28 Secrets of Exceptionally Productive People | Inc.com. Ryan Holiday introduced me to Stoicism several years ago, during my wife’s illness and death. I was looking everywhere desperately for an escape from my misery. Finally, I realized that it wasn’t these bad things happening that was the problem. It was me. It was the way I reacted. It was totally within my control to combat them. Productivity isn’t a matter of getting results. It is a measurement of our own perceptions. Stealing good ideas is a good way to be productive; assuming, of course, that you implement the good ideas in your personal life. Check out these not so secret secrets about how to be a better lawyer and human being. I guarantee that one or more of them will help you. My favorite is to let your own body tell you the best time to work. I do my most productive work between 5 A.M and 10 A.M. So, that is when I start my day. After 2 P.M. I do other things, or not. Which idea will make you a better lawyer?