Productivity, page 3
Focus, time, systems, planning, getting work done. 141 links, newest first. Page 3 of 3.
Links 101 to 141
Numbr: Calculator and Notepad Combined
Tool · numbr.dev · Issue #99
Numbr is a web app that merges a calculator with a notepad, so numbers written in notes calculate alongside the text.
Summary
Numbr is a web app that merges a calculator with a notepad, so numbers written in notes calculate alongside the text. Anton Medvedev made it, and it draws on Soulver by Zac Cohan. It can be opened in the browser or installed as a Chrome extension.
50 Hacks
Tool · 50hacks.co · Issue #93
50 Hacks is a crowdsourced site, created by Marc Lou, that collects productivity tips.
Summary
50 Hacks is a crowdsourced site, created by Marc Lou, that collects productivity tips. Anyone can submit a hack without an account, and visitors upvote and comment, so the community ranks the tips in Hot, New and Top views. Writing, voting and browsing appear free. The site also carries paid advertising and promotes an unrelated coding course.
How Not to Be a Hostage to Technology
Read · autodidacts.io · 20 min · Issue #90
Curiositry's 2022 article on The Autodidacts argues that devices and the internet, shaped by advertising, can take control of people's attention.
Summary
Curiositry's 2022 article on The Autodidacts argues that devices and the internet, shaped by advertising, can take control of people's attention. Its remedy, which it calls intentional computing, includes screen-free times, a weekly screen-free day, RSS instead of news sites, keyboard shortcuts, focus rituals, site blocking and uBlock Origin.
Snoozing mid cycle causes lasting grogginess
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #86
Sleep cycles last 75 to 90 minutes, and snoozing starts a new one
Summary
Hitting snooze wakes you mid sleep cycle, causing grogginess that the speaker says can last about four hours.
Mel Robbins argues that hitting snooze causes sleep inertia. Drifting back to sleep starts a new sleep cycle of 75 to 90 minutes, so the alarm nine minutes later wakes you in the middle of that cycle. She says the groggy feeling can take about four hours to clear and advises getting up immediately.
Key points- Sleep cycles last 75 to 90 minutes, and snoozing starts a new one
- Nine minutes into a 75-minute cycle leaves you in deep sleep
- Sleep inertia, the groggy feeling, takes about four hours to clear, he says
Spark
Tool · sparkmailapp.com · Issue #86
Spark Mail is a cross-platform email app designed to show important messages first.
Summary
Spark Mail is a cross-platform email app designed to show important messages first. Its features include Priority, Smart Inbox, Gatekeeper for unwanted senders, Send Later and an AI assistant that finds and summarizes email. It works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud and IMAP accounts. The page offers a free download and a paid Buy now option, without listing which features are free.
Use the keyboard
Tool · usethekeyboard.com · Issue #85
UseTheKeyboard is a reference site that lists keyboard shortcuts for Mac apps, Windows programs and websites.
Summary
UseTheKeyboard is a reference site that lists keyboard shortcuts for Mac apps, Windows programs and websites. It covers about 90 programs, including Figma, VS Code and Notion, and has a search box. Visitors can suggest new pages through a GitHub issue. The page credits @aschmelyun and appears to be free.
Take simple actions to extremes when stuck
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #83
Simple things taken to extreme lengths beat hacks and secrets
Summary
When stuck, take simple actions to extremes, such as 100 words, 100 emails or 100 ideas, rather than seeking hacks.
The speaker suggests that when you are stuck, start with 100: 100 words, 100 emails or 100 ideas. The speaker says the world rewards those who give, and that people need no hacks or secrets, only simple things taken to extreme lengths.
Key points- Simple things taken to extreme lengths beat hacks and secrets
- The speaker says the world gives to those who give
Visualize Habit: See What Small Habits Add Up To
Tool · visualizehabit.com · Issue #83
Visualize Habit is a free calculator by Marc Lou that shows what a daily habit adds up to over a year.
Summary
Visualize Habit is a free calculator by Marc Lou that shows what a daily habit adds up to over a year. For example, reading 15 minutes a day, seven days a week, is shown as about 18 books, or roughly 19 hours. The site argues that tiny habits produce big results, and the page claims 80% of New Year's resolutions fail.
Clarity matters more than motivation
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #80
Fill a notebook with ambitions, goals and the exact steps to take
Summary
Most people need clarity rather than motivation, so write down your ambitions and exact steps, then refine them over time.
The speaker says most people need clarity rather than motivation. The method is to fill a notebook with ambitions, goals and the exact steps to take, then refine it over time, since no first plan is perfect. The speaker's point is that a plan creates clarity, and clarity creates action.
