What are your secret productivity hacks?
Working and being productive aren’t the same thing.
We often sit in front of the laptop for hours, but between context switching, notifications, and tiny distractions.... we barely get real work done.
So I’m curious: what are your personal hacks for staying sharp and actually getting stuff done?
Here are 3 of mine:
– I use Cold Turkey Blocker to completely shut off distracting sites and apps. No mercy.
– My phone is on airplane mode for the first 4 hours of the workday. No notifications, no pings, just work.
– I always work on two screens one for action, one for reference. It makes a massive difference in speed and clarity.
What about you? What’s in your productivity toolbox?👇
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Sleep and power naps: I catch a good night's sleep. When I work for 30-45 minutes I take breaks that include naps inbetween. Refreshes my brain.
Using the MSCW (must to, should do, could do, wish/or won't do) principle to sort my task and to do list on Notion.
When I catch myself being much slower and being distracted, I know that I won't get any more productive so I just go off and do something else totally different.
I listen to books when I'm doing my laundry or cleaning stuff.
@mirabellemorah Oh, I really wish I could do the sleep thing, but I’ve long forgotten how. I used to do it, but it’s been many years since.
Otherwise, the MSCW formula is cool, but when I do it online I often lose focus.
Definitely, some really great tips!
Thanks for sharing, Alex! :)
I do have maybe one significant thing – to get up earlier and go to bed later. When I have a longer day, I can do more, but I am used to that from my lifestyle.
@busmark_w_nika This is something I always try to work on, but I never seem to get it right - my bedtime and wake-up routine. Any tips?
@byalexaiA good tip is to have it open so that the sun gets into your room sooner. – this has the best effect in summer since days are longer :D
@busmark_w_nika We sleep with the window open and without the blinds down, but it doesn’t help.
@byalexai In that case, I ran out of all good suggestions. You need to create a habit of sleeping less :D I do not have any better. :D
@bengeekly Nice!
Good luck with your launch! Can you share a link to your project?
@byalexai
For more context: I want to experiment directories, so I will launch a directory every two weeks. Then might build a tool to do that.
Next week it will be https://wlabelist.com/ even if the link is public, it's completely work in progress.
@bengeekly How do you plan to drive traffic to your directories?
@byalexai
I'm trying to figure it out by doing it here, so I'm experimenting here, and soon on Reddit and community websites.
The whole concept of launching directories every two weeks came out as a solution to practice and learn how to bring traffic.
Feel free to give me any advice on that topic. By the way, I checked your upcoming product. Do you think it can work for directories? If yes, would you recommend creating social media for these directories or starting as a content creator for that?
@Raycast.
@fmerian great recommendation!
CocaCola after lunch - you know that moment after lunch when you feel really unproductive and need a nap? I drink Cocacola (this is not an ad) and it brings me back to 100%
@borja_diazroig Cool. I haven’t thought of that, but why not, if it works.
IXORD
A good tool for this is prioritization; in such situations, you can always guarantee that the important tasks will be completed on time. There are many productivity tools, and one could talk about them for hours. It depends on whether a particular tool suits you or not. I was at a meeting with a person who remembered all the information even though he had quite a lot of tasks. Yet, he managed to get everything done
@ixord what do you mean by "good tool for this is prioritization"
IXORD
@byalexai I mean the tool not in the form of a product, but in the form of the fact that we can make priorities for tasks using it as a tool.
I’ve tried a bunch of focus apps, but as a world-class procrastinator, I’d just walk away from my laptop and let the timer keep running. Blocking external distractions is only half of my battle--internal ones are worse. My inner critic is relentless, and most days I end up frozen or second-guessing everything I write.
Here’s what’s helped me:
I turn on the color filter on my iPhone and set it to blood red. Makes the phone unbearable to look at. Works great. I try to leave this on even when I'm not working.
I built a Mac app called Creative Command. It locks you into a focus session and pauses the timer when you go idle. It pauses when I stop, which means I can’t pretend staring at the screen counts. It also forces me to actively engage, which, for once, shuts up my inner saboteur.
