After watching Danny Hatcher’s recent video about his daily workflow, I found myself both intrigued and relieved by his approach to productivity. In a world obsessed with morning routines and rigid schedules, Danny offers something different: a philosophy of practice rather than a set of rules.
What struck me most was how Danny has created a system that works with his natural tendencies rather than against them. Unlike many productivity gurus who insist on fixed routines, Danny embraces flexibility while maintaining structure through what he calls “sessions” and “warm-ups.”
The Warm-Up Philosophy That Changed My Thinking
Danny Hatcher’s concept of “warm-ups” before work sessions is brilliant in its simplicity. As someone who often struggles to dive straight into complex tasks, I find his approach liberating. There’s no set time limit—some warm-ups last a minute, others an hour—but they serve a crucial purpose: preparing the mind for focused work.
This approach is special because it removes the guilt many of us feel when we’re not immediately productive. Instead of seeing pre-work activities as procrastination, Danny frames them as necessary preparation. This shift in perspective alone could be game-changing for many people.
His warm-ups often include content related to upcoming work, creating natural connections between different parts of his day. For instance, he might watch a video about learning theory before editing content on a similar topic. This creates a flow between activities that feels natural rather than forced.
Sessions: Intensity-Based Rather Than Time-Based
Danny Hatcher organizes his day around different types of sessions based on cognitive intensity:
- High-intensity sessions (like video editing and writing)
- Moderate-intensity sessions (walking while listening to podcasts)
- Low-intensity recovery sessions (washing dishes while listening to music)
This intensity-based approach makes so much sense to me. Rather than forcing himself to work for arbitrary time blocks, Danny recognizes that different activities require different mental energy levels. He also understands the importance of recovery periods between demanding tasks.
I particularly appreciate how he transforms mundane activities into valuable parts of his workflow. Washing dishes becomes a recovery session. Walking the dog becomes “thinking on the move.” Even watching TV with family can involve taking notes on interesting concepts.
The Power of Connections
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of Danny Hatcher’s approach is how it facilitates connections between ideas. By working on related topics throughout the day and taking notes in his digital systems (Obsidian and Morgan), he creates opportunities for insights that might not occur in a more compartmentalized workflow.
For example, he mentions how watching a presentation by Justin Sung in the morning created connections to his video editing work later that day. These connections aren’t forced—they emerge naturally from his practice.
This reminds me of how creative breakthroughs often happen: not when intensely focused on a problem, but when our minds are free to make unexpected associations. Danny’s workflow seems designed to maximize these moments.
Breaking the Rules of Productivity
What I find most refreshing about Danny’s approach is his willingness to break conventional productivity rules:
- No fixed morning routine
- No set meal times (sometimes cereal for lunch)
- No complete separation between work and leisure (reading textbooks for fun)
- No arbitrary time blocks (sessions end when they feel complete)
Instead of following someone else’s productivity blueprint, he’s created a system that works with his natural rhythms and interests. The result seems to be an effective and sustainable workflow.
Finding Your Own Philosophy of Practice
After reflecting on Hatcher’s approach, I’m convinced many of us could benefit from developing our own “philosophy of practice” rather than following rigid productivity systems.
The key insights I’m taking away are:
- Warm-ups aren’t procrastination—they’re preparation
- Different activities require different levels of mental energy
- Recovery periods are essential, not optional
- Creating connections between ideas is valuable work
- Your system should work with your natural tendencies, not against them
What would happen if we stopped trying to force ourselves into productivity frameworks that don’t fit our lives? Danny’s approach suggests we might be more productive, creative, and happier overall.
I’m not suggesting we adopt Danny Hatcher’s exact workflow—that would miss the point entirely. Instead, let’s take inspiration from his willingness to create a system that truly works for him, regardless of conventional wisdom.
After all, as Danny says throughout his video, “No rules here, just a philosophy of practice.” That might be the most freeing productivity advice I’ve heard in a long time.
Take a look at Danny Hatcher’s videos on YouTube, he has some great ideas.
Deanna Ritchie
Editor-in-Chief at Calendar. Former Editor-in-Chief and writer at Startup Grind. Freelance editor at Entrepreneur.com. Deanna loves to help build startups, and guide them to discover the business value of their online content and social media marketing.