I often voice that we’re being bombarded with more information than ever and that that is detrimental to our focus. That might seem paradoxical given that myself and other knowledge workers happily spend 8 hours+ a day inside of this data downpour. But, that becomes manageable when you can take matters into your own hands and design an environment that works for you. Of course the underlying healthy strategies and habits are important to nail. And, I certainly will write more about that in the future. But for now, I'll start with the killer apps that help me gain control and stay focused.
Disclaimer:
- Many of these tools are Mac (Apple) only, but a quick google search will likely guarantee a similar product. If you can’t find one, send me a message and I’ll help you have a look.
- Of all the tools I am only affiliated with Notion. I've been an avid user for years, and therefore participate in their referral program. If you sign up for a team plan, Notion will payout a % towards me.
The core of your workspace
Security (NordVPN)
You need a VPN if you’re using public WiFi. Everything you do online can be logged and traced without it. I use Nord VPN.
Task and notes management (Notion and Todoist)
I use Notion (free) for the majority of my documentation and task management. It’s great to keep everything organized, actionable and easily accessible. The only thing I supplement Notion with is Todoist.
Todoist is also free and has the advantage of being convenient to access across multiple devices. It allows for clear due date/deadline management. I, therefore, use it for my time-sensitive reminders and “tiny tasks” (tasks that take under 2 minutes to complete). Bottom-line: Notion is for the important non-urgent work and Todoist is for the urgent.
Communications hub (StackBrowser)
I hate notifications and I hate an overly full browser. That’s why I use a separate specialized browser to bundle my communication channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail, Slack, etc.). I use (the legacy version) of StackBrowser. It provides notifications that roll up into one badge for the whole app. And you can comfortably swipe through apps horizontally. I love it. A good alternative is biscuit.
Scheduling & Calendar (Google Calendar & Cron)
The only requirement your calendar app must have is that it works all the time without any delays in syncing. That’s why I prefer using the native calendar of whatever account I’m using. Currently, that’s Google Calendar for me. I make sure to create an extra tile on my home screen for it as I don’t want to have it in my browser.
I’m transitioning to a nice up-and-coming calendar app called Cron (you log in via google calendar). I still have some invites for early access left if you’d like to give it a try (send me a message). One of the nice things about Cron is that you can see upcoming events to auto-join in the top bar. Bardeen offers similar functionality.
Screentime restriction (Freedom.so)
Muscle memory is when you drop your focus and start automatically and unknowningly doing other things. You've probably caught yourself doing it before. I often find myself scrolling or opening up random websites when my attention dwindles. To stop this and ensure you don’t go down a rabbit hole you can use an app like Freedom. Freedom lets you entirely block websites from all your devices at varying time-intervals. These are all the blocks I have set up:
Freedom offers a free trial — which I suggest you try out. If you’re like me, you’ll notice how much time you’re saving and warrant the small purchase of only around 3 usd/eu a month.
Sidenote:
I’m using other apps like iOS Screen Time and “Delay start”, but I don’t notice enough benefits to recommend them.
Copy/paste management (Maccy.app)
This might blow your mind, but there are quite a few apps nowadays that revolutionise how something as simple as copy-paste works. They store whatever you’ve copied in temporary memory so that you can paste the last 5,10,20 things you have previously copied. It’s awesome. I use Maccy which is only 10 bucks and works like a charm.
Quality of life add-ons
Window management (Rectangle)
To easily drag and resize multiple windows on your screen there are a couple of apps you can use. My favorite is Rectangle. It’s simple, open source and free.
Cleaner (CleanMyMac)
CleanMyMac is a great tool to keep your mac running properly. Especially helpful for pros who (ab)use their MacBooks a lot. It’s a very nicely designed app and they have a free version as well.
Screenshot tools
It’s so much easier to show someone what’s going on, rather than just telling them. For that reason I use multiple screenshot apps:
- Lightshot (free) — for quick and easy screenshots with annotation and drawing abilities
- CleanshotX — Lightshot but a LOT fancier and paid
- Xnapper — Specifically meant to make screenshots instantly look like sexy mock-ups. All of the screenshots in this post are made with Xnapper.
Browser-tab management
I’m not sold on this yet. I haven’t seen it done very well yet, and I believe next-gen browsers are right around the corner. But, when I see how crazy most people’s tab windows are, I can already recommend trying to split your browsers into different workspaces using a tool like Workona.
Found it helpful?
This post has been a rewrite of my weekly do-it newsletter. Each Sunday I send out a new edition with practical insights and tips on how to be more effective. Subscribe here for free: edwindoit.substack.com
Popular past editions:
