Like most people, I often feel as if there just aren't anywhere near enough hours in the day to get everything I need done.

I used to think the answer was more efficiency. I've tried out pretty much every productivity system and “to do list” app under the sun.

And while these systems are helpful to keep your tasks under control and to make sure you don't drop any balls, I've found that any time I save with a better productivity system soon gets eaten back up with more stuff to do.

Have you found something similar?

I suspect I'm not alone. Many professionals I speak to have this same issue. The most common challenge I hear is “I know I need to do more marketing, but I just don't have the time”.

Well, what I've found that actually does work for me is what I call my “radical productivity system”. You might want to try it to see if it works for you.

Here it is….

….drum roll….

Stop doing stuff that doesn't work.

Yeah, OK, that probably doesn't sound very clever. You might even be thinking “come on Ian, I don't waste my time doing things that don't work”.

But have you ever really checked?

When I tracked back my very best and biggest clients to where they came from, there were actually a very few sources.

Some came from referrals from previous clients. Some were people who'd seen me presenting at an event. A lot came from people finding my website, subscribing to my newsletter and calling me when the time was right to do something together.

And some came from recommendations from people who might normally be considered my competitors but because I've built good relationships with them, recommended me when they thought I'd be able to do a better job for someone.

Networking? Not so much. I was spending hours every week at events, but it turns out that it rarely led to winning clients.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that many people will tell you that a great way to win clients is to establish yourself as an expert by answering questions on Linkedin groups and forums, it didn't really work for me.

(Well, technically, it worked a couple of times years ago – but these days Linkedin groups seem to be more filled with vendors trying to pitch stuff than clients).

By simply cutting down on the activities that weren't making much of an impact for me I saved about half a day per week.

Some of that time's been taken up with more effective marketing. Some of it I've saved for myself and my family.

Of course, the things that really work will be different for you. But the key is to make sure you really know what does – don't just assume – check.

Then grit your teeth and cut back on the stuff that doesn't work.