I Tried 137 Productivity Tools. These Are The Best.
TLDRIn this video, the creator shares his top productivity tools after testing 137 different apps and tech gadgets. He discusses his morning routine, including tracking his weight, journaling, and using a to-do list app. He emphasizes the importance of a physical notebook and pen for his productivity. Throughout the day, he uses various apps like Ulysses for writing, Notion for organizing work, and therapy for mental health. He also highlights the benefits of changing work locations and reducing friction for desired activities. The video provides a detailed look into the tech and methods that help him stay productive and manage his business efficiently.
Takeaways
- 🌞 Start the day with health tracking using Wi-Fi-enabled smart scales to monitor weight changes over time.
- ☕️ Brew a cup of coffee with a Clever Dripper, a tech item that enhances the coffee-making experience.
- 📔 Maintain a physical journal for morning pages, a technique from 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron to clear the mind and generate ideas.
- 📱 Utilize Things 3 as a to-do list app to plan the day, distinguishing between a to-do list and a today list for simplicity.
- 🏃♂️ Incorporate a quick five-minute step in the morning routine to set daily goals and review calendar events.
- ✍️ Rely on a trusty pen and paper notebook, which is a consistently used productivity tool that levels up productivity.
- 📍 Change up work locations, like coffee shops or restaurants, to make work feel more like play and boost creativity.
- 🎒 Use a minimalistic bag like the Peak Design 6-liter sling for easy transportation of essential items like an iPad and journal.
- 🧘♂️ Engage in therapy to understand emotions and limiting beliefs, which can significantly improve productivity and life quality.
- 📱 Leverage apps like Ulysses for writing and Notion for organizing work, using their features to track progress and maintain focus.
Q & A
What is the first activity the speaker does after waking up?
-The first activity the speaker does after waking up is going to the bathroom, doing a little Wii, and then weighing themselves on their Withings smart scales.
How does the speaker describe the benefits of using the Clever Dripper for making coffee?
-The speaker describes the Clever Dripper as a very nice way to make filter coffee, implying that it provides a quality coffee-making experience and possibly a more controlled brewing process.
What is the purpose of the 'morning pages' technique according to the speaker?
-The purpose of the 'morning pages' technique is to clear the mind of any thoughts and errant things, and it also helps the speaker come up with interesting ideas for their business and life.
How does the speaker organize their to-do list using Things 3?
-The speaker organizes their to-do list using Things 3 by having a 'today list' for immediate tasks and an 'anytime list' for ongoing tasks, but they focus mainly on the 'today list' to keep things simple and prioritize the current day's tasks.
What role does changing the work location play in the speaker's productivity?
-Changing the work location plays a significant role in the speaker's productivity as it makes work feel more like play, which helps maintain motivation and engagement in their tasks.
What writing tool does the speaker prefer for drafting their work?
-The speaker prefers Ulysses, a minimalistic markdown-based writing app, for drafting their work, including emails, newsletters, book projects, and video planning.
How has therapy impacted the speaker's productivity?
-Therapy has been game-changing for the speaker, helping them understand their own emotions and limiting beliefs, which in turn has positively affected their productivity and overall life.
What is the speaker's approach to email management with Superhuman?
-The speaker uses Superhuman, which is known for its speed and keyboard shortcuts, to manage their emails. They can get through their inbox about twice as fast as with previous tools, and also browse through newsletters to stay informed.
How does the speaker utilize the treadmill under their desk?
-The speaker uses the treadmill under their desk while working, playing games, or during meetings, as a way to stay active and reduce the friction of incorporating more physical activity into their daily routine.
What is the speaker's method for tracking their time across different platforms?
-The speaker uses Rice, an automatic time tracking app, to track their time across different platforms. It figures out what app or active window they are using and logs the time spent on each task.
How does the speaker's use of Google Drive and Workspace contribute to their productivity?
-The speaker uses Google Drive and Workspace for storing and sharing large amounts of data, managing email addresses, and collaborating with their team. They have used 75 terabytes out of the shared 115 terabytes, indicating extensive use for their productivity needs.
Outlines
🌞 Morning Productivity Routine
The speaker discusses their morning productivity routine, starting with bathroom activities, using Withings smart scales to track weight, and brewing coffee with a clever dripper. They then write morning pages in a physical journal, a technique from Julia Cameron's 'The Artist's Way', to clear their mind and generate ideas. The speaker uses the app Things 3 for daily task management, emphasizing the importance of a to-do list and a today list. They share their home screen setup on iOS, which includes a calendar and Things widgets. The speaker also mentions the value of pen and paper in their productivity toolkit.
