Have you ever built a productivity system that became another chore to maintain?

A few years ago, I built what I genuinely believed was the ultimate setup. Notion dashboard, nested databases, tags for everything, and a weekly review process that could run a small company.

It worked great for about two weeks. Then updating the system became its own full-time job. I was spending more time organizing my tasks than actually doing them, and managing the setup replaced the work it was supposed to track.

Abandoning it felt like admitting defeat, so I just kept feeding it. Honestly, some of my most productive weeks have happened when my entire system was a single sticky note on my desk.

What is the most over-engineered system you have ever built for yourself? Did you end up ditching it, simplifying it, or sticking with it out of pure habit?