​

By Colby Kultgen

This Question Doubled My Productivity, Willpower is Overrated, and Advice From a 72-Year-Old Millionaire

Read online / Read time: 4 minutes

Today at a Glance: • A question to 2x productivity • Technology as a force for good • Get things done without willpower • Advice from a 72-year-old millionaire • We should kick more people off flights

---

My favorite tool for accelerated learning

Shortform is an indispensable part of my learning stack.

It helps me revisit big ideas, refresh key takeaways, and actually apply what I’ve learned from nonfiction books—without rereading 300 pages.

These are handwritten book summaries.

Crafted by real people who know how to distill complex ideas into something clear and actionable.

No AI fluff here.

The library is massive (1,000+ books), but I recommend starting with one of these three:

• ​The Almanack of Naval Ravikant​
• ​The Psychology of Money​
• ​Deep Work​

If you want to learn faster, retain more, and make your reading habit pay off: Try Shortform FREE + get 20% off a membership with my link.​

---

A question that has doubled my productivity

These 7 simple words have quietly doubled my output recently:

Yep. That's it.

Basically: What actions can I take so that if I got nothing else done all day, I’d still feel proud of what I did?

Now, obviously this will look different for everyone, but if I had to boil it down to a two-part formula, it'd be this:

Here's what it looks like for me:

• Wake up at 6am
• Drink a big glass of water
• Work on my most important task (usually writing) for 2-3 hours
• Eat a quick breakfast
• Check my phone for the first time
• Walk to the gym and workout

All before noon.

For me, writing and working out are the two things I procrastinate on most—so I build my mornings around knocking them out first.

The other key here is that I don't even touch my phone (my biggest distraction) until that first work block is finished.

Of course, this doesn’t mean I just take the afternoon off—but it creates a nice safety net.

Even if I’m distracted the rest of the day—I got my focused work in.
Even if I’m lazy the rest of the day—I got my workout in.

It gets the monkey off my back early.

Your challenge:
​Tomorrow morning, ask yourself: How can I win the day by noon?

Then go do that—before the distractions start rolling in.

---

A tweet that made me feel grateful

The world of technology can be scary (looking at you AI).

But it’s also pretty magical.

We carry supercomputers in our pockets—gateways to knowledge, creativity, connection, and expression.

The real challenge isn’t whether the tech is good or bad.

It’s whether we use it with intention.

To learn, not just scroll.
To connect, not just compare.
To build, not just consume.

That device in your pocket can be your greatest distraction—or your greatest tool.

It all comes down to how you use it.

---

A trick for getting things done with minimal willpower

A hill I’ll gladly die on:

Willpower is wildly overrated.

People think that if they can’t will themselves into doing something, they’ve somehow failed.

But most of us aren’t David Goggins.

Most of us have a finite amount of willpower, and we need systems, structure, and support to actually follow through with things.

A tool I use to bypass willpower:

In the context of productivity, a forcing function is anything that compels you to take action by design—no motivation required.

You create a condition where doing the right thing becomes the only real option.

A few recent examples from my own life:

• I wanted to be more social, so I joined a rec league volleyball team.
• I wanted to stop scrolling in the morning, so I started putting my phone in a timed lock box (game changer).
• I wanted to start a running habit, so I signed up for a half marathon.

This can be applied to pretty much anything.

The key question to ask:

Stop relying on willpower.

It’s overrated—and largely unnecessary when you have the right systems in place.

---

A video worth watching twice - 13 pieces of advice from a 72-year-old millionaire​

Just a thought:

We need fewer 20-year-old gurus, and more advice from people who’ve actually been through some shit.

People who are 65+ have so much wisdom to give, and I love seeing them using platforms like this to share what they’ve learned.

A few of my favorite nuggets:

​
Watch the full video and let me know your biggest takeaway.

---

😂

---

📣 P.S. Have you ever wanted to work with me?

I started a private members club with my friends Ben Meer and Jade Bonacolta for people looking to build their personal brand on LinkedIn.

It's called Archimedes.

Our next cohort starts on May 12th.

​Click here if you want to read member success stories and apply today (it takes 2 minutes)

Have a great week!

—Colby

---

If someone forwarded this to you, Subscribe here.

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​