Key points- Fill a notebook with ambitions, goals and the exact steps to take
- Refine the plan with time, since perfection is not human
- A plan creates clarity, and clarity creates action
Fear setting on three pages
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #79
Page one: define the worst case, how to prevent it, and how to repair it
Summary
Fear setting uses three pages: worst cases with prevention and repair, benefits of acting, and costs of not acting.
The speaker describes fear setting, a pen-and-paper exercise. Page one has three columns, define, prevent and repair, covering the worst case, ways to reduce it, and how to recover if it happens. Page two lists the benefits of making the change, even partial success, and page three lists the cost of not acting, in columns for six months, one year and three years.
Key points- Page one: define the worst case, how to prevent it, and how to repair it
- Page two: list benefits of the change, even partial success
- Page three: list costs of not changing at 6 months, 1 year and 3 years
Fill afternoons, empty evenings, create mornings
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #77
Afternoons: books, learning and socialising fill your mind
Summary
Structure your day so afternoons fill your mind, evenings empty it, and mornings use it for creative output.
The speaker proposes a daily formula. In the afternoon, fill the mind with books, learning and socializing. In the evening, empty it with journaling, planning and meditation. In the morning, use it for creation, output and focus. The speaker says this balance of clarity, productivity and creativity makes for a fulfilling day.
Key points- Afternoons: books, learning and socialising fill your mind
- Evenings: journaling, planning and meditation empty it out
- Mornings: creation, output and focus put the mind to use
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Read · hbr.org · 25 min · Issue #72
Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy of The Energy Project argue that people should manage energy rather than time, since energy can be deliberately built up and time cannot.
Summary
Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy of The Energy Project argue that people should manage energy rather than time, since energy can be deliberately built up and time cannot. They describe four sources of energy: body, emotions, mind and spirit. Examples include breaks that follow ultradian rhythms, and a Wachovia program whose participants outperformed a control group.
Work fewer, more focused hours
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #71
Renting a Porsche showed the speaker the best feeling comes from the people beside you
Summary
Work fewer, more focused hours, since fifteen-hour days signal poor time management and tracking shows real output.
The speaker, a former workaholic, lists eleven lessons after a near burnout. Working 15 hours a day signals poor time management, and money should not be the only motivator, since the people around you matter more. Other points are comparing yourself with your past self, tracking your time, setting long-term goals with short steps, executing before planning, and dropping perfectionism.
Key points- Renting a Porsche showed the speaker the best feeling comes from the people beside you
- Five hours of focused work without phone or social apps beats fifteen distracted
- Compare yourself with yesterday's self, and celebrate small victories
Self-discipline comes from saying no
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #69
Vitamin N is learning to say no, which the speaker calls a vitamin
Summary
Self-discipline comes from learning to say no, setting your priorities and avoiding complaining, which the speaker calls vitamin N.
The speaker presents self-discipline as built from three factors. The first is what they call vitamin N, learning to say no. The second is setting priorities, and the third is avoiding complaining. The speaker adds that people without discipline end up in a kind of prison, while disciplined people are free.
Key points- Vitamin N is learning to say no, which the speaker calls a vitamin
- The other factors are setting your priorities right and avoiding complaining
- The speaker says the undisciplined are in prison while the disciplined are free
On the Proper Use of Post-its
Read · tylercipriani.com · 1 min · Issue #68
Tyler Cipriani argues that Post-its should be peeled from the side, not the bottom, because pulling from the bottom curls the note and lifts it off the surface.
Summary
Tyler Cipriani argues that Post-its should be peeled from the side, not the bottom, because pulling from the bottom curls the note and lifts it off the surface. He learned this at a 2015 team offsite, where a facilitator noticed curlier notes kept falling off the wall. The post explains the adhesive, a microsphere adhesive that 3M scientist Spencer Silver discovered in 1968, and includes magnified images of it.
Five Percent Better: Small Changes, Big Results
Read · fs.blog · Issue #67
Shane Parrish argues that dramatic self-improvement efforts usually fail and that small, compounding gains produce large results over time.
Summary
Shane Parrish argues that dramatic self-improvement efforts usually fail and that small, compounding gains produce large results over time. He uses a lathe as a model of gradual shaping and calculates that a 5% annual improvement roughly doubles wisdom in under 15 years and quadruples it in under 30. After a setback, he suggests identifying where you slipped, redoubling effort and continuing.
Systems beat goals for tiny daily habits
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #63
A 3-degree shift at takeoff sends a New York flight toward Tijuana instead of Los Angeles
Summary
Tiny daily habits compound, so focus on systems rather than goals, because progress feels invisible in its early valley.
