I used to think productivity was about squeezing more tasks into less time. That’s what all the gurus sold me. Wake up at 5 AM. Meditate for an hour. Answer emails in batches. Track everything in complex systems.
Then my friend Jake, who’s partially blind, tried to follow my meticulous productivity system. It fell apart completely.
“Your system wasn’t built for my world,” he told me.
That hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. I’d been designing productivity for a fictional average person who doesn’t exist.
The Myth of Universal Productivity
Productivity advice assumes we all operate the same way. We don’t.
The entrepreneur with ADHD, the programmer with chronic pain, the designer with anxiety, and the writer with dyslexia – they don’t need the same systems. They need approaches that respect their unique wiring.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most productivity systems are built for neurotypical, able-bodied people with predictable environments. That excludes a significant portion of humanity.
What if we designed systems that flex to accommodate our differences instead of forcing us to conform to rigid structures?
The Three Pillars of Inclusive Productivity
After years of testing systems with hundreds of clients across the spectrum of abilities and cognitive styles, I’ve identified three core principles that make productivity systems truly inclusive:
1. Multiple Input Methods
Traditional systems force you into a single input method. Write it down. Type it in. Speak it out. Inclusive systems offer choice.
For example:
- Voice-first options: Apple’s Voice Control and Siri shortcuts let you manage tasks without touching your device
- Text-based workflows: Apps like Drafts and Apple Notes that start with plain text but connect to complex systems
- Visual organization: Tools like MindNode and OmniGraffle for those who think in pictures rather than words
Jake now uses voice shortcuts with Siri to capture ideas instantly. What takes me multiple taps takes him three seconds with voice.
Action step: For every critical task in your system, create at least two different ways to complete it. If you normally type notes, set up voice recording alternatives. If you normally use voice, establish text-based backups.
2. Flexible Cognitive Load
Most productivity systems are all-or-nothing propositions. They work great on your best days but collapse completely on your worst.
An inclusive system adjusts to your available cognitive bandwidth:
- Full-energy mode: Complex planning, deep thinking, creative exploration
- Medium-energy mode: Review, organization, routine tasks
- Low-energy mode: Minimum viable actions to keep things moving
I built this after noticing my own productivity collapsed during migraine days. Instead of abandoning my system entirely, I created a “migraine mode” with stripped-down processes that required minimal screen time and decision-making.
Action step: Define what your productivity system looks like at three different energy levels. Create templated workflows for each state so you don’t have to figure it out when you’re already struggling.
3. Seamless Context Switching
The ability to rapidly switch contexts isn’t a luxury – it’s essential for many people managing disabilities, mental health, or unpredictable circumstances.
An inclusive system makes context-switching frictionless through:
- Strategic incompletion: Leaving enough breadcrumbs that you can resume without extensive review
- Contextual triggers: Environmental cues that immediately reorient you to the task
- Robust documentation: Enough detail that you don’t rely on short-term memory
When I worked with an entrepreneur with ADHD, we replaced traditional to-do lists with project snapshots. Each project had a single document with current status, next actions, and context notes. This reduced the “restart cost” of each project by about 80%.
Action step: For your three most important projects, create reentry documents that answer: Where was I? What was I thinking? What’s next? Update these at the end of each work session.
The Apple Ecosystem Advantage
The Apple ecosystem offers unique advantages for inclusive productivity design:
- Continuity features: Start tasks on one device, continue seamlessly on another
- Accessibility built-in: VoiceOver, Switch Control, and Display Accommodations at the system level
- Shortcuts app: Automation that works across devices with minimal technical knowledge
These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re the foundation of inclusive systems.
I collaborated with a programmer with chronic pain who couldn’t type for extended periods. We built a system using Shortcuts and Dictation that let her code in short bursts throughout the day across multiple devices, maintaining her career while accommodating her limitations.
Building Your Inclusive Productivity System
Let’s get practical. Here’s how to design your own inclusive productivity system:
Step 1: Honest Self-Assessment
Most productivity advice starts with tools. I’m telling you to start with yourself.
Ask:
- When am I at my best/worst?
- What physical limitations affect my work?
- How does my attention naturally flow?
- What environments enable my success?
Document your answers ruthlessly. No aspirational thinking about how you “should” work. This is about how you actually function.
Step 2: Minimum Viable System
The most inclusive system is one you’ll actually use. Start small:
- One capture method that works in your worst state
- One processing routine that takes less than 10 minutes
- One way to see your most important next actions
That’s it. My client Maria, a designer with anxiety, started with just Apple Notes (for capture), a Sunday review (for processing), and a single pinned note with her current priorities. It wasn’t fancy, but it was sustainable through her anxiety spirals.
Step 3: Gradual Complexity
Once your minimal system is stable for two weeks, add complexity only where it clearly solves a problem:
- Struggling with project tracking? Add a lightweight project management layer
- Having trouble with time allocation? Integrate time blocking
- Need better collaboration? Connect your individual system to team tools
But never add complexity for its own sake. Each new layer should earn its place by solving a specific challenge you face.
Real-World Examples
The Entrepreneur with ADHD
Challenge: Extreme context switching between creative, administrative, and management tasks
Solution:
- Morning brain dump using voice-to-text
- Project snapshots in Notes with visual cues
- Time blocking with deliberately scheduled transition periods
- End-of-day documentation with voice recordings
The Writer with Chronic Fatigue
Challenge: Unpredictable energy levels making conventional schedules impossible
Solution:
- Energy-based task classification (high/medium/low)
- Mobile-first capture system for ideas during rest periods
- Templates for different writing types to reduce decision fatigue
- Focus on process goals rather than output goals
Common Myths Debunked
Myth: Productive people follow the same routine every day
Reality: The most productive people have adaptable systems that bend rather than break when circumstances change.
Myth: Digital is always better than analog
Reality: Many people with cognitive or processing differences benefit from physical, tangible systems for certain aspects of productivity.
Myth: Complex systems produce better results
Reality: The best system is the one you’ll actually use consistently, which often means simplicity trumps theoretical perfection.
The Paradox of Inclusive Productivity
Here’s the beautiful irony: systems designed for inclusion end up better for everyone.
When you build flexibility for different cognitive styles, everyone benefits from more adaptable workflows. When you create multiple input methods for accessibility, everyone gains efficiency options. When you design for varying energy levels, everyone gains resilience.
The constraints of inclusion drive innovation that serves us all.
Final Thoughts
Productivity isn’t about keeping up with someone else’s ideal workflow. It’s about designing systems that honor your reality while helping you move toward your goals.
The most powerful productivity system isn’t the one with the most features or the biggest following. It’s the one that stays with you through your worst days, not just your best.
Start by building for your limitations. The capabilities will take care of themselves.
Your move.