10 Deceptively Simple Productivity Tips

Free your brain for what you value most.

I’ve gathered these simple tips over thirty years of being a work-from-home graphic designer, educational publisher, and mother.

Some I’ve learned for myself via trial and error, others I’ve discovered and curated from people I admire.

Some of them free my brain to tackle the things I value more than the distraction that inevitably comes when I let them slip, others let me chip away at larger goals without setting aside extra time.

I hope you’ll find at least one that will make a difference for you, too.

Before we begin, remember:

There’s no point using squeezing a productivity hack into every spare minute if it means destroying your life-balance and sense of peace.

1. Automate daily actions

Automate things that must be done daily by outsourcing, or putting a habit in place that you can do without thinking. Here are some ideas:

• Plan tomorrow’s clothes in advance or wear the same clothes every day. I keep my total number of clothing items small, and make sure every piece goes with everything else. No planning needed: I just grab and go.
• Use automation software on your devices. I use Keyboard Maestro and Hazel on my Macs, and I have rules set up to process my Fastmail inbox.
• Develop the habit of putting things away after use, every time. Yes, this does indeed imply that you have previously designated a place for everything! Ahem. Decluttering at the Speed of Life is a gem of a book that’s helping me get there.

2. Keep inboxes small in number and easy to access

Email, task management software, notebook, calendar, physical mail — all are collection points, or inboxes. How many do you have? Reduce your total inboxes to the smallest possible number, and make them ridiculously easy to access.

Next you’ll want to make sure they don’t overflow, so process them a minimum of weekly. David Allen suggests looking at each item and deciding whether to Do, Defer, Delegate, or Delete.

3. Use waiting time wisely

Time spent waiting is an opportunity to do something to benefit your future self. Standing in line, waiting for a kettle to boil, on the phone, even cleaning your teeth — any dead time can be injected with micro tasks.

• Keep your body supple by doing basic stretches. I keep a half foam roller near the bathroom sink, and find myself doing calf stretches without even thinking about it while I’m getting ready for the day. I also like to squat with good form when loading and unloading the washer or dryer.
• Keep a mending basket and supplies in the car. I recommend buying (or making) socks and other clothing items that are worth mending.
• Have physical or digital flash cards to learn on the go. Stick them on the wall wherever you spend significant amounts of time.
• Close your eyes and count to 100 in your target language. As you say each number, visualise its symbol: say quinze, visualise 15. Counting stairs as you climb (un–deux–trois) and descend (dix–neuf–huit) is another way to reinforce a target language, but you should probably do that with your eyes open.

The benefits of small tasks done often, accumulate—especially when they’re automatic.

4. Centre yourself before starting work

Being focused and centred will help you do your best work and get it done faster, so take time to prepare yourself. Set your intention for the upcoming session, and meditate for up to 2 minutes before beginning.

Try interstitial journaling: a simple practice of recording notes, tasks, and time tracking. Stop work before you’re completely exhausted, and write a note to yourself as a thread to follow when you continue tomorrow. I use The Archive on my Mac for this, and feed notes to it via Drafts on my iPhone and iPad.

When I really need to concentrate and am having a hard time doing it, I put on my headphones and listen to iAwake Pro. Use whatever non-distracting audio sets your brain on the right track.

5. Keep important information at hand

Having to search for information like passwords, license or policy numbers, birth dates, clothing sizes, can waste time and cause frustration.

• Use a password manager (they’re not just for passwords).
• Learn a shorthand-type code to keep private information private. Not as complicated as it sounds—read how I did it, here.
• Keep a Commonplace Book, or Zettelkasten. I keep mine as a collection of plain text files, synced with Dropbox and available on all my devices.

6. Use your calendar effectively

• Set notifications in your digital calendar before important events. I’m not a fan of push notifications, but having an alert go off an hour before an important event allows my right brain to do its thing without worrying about missing something important.
• Check your calendar first thing in the morning, and when preparing your task list for the following day. I have a Keyboard Maestro script set up that shows me my calendar every time my computer wakes up. If you’re committed to an analog system, use a prominently placed daily schedule. Some people find post-it notes to be helpful reminders.
• Add buffer time into your plans: consciously schedule do-nothing time. There’s no point using squeezing a productivity hack into every spare minute if it means destroying your life-balance and sense of peace.

7. Learn from others

Take notes when you see others doing simple tasks in effective ways. Borrow ideas shamelessly, but remember that what works for them might not work in the same way for you.

Read self-help books, or have a service like Audible read them to you when you’re driving or doing other work that doesn’t need your full attention. Services like Readitforme (affiliate link: this is the one I use) and Blinkist offer key points and insights.

8. Make the most of meetings

• Ask permission to record meetings. Knowing that you don’t have to frantically scribble down notes will help you relax and be more fully present. On the iPad I recommend Notability for this, as it syncs the audio to the exact notes I was writing at any point in the recording.
• Consider standing or walking while holding meetings. Benefits: increased blood flow to the brain leads to greater concentration, better ideas, and shorter meetings.

9. Fail as quickly as possible

When testing a new idea, push it hard in every direction. If it’s going to fail, you need to find out as quickly as possible. You already know this, but I’ll say it anyway: failure isn’t personal. It doesn’t even exist if you’re still trying.

Eat rejection and spit it out as renewed determination to find the next thing to test. Experiment, learn, repeat.

10. Reduce distractions

• Keep a squirrel list: if cutting your toenails (or cleaning the grout, or checking email — again) seems more important than the work you know you should be doing, stop! — write the distraction down. Give yourself permission to do the things on the list once you’ve completed a full work session. It’s best to take a break every 25–60 minutes, even if it’s just to change position or get a drink. I learned this tip from my year 12 History teacher, Phil Stewart. Thanks, Phil.
• Unclutter your work environment physically, and digitally.
• Wear noise cancelling headphones. I work from home in an environment that often contains 5 other adults, and sometimes their friends. You get my point.
• Turn off push notifications. Unless there’s a life or death situation on the short-term horizon, you don’t need a digital finger tapping on your brain at random intervals.

Learn why you want to be productive

I haven’t mastered every part of these tips, but I have enough experience to tell you they will work as you work at them.

The following quote stands as a warning and is the most important lesson I’ve learned so far:

“You may get to the very top of the ladder, and then find it has not been leaning against the right wall.” — Allen Raine

Being productive is a worthy means, but not a fruitful end. Wanting to do a thing more efficiently is good, but when you strip everything external away, what drives you to keep on the path?

For tips like those you’ve just read to be truly meaningful rather than superficially helpful, you’ll first need to discover your deepest “why”. Take the time to reflect. Peel back the layers and look closely at the wall you’re climbing. If what’s at the top is where you want to be, keep going! If not, remember that it’s your ladder, and you’re free to change walls until you find the one that suits you best.