The speaker uses a plane analogy from James Clear's Atomic Habits: a 3-degree change at takeoff sends a flight from New York far off course. Getting 1 percent better every day for a year compounds to about 37 times better, while 1 percent worse daily drops close to zero. The speaker argues that systems matter more than goals, since goals create all-or-nothing outcomes and motivation fades after results.
Key points- A 3-degree shift at takeoff sends a New York flight toward Tijuana instead of Los Angeles
- One percent better every day for a year compounds to 37 times better
- Goals set a direction, while systems make progress, and most people quit in the valley
Pomofocus: Online Pomodoro Timer
Tool · pomofocus.io · Issue #63
An online Pomodoro timer, a time-management tool that alternates focused work intervals with short breaks.
Summary
An online Pomodoro timer, a time-management tool that alternates focused work intervals with short breaks.
Fantasizing about success can sap motivation
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #55
Dreaming of success releases dopamine as if achieved, so people move on to new projects
Summary
Fantasizing about success drains motivation, so pair the dream with obstacles and a plan, a method called mental contrasting.
The speaker, citing NYU psychology professor Gabriele Oettingen, says that fantasizing about success can make it less likely a goal gets achieved. Mental contrasting pairs the desired outcome with a list of likely obstacles and a plan for each one. The speaker says the method has raised goal completion by up to 60 percent, and suggests turning boredom into a challenge.
Key points- Dreaming of success releases dopamine as if achieved, so people move on to new projects
- Mental contrasting lists the desired outcome, the obstacles, and a plan to overcome them
- The speaker says the method can raise goal completion chances by up to 60 percent
How to Use Flow State to Do the Impossible
Watch · youtube.com · 6 min · Issue #53
A 2022 Big Think video with flow researcher Steven Kotler, arguing that peak performance comes from getting biology to work for us.
Summary
A 2022 Big Think video with flow researcher Steven Kotler, arguing that peak performance comes from getting biology to work for us. The description says psychology and physiology are linked, so people can pre-wire their brains to enter flow, an optimized state where they feel and perform their best. It also promotes a claim that flow can speed learning by 250 percent.
Every yes is a no to something
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #52
The speaker said yes to a Florida talk and lost time with kids, writing and exercise
Summary
Every yes means a no to something else, and saying no to the unessential leaves room for what matters.
The speaker describes realizing that every yes is also a no to something else. A talk in Florida, for example, meant missing an evening at home with the kids, a writing routine and exercise. Citing Marcus Aurelius, the speaker says that saying no to inessential things also means saying yes to what matters.
Key points- The speaker said yes to a Florida talk and lost time with kids, writing and exercise
- Marcus says saying no brings a double benefit
- Saying no to unessential things is saying yes to what really matters
Two Hidden Ways to Get More From Gmail
Tool · gmail.googleblog.com · Issue #46
A 2008 post on the official Gmail blog by a Google product marketing manager describing two ways to change a Gmail address while it still delivers to the main inbox.
Summary
A 2008 post on the official Gmail blog by a Google product marketing manager describing two ways to change a Gmail address while it still delivers to the main inbox. Adding a plus sign and a label, such as hikingfan+bank@gmail.com, lets you filter or auto-delete mail sent to that variant. Gmail also ignores periods, so hiking.fan@gmail.com reaches the same inbox as hikingfan@gmail.com.
A bulletin board for staying focused
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #44
Cards cover work, personal, travel, things to learn, creative projects, and friends and family
Summary
A bulletin board with category cards and an urgent-versus-important grid helps stay focused and lets low-priority tasks drop away.
The speaker shares a bulletin board system for staying focused, with cards for categories such as professional work, personal life, travel, things to learn, creative projects, and friends and family. Urgent items go in the top corner and important ones below, and anything that drops to the bottom corner is effectively dropped. The speaker suggests smaller cards for individual tasks.
Key points- Cards cover work, personal, travel, things to learn, creative projects, and friends and family
- Urgent items go in the top corner, important items below, and non-urgent items top left
- Smaller cards let you add individual tasks to the mix
Name the trigger to beat procrastination
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #43
Acknowledge the stress trigger, then interrupt the habit by counting from 5 to 1
Summary
Procrastination is a stress-triggered habit, so name the trigger, count down from five, and start with a five-minute task.
The speaker offers a fix for procrastination, which they define as avoiding tasks in reaction to stress. Notice the trigger, interrupt the habit by counting down from 5 to 1, and start with just five minutes of the task. If a task takes under two or three minutes, do it immediately. The speaker says these methods helped them prepare for the GMAT and get into business school.
