The relatable mess: when “best practice” isn’t best for you
It’s 8:45am. You’ve got a double espresso, an ambitious to‑do list, and that nagging memory of last week’s YouTube guru telling you to time‑block everything. Yesterday you tried Kanban. The week before that, Pomodoro. By Friday, you can’t tell what actually helped or what was just Monday energy. Sound familiar?
Most of us change workflows like socks, then judge them off vibes. There’s a better way: treat your productivity like a series of mini experiments—on yourself.
What’s an N‑of‑1 productivity trial?
An N‑of‑1 trial is a small, structured experiment designed for one person: you. Instead of copying someone else’s system, you compare two options (A vs B) in randomised blocks, collect a few simple metrics, and use Bayesian updates (plain‑English: steadily update your confidence) to decide what to keep, tweak, or drop.
The result? Less second‑guessing, more signal, and habits that fit your brain and your calendar.
The 10‑step playbook (zero fluff, high signal)
- Pick one focused question.
Examples:
- Does timeboxing beat Kanban for deep work?
- Am I more effective with 90‑minute sprints or 25/5 Pomodoros?
- Is my weekly review better on Friday arvo or Monday morning?
- Define a meaningful outcome.
Choose 1–3 metrics you can observe per block:
- Deep work minutes (timer or calendar)
- Tasks completed on your top 1–2 goals (not busywork)
- Focus and stress rating (0–10)
- Energy afterwards (0–10)
Also choose a smallest worthwhile improvement (SWI). Example: “A method is worth switching to if it adds ≥20 minutes of deep work per day.”
- Choose two variants (A vs B).
Keep them simple and mutually exclusive for the test window.
- A: 90‑minute focus sprint; B: 25/5 Pomodoros (two hours total)
- A: Batch email at 11:30 + 4:30; B: Inbox on demand
- A: Meeting‑free Wednesdays; B: No special rules
- Decide your block length.
Use blocks big enough to matter, short enough to repeat:
- Commonly: 1–2 hour blocks, or morning vs afternoon blocks
- Plan 10–20 blocks total over 1–2 weeks
- Randomise the schedule.
To avoid “good Monday” or “busy Friday” bias:
- Flip a coin each block: Heads = A, Tails = B
- Or pre‑randomise a sequence (e.g., A B B A A B …) and stick to it
- Balance: aim for equal A and B counts
- Control obvious confounders.
Hold these steady when possible:
- Start time (e.g., always 9:30 for your deep work block)
- Environment (same desk, similar noise)
- Task type (don’t compare creative writing to data entry)
- Short “washout” between blocks (5 minutes to reset)
- Run the blocks and measure.
At the end of each block, log:
- Which variant (A/B)
- Your metric(s)
- Quick notes (e.g., poor sleep, urgent request, meeting overran)
- Update your belief the simple way (Bayesian‑ish, no maths).
At the end of the week:
- Count how many times A “won” the block on your primary metric (e.g., more deep work minutes within the same block length), and how many times B won.
- Note the average difference vs your SWI. If A beat B by 25 minutes on average and your SWI is 20, that’s meaningful.
- Confidence rule of thumb:
- 6–4 split ≈ 65–70% leaning to the winner
- 7–3 split ≈ 80%
- 8–2 or better ≈ 90%+
If you love a bit of stats, use any free Bayesian A/B calculator: treat each block as a “success” for A or B, start with a neutral prior, and check the probability that A > B. You don’t need to be perfect—consistency beats precision here.
- Decide, then iterate.
Adopt the winner if:
- Probability it’s better ≥ ~75–80%, and
- It clears your SWI
Otherwise, extend the trial for another week or refine your variants.
- Evolve your goals to fit you.
Let the data nudge your goals and routines:
- If shorter sprints keep you fresher, set goals in smaller, more frequent chunks.
- If meeting‑free Wednesdays spike progress, formalise them.
- If afternoon deep work underperforms, shift your most valuable work earlier.
A real‑life example
Sophie is a product manager who can’t tell whether 90‑minute focus sprints (A) or 25/5 Pomodoros (B) suit her work. She runs a two‑week N‑of‑1 trial:
- Blocks: Two per day (9:30–11:00 and 2:00–3:30), coin‑flipped A or B
- Primary metric: Deep work minutes (timer‑based)
- Secondary metrics: Focus (0–10), energy after block (0–10)
- SWI: 20 minutes/day
After 18 usable blocks: A “wins” 12 blocks, B wins 6. A averages +14 minutes per block and +1.2 focus points. That’s roughly an 80% lean to A and exceeds the SWI across a workday. Sophie adopts A for the next fortnight, then spins up a new trial: 90‑minute sprint with a mid‑sprint stretch vs without. She’s not guessing any more—she’s evolving.
What should you measure?
Don’t overcomplicate. Choose a leading indicator and one “sanity check”:
- Leading: Deep work minutes, shipped milestones, words written, bugs closed
- Sanity checks: Stress, energy, satisfaction after the block
If your leading indicator improves but your sanity checks crash, the method won’t last. Sustainable productivity beats sprint‑and‑collapse.
Common pitfalls (and easy fixes)
- Carryover effects: A tough A block might tire you for B. Fix: alternate morning/afternoon and randomise, include a 5‑minute reset.
- Novelty bias: New methods feel exciting. Fix: run at least 10–14 blocks so the shine wears off.
- Confounded tasks: Don’t compare A on creative work to B on admin. Fix: keep task type consistent within the trial.
- Calendar landmines: Quarterly planning or school holidays can skew results. Fix: note major events and extend or rerun if needed.
- Changing too much at once: Keep A vs B tight. One meaningful difference at a time.
Templates you can steal
Two‑week deep work test
- Question: 90‑minute sprint (A) vs Pomodoro 25/5 (B)
- Blocks: 1 x morning, 1 x afternoon daily, coin‑flipped A or B
- Metrics: Deep work minutes, focus (0–10)
- Decision: Adopt if probability ≥ 80% and +20 min/day
Email sanity test
- Question: Batch at 11:30 and 4:30 (A) vs on‑demand (B)
- Blocks: Mornings only for one week (randomised), afternoons for the next
- Metrics: Interruptions/hour, perceived stress, response time to urgent messages
- Decision: Adopt if interruptions drop ≥ 30% with no increase in urgent response time
Lightweight tools to run trials
You can do this with a notebook and a coin. Or, if you want something tidy and low‑friction, Meloplan makes it easy to plan and track simple A/B blocks alongside your goals. Tag sessions as A or B, log your quick metrics, and review your week with clear, no‑nonsense charts. It keeps the experiment simple so you can focus on the work.
Quick start checklist
- Pick one question and two variants
- Choose 1–3 metrics and your smallest worthwhile improvement
- Set 10–20 randomised blocks over 1–2 weeks
- Log the basics after each block: A/B, metric(s), short notes
- Review weekly: who “won”, by how much, and how confident are you?
- Adopt, extend, or iterate—then spin up the next tiny test
Final thought
You don’t need a perfect system—you need a system that fits you. N‑of‑1 trials help you find it faster, with fewer swings and more signal. Small experiments, honest data, steady updates. That’s how you build a personal productivity engine that lasts.
If you’d like a simple, friendly place to plan and track these experiments, give Meloplan a go. It’s quick to set up, gets out of your way, and helps you turn insights into habits—one block at a time.
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