prioritization, or meta-level questions about how to best scale one’s impact over time. Posts may include both practical advice and reflection on the emotional or motivational dynamics behind productivity.
Further reading
The Productivity Fallacy — A critique of overwork, advocating for rest and focus as impact multipliers.
Four productivity techniques if you love working with others but work alone — A deeply practical guide to solo productivity systems.
What are work practices that you’ve adopted that you now think are underrated? — A crowdsourced thread on underrated productivity strategies in EA and adjacent fields.
Maybe let the non-EA world train you — A post connecting productivity to career capital and institutional learning environments.
Related entries
career choice | burnout | coaching | practical | operations