Key points- Acknowledge the stress trigger, then interrupt the habit by counting from 5 to 1
- Start a new habit by doing one task for only five minutes
- If a task takes under two or three minutes, do it immediately
Timeboxing in three simple steps
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #41
The speaker claims a 2018 Harvard study ranked time boxing first of 100 productivity hacks
Summary
Time boxing is a three-step productivity method: brain dump, pick the top three tasks, then give each a set time.
The speaker says a 2018 Harvard study of 100 productivity hacks ranked timeboxing first. The method has three steps: brain dump your thoughts onto paper, pick the top three tasks for the day, and assign a time to each task to see how much time you have. The speaker presents it as a simple way to make sure your most important objectives are not overlooked.
Key points- The speaker claims a 2018 Harvard study ranked time boxing first of 100 productivity hacks
- Brain dump your thoughts onto paper first, then identify the top three tasks for the day
- Assign each task a time to see visually how much time you have
Habits Garden: Gamified Habit Tracker
Tool · habitsgarden.com · Issue #40
Habits Garden is a habit tracker by Marc Lou that turns habits into daily quests, with completed habits growing flowers in a virtual garden.
Summary
Habits Garden is a habit tracker by Marc Lou that turns habits into daily quests, with completed habits growing flowers in a virtual garden. It tracks streaks on a habit grid, sends daily reminders, and offers public profiles, a leaderboard, and random rewards for finishing quests. It has a 7-day free trial, then costs $5 per month or a one-time lifetime payment.
Three options for every email
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #32
Leave actionable emails in the inbox and act on them within 24 hours
Summary
The one-touch system gives every email three options: act on it within 24 hours, file it for a later meeting, or delete it.
The speaker describes the one-touch system, which gives every email three options: act on it within 24 hours, file it in a folder to discuss at a suitable meeting, or delete it. The approach creates head space, since not everything needs an immediate reply. A later part is promised on flags and nested folders.
Key points- Leave actionable emails in the inbox and act on them within 24 hours
- File emails in folders to discuss in one-on-ones or group meetings
- The speaker says he receives about 850 emails a week while managing about 240 people
Folders for weekly meetings and people
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #32
Map the week's most important meetings, departments and counterparts
Summary
Manage a busy inbox by making folders for your key weekly meetings and most important people, then sorting email into them.
A speaker who says they keep a zero inbox starts a series on email management. Part one is to map your week's major meetings and key departments or counterparts, then make a folder for each. The speaker says no single video can solve email, so the topic is covered over several parts.
Key points- Map the week's most important meetings, departments and counterparts
- Make a folder for each key one-on-one and department meeting
- The speaker says the series will continue with the next part
Mailbrew
Tool · app.mailbrew.com · Issue #32
Mailbrew is a tool for building a digest that combines content from different services and newsletters into one summary.
Summary
Mailbrew is a tool for building a digest that combines content from different services and newsletters into one summary. The author recommends trying it.
Writing Emails With Military Precision
Read · hbr.org · Issue #32
Kabir Sehgal's 2016 Harvard Business Review article argues that an email subject line should state the purpose and what the sender wants.
Summary
Kabir Sehgal's 2016 Harvard Business Review article argues that an email subject line should state the purpose and what the sender wants. It borrows a military habit of opening the subject with a capitalized keyword: INFO for information only, REQUEST for approval, and ACTION when the recipient must act. Examples include "INFO: Status Update" and "REQUEST: Vacation."
Genuine, personal one-on-ones work best
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #31
In practice, he says the one-on-one ends up about fifteen minutes personal
Summary
A five-times VP of sales says one-on-ones work best when they are genuine and mostly personal, with a clear future focus.
A sales leader who has been a VP five times describes a one-on-one with ten minutes each for personal, professional, and future topics. In practice, personal talk takes about 15 minutes and professional about 5. The future part asks what the person wants to improve, what they could do in seven days, what measurable milestone would show progress, and how the manager can help.
Key points- In practice, he says the one-on-one ends up about fifteen minutes personal
- Keep professional topics and complaints short, then move to the future
- Ask what to get better at, what could help in seven days, and how you can help
The First Thing to Do If You Want to Get Anywhere in Life
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #27
Improvement Pill's 2017 video, 3 minutes 37 seconds long, is framed as the first step for anyone who wants to get anywhere in life.
Summary
Improvement Pill's 2017 video, 3 minutes 37 seconds long, is framed as the first step for anyone who wants to get anywhere in life. The description points to it as a starting point for self-improvement and links a related video on stopping procrastination.
