One Ancient Productivity Hack

I hate seeing people beat themselves up for falling off their goals.

I’m fortunate every day to speak to people who are passionate, curious and creative.

They’re pushing themselves to build something new in the world.

But they’re also human.

Sometimes they lose momentum.

Sometimes they chase a new interest.

Sometimes they just need a damn nap.

And that’s not a flaw. It’s biology.

Let me explain…

Lately I’ve been thinking about Caveman Productivity.

Or as I’ve started calling it: Ancestral Focus.

It's the idea that our nervous systems haven’t changed much since we discovered fire.

Yet we treat ourselves like machines.

Optimize everything.

Track everything.

Hack everything.

And wonder why we burn out.

Think about it…

The caveman didn’t have 38 Slack channels, 3 emails, 17 open tabs, and 5 Notion dashboards.

They had five missions:

1. Hunt

2. Build

3. Connect

4. Make love

5. Rest

That’s it.

Their productivity system was embedded in their biology.

They got up and they knew what they needed to do, and their bodies and minds acted accordingly.

Our ancestors were highly focused.

They knew when to act with intensity and when to drop into stillness.

They didn’t time block.

They followed instinct.

That’s the game.

Be lethal when it’s time to focus.
Be still when it’s time to rest.
Don’t force anything in between.

You don’t need more productivity tools.
You need a rhythm that respects your biology.

And a way to integrate the two together.

Try this today:

• Pick one thing that matters.

• Go all in for 90 minutes.

• Then walk away: Touch the earth. Hang in the sun. Hug your family.

• Rest, deeply. Then repeat.

It’s not new. It’s ancient.

And it works.

If this hit home, forward it to a friend. Or hit reply and tell me how you’re reclaiming your ancestral rhythm.

Much Love,

Cory Firth
Creator of One Minute Weekend

Let’s work together!