Hi friends,

Productivity Debt

Do you constantly feel like you’re not doing enough?

You’re not alone.

Every night, just before drifting off to sleep, the anxiety monster strikes. Your heart races as you remember all the uncrossed tasks on your to-do list. You feel disappointed, trapped—like no matter how hard you try, the list never ends.

It looms over you, whispering: Why are you resting? You have stuff to do. Why aren’t you getting it done? Why aren’t you better?

This cycle is familiar to many of us.

In Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Oliver Burkman talks about how we often treat time as a never-ending race to catch up. It’s as if each day starts with an imaginary debt from the day before. If you don’t finish everything, the balance carries over—day after day—until you feel perpetually behind, scrambling just to break even.

So, how do we break free?

One approach is the done list. Instead of focusing on what you didn’t finish, you write down what you did accomplish—and you get to define what goes on that list.

Here’s how it works:

• Sent that important email? On the list.
• Finished a workout? On the list.
• Made your bed? Read a chapter of a book? They count too.

By shifting your focus, you reframe your day from falling behind to making progress. Your 100% will look different every day, and that’s okay.

And here’s the kicker—if the to-do list is never-ending, then your done list can be too.

You define what “counts” on your to-do list, so why not wield the same power for your done list? The best part? You don’t have to tell anyone.

So, give it a try. At the end of each day, write down what you did. You might be surprised at how much you’ve actually accomplished—and how much lighter you feel.

Psychological Safety Nets

The idea here is simple: remember to have fun. You can’t always be in go, go, go mode, grinding non-stop without a breather. Fly too close to the sun for too long, and you’ll get burnt.

It’s essential to slow down and have those human moments—like planning a trip just for the fun of it. These trips don’t have to be grand or elaborate.

It’s about creating intentional moments to play, make memories with others, share experiences, and do things that make your inner child giggle.

It’s a bit of a paradox.

Sure, going on a weekend hiking trip with friends a few times a year takes effort. You have to plan, handle the logistics, and make it happen. But think of how diabolical those group chats could be. The shit-talking. The gifs. The anticipation. The seed of where the next trip with your mates should be. Imagine all the possibilities of things going hilariously wrong—new stories, new dirt, new blackmail material. I’m wheezing just thinking about it.

Big or small, put it on the calendar—otherwise, it never happens. No one makes it out of this life alive.

Plan the trip.

Why I’m Writing This Quick Letter To You

Lately, I’ve been catching myself in the trap of feeling like I’m never doing enough. And when that happens, it’s easy to forget to slow down, breathe, and just be human. So I wrote this as a reminder—first for myself, and now for you. Hope it helps.

I also just switched to a new newsletter platform, and all my old newsletters didn’t transfer over—they’re gone. These are two ideas I remember writing about, and after a conversation with my girlfriend the other day, they felt especially relevant.

No one is immune to feeling like they’re not enough, not doing enough, or getting too caught up in the go, go, go of productivity. And when that happens, it’s easy to forget to come up for air, to actually live and experience life the way it’s meant to be lived.

So this is an unscheduled newsletter, but it felt necessary. The timing just made sense in my own life, and I love ideas like these—so I wanted to share them with you all.

Until next time,

Much love,

Calvin Trieu

P.S. - Go to a hipster cafe. Get a blueberry lavender matcha latte w/ oat or coconut milk. Current obsession.