One-touch rule and weekly small fixes
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #27
Put each thing back in its right place the moment you pick it up
Summary
The one-touch rule and fixing one small thing a week make life smoother, because putting things back now takes less effort than later.
The speaker proposes two resolutions. The one-touch rule means putting things back where they belong right away, and answering requests immediately rather than later, since the mental effort is about the same either way. The second is to fix one small annoying thing a week, such as a stuck drawer or a charger shared with a partner.
Key points- Put each thing back in its right place the moment you pick it up
- Respond or decide right away, since the mental energy costs the same later
- Fix one small annoying thing each week, like a stuck drawer or a second charger
What to Do When You Run Out of Inspiration
Read · entrepreneur.com · Issue #27
Steve Tobak, a management consultant, argues that inspiration does not come on demand because the mind gets stuck in an overthinking loop.
Summary
Steve Tobak, a management consultant, argues that inspiration does not come on demand because the mind gets stuck in an overthinking loop. He suggests breaking the loop by changing your place, process, people, or perspective. Practical moves include stepping away to shower or garden, talking through problems on walks, and seeking outside viewpoints.
Joplin
Tool · joplinapp.org · Issue #25
Joplin is an open source note-taking and to-do app by Laurent Cozic, available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and as a terminal app.
Summary
Joplin is an open source note-taking and to-do app by Laurent Cozic, available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and as a terminal app. Notes sync through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, or OneDrive, can include images, PDFs, audio, and diagrams, and are protected with end-to-end encryption. A browser clipper saves web pages, and users can add plugins or choose Markdown or rich text editing.
Change friction to change habits
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #22
Lay out gym clothes and sneakers the night before to make the workout easier to start
Summary
Making a good habit easier and a bad habit harder by changing friction is the simplest way to change behavior.
The speaker, who says they read Atomic Habits so the viewer does not have to, explains that friction shapes habits. To do more of something, make it easier by reducing friction, such as laying out gym clothes and sneakers the night before. To do less, add friction, such as throwing out junk food so it is harder to reach.
Key points- Lay out gym clothes and sneakers the night before to make the workout easier to start
- Throw out junk food so unhealthy snacks become harder to reach
Notion: AI Workspace for Teams and Agents
Tool · notion.so · Issue #21
Notion presents itself as an AI workspace where teams and agents capture information, find answers with citations, and automate tasks.
Summary
Notion presents itself as an AI workspace where teams and agents capture information, find answers with citations, and automate tasks. Custom Agents can search across apps, and the page lists uses such as triaging product feedback, resolving Slack support tickets, and automating weekly reports. The site offers a free signup and a pricing page.
Obsidian: Your Second Brain
Tool · obsidian.md · Issue #15
Obsidian is a note-taking app that stores notes as local Markdown files and links them into a personal wiki.
Summary
Obsidian is a note-taking app that stores notes as local Markdown files and links them into a personal wiki. Features include a graph view, an infinite canvas, thousands of community plugins, and an open API. Paid add-ons are Sync, which is end-to-end encrypted, and Publish, which turns notes into a website. The company says the app is free without limits.
40 One-Sentence Email Tips
Read · joshspector.com · Issue #14
Josh Spector lists 40 one-sentence tips for writing better emails and reducing email stress.
Summary
Josh Spector lists 40 one-sentence tips for writing better emails and reducing email stress. The core ideas are to send fewer emails, avoid instant replies, and keep messages short with a clear request. Other tips cover limiting CC and Reply All, using filters instead of labels, and creating templates for repeated messages.
Toby: Organize Browser Tabs and Saved Links
Tool · gettoby.com · Issue #3
Toby is a browser extension that turns open tabs and saved links into visual Spaces, one per project, team, or idea.
Summary
Toby is a browser extension that turns open tabs and saved links into visual Spaces, one per project, team, or idea. Users can save all open tabs at once, search across links and notes, and get suggested groups of related tabs. It works in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, with mobile apps and sync across devices. The page says it is free to try, with pricing on a separate page.
How Professionals Think and How They Differ From Amateurs
Read · fs.blog · Issue #1
Shane Parrish of Farnam Street argues that results depend mainly on mindset and approach.
Summary
Shane Parrish of Farnam Street argues that results depend mainly on mindset and approach. Amateurs set goals and focus on outcomes, while professionals build systems and focus on process. The article contrasts the two on consistency, growing rather than dividing the pie, seeking criticism, taking responsibility, and thinking long term.
Related reading paths
- Focus and stop procrastinating10
- Plan your days10
- Set goals that stick10
- Lead and manage people10
- Sleep better9
- Free online courses9