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I recall a research study about people and productivity tools (such as Getting Things Done framework) which basically said the following: for most people, adherence to a system - any system - is more effective than any one particular system. So when people changed systems every 6-12 months or so - ie used a different To-Do app, started a new Ideas notebook, whatever - their productivity increased because they were recommitting to a new system. In fact, they were on average more productive than someone who stuck with a single system but started to slack off on usage. Can you find this study for me - or anything with a similar finding? thanks!
Hello, and thanks for your question asking for identification of a study which shows how adherence to a productivity system is more effective than any one particular system. And that switching systems regularly increases adherence, therefore suggesting that constantly switching productivity tools has the impact of increasing productivity. The short version is that after searching extensively through academic papers, case studies, news reports and online articles, I have not been able to find a specific piece of research that backs up claims that switching productivity apps increases productivity. I believe that perhaps the article you were referring to is the blog article that I found, and that empirical data has yet to be collected on this subject. However, I was able to find some personal claims that this is the effect of regularly switching systems. In addition, I also found evidence to say how changing routines (which can be seen as switching systems) can have the impact of boosting productivity. Below you will find a deep dive into my research, along with all the details as to how I came to this conclusion.
OVERVIEW
After searching exhaustively, I have not been able to find any article/research paper that specifically shows the impact of switching productivity systems versus sticking with one. I looked for studies to show how adherence to a productivity system is more effective than any one particular system. And that switching systems regularly increases adherence, therefore suggesting that constantly switching productivity tools has the impact of increasing productivity. To find this I first looked through academic papers on Google Scholar, published recently, and then I extended my search date to look through all available papers. However, none of the papers I looked through had any evidence.
Next, I looked through all relevant news articles about this subject. After not finding anything I then looked for specific case studies. However, there has been nothing published on this topic.
Finally, I looked conducted an advanced search engine search in order to filter through online articles written on the topic. While I did find some useful information (discussed below), I did not find the exact study that you were looking for.
HELPFUL FINDINGS
While I could not find a direct answer to your question, I was able to gather some information about this topic, which I think will be helpful for your project.
First, I found this article that states that "The typical advice is to find one approach to managing your tasks and stick with it. Fiddling with your system just wastes time, the gurus say. But as someone who intentionally changed systems nearly every week during A Year of Living Productively, I learned that doing the opposite has been very effective for me." The article discusses a person's own anecdotal evidence of how switching systems promoting productivity. "Rather than being a means of wasting time, changing systems has been a consistently effective way for me to get more done." While this seems to be the information that you are looking for, it is not empirical evidence, it is the account of 1 person who tried the method of switching tools weekly for one year.
Next, I found this article that explains the benefits and drawbacks of switching systems. It claims that "sometimes a change will boost productivity", and that "shaking things up a bit can bring about a new perspective and enthusiasm."
I also found some more indirectly related evidence. This article goes into detail on how a change in your work routine can boost productivity. While is doesn't directly discuss changing productivity systems, we can make comparisons between changing a routine and changing productivity systems. The writer claims that the more you do something in a certain way, be it working, studying or even exercise, the less productive you become. Therefore, constantly changing up your routine (e.g. switching systems) can have the impact of increasing your productivity.
POSSIBLE CONTINUED RESEARCH
In understanding what types of information are and are not publicly available on this topic, I’ve suggested a few other routes you may be interested in researching.
For example, I have found articles on other ways you can boost productivity in the workplace, you may wish to know more about alternative methods. This article shows how the fostering of positive work cultures can have a beneficial impact on productivity. The Fast Company supports this hypothesis, providing evidence that happy employees are 12% more productive. They explain that this is because "the brain works much better when a person is feeling positive."
You may also be interested in rankings of the best productivity tools available now. For instance, Forbes lists the top 6 productivity tools available this year, and Tech Radar lists the 50 best productivity apps for mobile devices for 2017.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, after searching extensively through academic papers, case studies, news reports and online articles, a direct answer to your question is not publicly available because the research has yet to be conducted. However, I was able to find some personal claims that this is the effect of regularly switching systems. In addition, I also found evidence to say how changing routines (which can be seen as switching systems) can have the impact of boosting productivity.
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