Still testing, still tweaking, but curious what other people use to stay sharp when focus gets hard.
If you're interested in trying Creative Command you can find it in the App Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/creative-command/id6695729147?mt=12
@bode_pickman This is super cool. Really. Sometimes I realize how overwhelmed I am by technology, and what you're saying sounds really awesome and useful.
@byalexai Thanks, that really means a lot. I get that feeling too. It’s so easy to get buried under all the digital noise, and the mental kind, too. We built this to shut some of that down and make space to just… start. Presence over perfection, every time.
Eternal AI
Might be an uncommon tip, but Whisperer.
Whenever I hit a hard spot in my code, I'll head to a quiet corner. I whisper my code aloud. Yeah I know it sounds a bit weird :)
It works (at least for me) because of a few reasons:
Whispering helps me catch little syntax errors that my eyes might overlook. Small mistakes stand out more clearly.
When I whisper, I can’t rush through it. I have to slow down and focus on each line, which helps me spot issues I might skip over.
It’s almost like I’m talking to the code, guiding it into right solutions
Calms me down, like a mini meditation
Give it a go when you're stucked!
@sig_eternal Yes. Dictating instead of typing is a great way to save time and also give your fingers a rest. I also love not typing, but dictating.
For my own usage i have personalized products for browser extensions, as i have using more frequently to become familiar with varied tools in Extensions 101, 5 months ago, this has improved my operational efficiency with my 3 EAs controlling 7 ventures altogether remotely.
@ajay27324 how did you come with this idea
@byalexai 5 months back, i came across this tool from product hunt, i also shared it with my Assistants for being productive on real time and operational purposes.
Start the day with 1 hour of yoga or meditation. During work break every 10 mins after intense 45-50 min work. I drink 2L of water minimum and take power naps when tired. Avoid meetings on Monday until it is urgent. Before hitting sleep, plan for the next day. At the end, i try to make 1% progress every day
@rameshkumar_astravue what type of joga?
@byalexai Hatha yoga
Dereference
I'm surprised no one mentioned the importance of timeboxing and the Pomodoro Technique for focused work sessions. By dedicating 25 minutes to uninterrupted work, followed by a 5-minute break, you can significantly increase productivity and reduce mental fatigue. This technique has been a game-changer for me, especially when paired with a minimalistic browser setup.
I’d rather have two ultra-clear, useful hours than eight distracted ones. So I give myself one input: what decision needs clarity today?
If I get that one thing clear, I’ve done real work.
@a11yexpert can you do it or it's impossible to achieve two ultra-clear useful hours?
Most productivity advice treats time as the main resource. But energy is the real constraint.
I track what kind of work I do best at different times—thinking in the morning, collaboration after lunch, admin at night. Then I structure my calendar to match. It sounds simple, but aligning work to energy beats often any app or blocker. That;s my expereince though.
@a11yexpert any apps/tools you're using?
I've been training chat GPT to be my executive / productivity coach... to some success. But still not the same level of accountability and commitment that I would have were I working with a real person.
@marcelo_e_cardoso what's the main issue?
@byalexai Honestly it's my personality type— I'm much more productive when I'm externally accountable to real teams, partners, coaches, etc. While chat gpt coach has been amazing at helping me prioritize, think through goals, plan schedule, etc— it hasn't been able to hold me accountable the way I am with real people. I guess I'm only human ;)
@marcelo_e_cardoso you're not alone. Plenty of people are mentioning this.
You’ve said it so well working and being productive are definitely not the same!
Most people try to make time to sleep… but honestly, I feel like I’ve forgotten how to sleep 😅
That said, I manage my day with a well-organized calendar every task, call, and break is scheduled. I stick to it as much as I can, and by the time the day ends, I shut everything down and finally get some rest. That’s my simple hack. No fancy tools just discipline and a calendar that keeps me sane.