📚 Writing and Location Changing
The speaker's morning routine may involve writing or filming content. They take their journal and 11-inch iPad Pro to a local coffee shop or restaurant, emphasizing the productivity benefits of changing work locations. The speaker mentions their upcoming book 'Feel Good Productivity' and how changing locations makes work feel more like play. They use the Peak Design 6-liter sling bag to carry their essentials and discuss the importance of reducing friction for activities they want to do more often. The speaker's writing tool of choice is Ulysses, a markdown-based writing app, where they track their daily word count and draft various projects.
🧘 Therapy and Afternoon Productivity
The speaker talks about their recent experience with therapy, facilitated by BetterHelp, an online platform that connects users with therapists. They discuss the benefits of therapy in understanding emotions and limiting beliefs that affect productivity. The speaker promotes BetterHelp's services and offers a discount for viewers. After writing, the speaker returns home to work at their desk, using focused music from YouTube for ambiance. They use Superhuman for email management, valuing its speed and keyboard shortcuts. The speaker also mentions their use of Notion for writing, planning, and organizing their work, including content calendars and company objectives.
🏃♂️ Physical Activity and Evening Routine
The speaker discusses the importance of physical activity in their productivity, using a treadmill desk for daily use and sharing their statistics. They also mention using a mechanical keyboard and time-tracking app Toggl, which they have invested in due to its effectiveness. The speaker's filming setup includes multiple camera angles and audio equipment, emphasizing the efficiency of their video creation process. They use Google Drive and Workspace for storage and communication. The speaker also shares their habit of using the app Reader for reading articles during downtime and jotting down ideas in Apple Notes. They discuss the benefits of walking for idea generation and use the app Otto for voice recording and transcription.
🌙 General Work and Nighttime Relaxation
The speaker describes their general work activities, including communication with their team through Slack and Loom, and using specific apps to manage their business. On workout days, they use the fitness app Trainerize and Strong to track their exercises and ensure progressive overload. After work, the speaker may socialize over meals, opting to walk or use public transport. They use the app Day One for journaling during commutes and wind down with an Amazon Echo playing relaxing music. The speaker stretches before bed, if needed, and reads on their Kindle before sleep.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Productivity Tools
💡Morning Pages
💡Things 3
💡Ulysses
💡Notion
💡BetterHelp
💡Superhuman
💡Treadmill Desk
💡Rise
💡Google Drive
💡Fitness App
Highlights
The speaker has tried an enormous number of productivity apps and tools over the last 15 years.
Withings smart scales are Wi-Fi enabled and sync with Apple Health Kit for weight tracking over time.
The Clever Dripper is a recommended tech item for making filter coffee.
Morning Pages, a technique from Julia Cameron's book 'The Artist's Way', involves writing three pages of stream of consciousness.
Things 3 is used as a to-do list app with separate lists for today and anytime.
Changing work locations, like coffee shops or restaurants, can make work feel more like play and increase productivity.
The Peak Design 6 Liter sling is a simple yet effective bag for carrying essential productivity tools.
Reducing friction for activities you want to do more of in life helps build habits more easily.
Ulysses is a minimalistic markdown-based writing app that tracks daily word count.
Therapy, specifically with BetterHelp, has been game-changing for understanding emotions and limiting beliefs.
Superhuman is a fast email navigation tool with keyboard shortcuts that increase efficiency.
Notion is used for comprehensive organization, including content calendars, company objectives, and project tracking.
Standing desks and treadmills underneath can improve productivity and health.
Rize ( formerly known as Toggl) is an automatic time tracking app that helps understand how time is spent during the day.
Filming videos efficiently involves multiple camera angles and equipment like the ATEM Mini Pro camera switcher.
Google Drive and Workspace are used for storage and team communication, with a significant amount of space utilized.
Reader is an RSS feed aggregator that curates articles for focused reading during downtime.
Walking is an underrated productivity tool that recharges energy and often leads to the generation of new ideas.
Apple Notes is the go-to app for quick note-taking and idea jotting.
Otto (Auto.ai) is an AI-enabled voice recording and transcription app that helps capture ideas on the go.
Slack and Loom are used for efficient team communication, reducing the need for time-consuming meetings.
Fitness apps like Trainerize and Strong are used for workout tracking and progressive overload.
Day One is the preferred journaling app for capturing thoughts, feelings, and business ideas over time.
Relaxing music and meditation, along with physical stretches, are part of the speaker's evening wind-down routine.
