One hack that’s been a game-changer for me: Pre-scheduling mundane tasks like bill payments, meal planning, and even workout reminders using apps like Notion or Google Calendar. It frees up mental space and keeps me on track.

What’s your favorite time-saving hack? Let’s share ideas!

As Firefox is by far my most used app, I find that bookmarking the current tab and describing the task with no more than a few words or even as little as a few chars, to be a good way to keep track of what things I need to do soon. For things I would get to later or whenever I feel like it, I'll put them in Firefox's "Boookmarks Menu" or "Other Bookmarks" folders, and have lots of folders consisting of Reddit posts and searches about different topics.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/15539386

Thought I'd share this i recently came across, while not strictly a game per se - its still on steam and might be a nice find for people into these sorts of productivity apps. Game is made by an original lofi artist called Blue Turtle, who makes some really good and relaxing lofi mixes.

Ithya: Magic Study is a cozy background app combined with productivity tools. Customize your room and relax with lofi or fantasy playlists in beautiful, hand-drawn environments. Perfect for a focused or creative session in a magical world.

Here's some features:

• no ads
• offline, no loading time
• new music and art
• included timer, task list
• endless loop
• can choose the weather to fit your mood
• gamification (capture Elementals and personalize your room)

It will be released at the beginning of 2025!

What are you using right now? and What's the one thing you like and don't like about it?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10216050

Feel free to give it a spin and add any feature requests on github!

Do you feel that you were most productive during your school exams as a student?

Well I do. The uninterrupted focus with time pressure and the "5 minutes left!" echo in the exam hall always pushed me to dish out that one more answer.

That's why I created Dojon (https://dojon.co), a fun weekend project I originally made for myself to improve my productivity for work. It's free and I wanted to share just in case others find it useful too.

It's a productivity web app beyond an average pomodoro timer with the following additional features:

Challenge yourself to complete your work and stop the timer before the time runs out. Only then, it is a successful session.

No pause button like an exam (you don't waste time going to the toilet, do you?)

One midpoint reminder and one 5 mins-left reminder to keep your pace up.

More than just a timer, Dojon also comes with the following capabilities to optimize your productivity:

Track your work history and review when and how long you have been working.

Track your positive habits and improve your self-discipline.

"Sets" feature which starts work and rest sessions automatically like HIIT

A lot of other features in the pipeline but please feel free to use and let me know if you have any feedback!

I like the idea of Hey.com but honestly, I struggle with the idea of paying $100/year and I've had my Gmail since 2005. It's almost like an archive of my life.

Are there any systems, apps, or something similar to Hey that don't require me to leave Gmail? I know I could do Gmail forwarding within Hey but thought I'd just poke around first.

I found this extension called Manganum, it basically adds an improved new tab and a sidebar with a bunch of features to chrome, is there anything similar for Firefox?

https://manganum.app/

Stoicism is a philosophy that originated in ancient Greece and has been practiced for centuries. It teaches us how to live a good life by focusing on what we can control and accepting what we cannot. This can be a helpful philosophy for productivity-oriented people, as it can help us to stay focused on our goals, manage our emotions, and deal with setbacks.

Some of the core principles of Stoicism include:

The dichotomy of control: This principle teaches us to distinguish between things that we can control and things that we cannot. We can only control our own thoughts, emotions, and actions, so it is important to focus on these things and not worry about things that are outside of our control.

Accepting the present moment: Stoics believe that we should accept the present moment, even if it is not what we want. This does not mean that we have to like everything that happens to us, but it does mean that we should not dwell on the past or worry about the future.

Detaching from material possessions: Stoics believe that material possessions are not important and that we should not attach our happiness to them. This can be helpful for productivity-oriented people, as it can help us to focus on our work and not get distracted by our possessions.

Practicing virtue: Stoics believe that the goal of life is to live a virtuous life. This means living a life that is in accordance with reason and that is beneficial to others. Practicing virtue can help us to become more productive, as it can give us a sense of purpose and motivation.

Some of the main authors or philosophers of Stoicism include:

Zeno of Citium: Zeno is considered to be the founder of Stoicism. He was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 3rd century BC.

Epictetus: Epictetus was a Roman slave who became a Stoic philosopher. He was a popular teacher and his teachings were later recorded by his student, Arrian.

Marcus Aurelius: Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor who was also a Stoic philosopher. He wrote a series of personal essays called the Meditations, which are still read today.

Why Stoicism might interest you:

Stoicism can be a helpful philosophy for productivity-oriented people for a number of reasons.

First, it can help us to stay focused on our goals. Stoics believe that we should focus on what we can control, which includes our thoughts, emotions, and actions. This can help us to stay on track and avoid distractions.

Second, Stoicism can help us to manage our emotions. Stoics believe that we should not let our emotions control us. This can be helpful for productivity-oriented people, as it can help us to stay calm and focused under pressure.

Third, Stoicism can help us to deal with setbacks. Stoics believe that setbacks are a part of life and that we should not let them discourage us. This can be helpful for productivity-oriented people, as it can help us to bounce back from failures and keep moving forward.

While I am not a full practitioner of stoicism I have borrowed some of the principles in my daily life. What is one of your favorite principles or philosophies that you follow?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2869129

In the gaming world, there are "speedruns" which may attempt to make use of glitches or advantages in games to be able to complete them quicker.

So it seems possible that in a similar way, we might try to find glitches or advantages in life to be able to accomplish things quicker.

What are some of your top "life hacks" to "speedrun" through certain things in life?

How could the concept of "speedrunning" be applied to life, and where shouldn't it be applied?

If you search on a search engine for "no goals" or "life without goals" you get some sites that emphasize the importance of setting and achieving goals, but there are some other voices who say that setting goals is often an issue for them, so they try to live without goals.

Some of the problems they indicate are that goals often end up being achieved differently or on a different schedule, so it seems pointless to set goals, or they can get things done without making it in to a "goal".

I was curious if you've seen this philosophy and experimented with it: what are your opinions on "living without goals"?

As you may know, Evernote has been struggling in recent years. The company was sold to a Milan-based developer called Bending Spoons, which laid off 129 employees. More recently, it was announced that Bending Spoons would be abandoning its U.S. operations almost entirely, shifting Evernote development to Europe.

This news has left many Evernote users wondering what the future holds for the app. Some are concerned that Evernote may no longer be able to provide the same level of service, while others are worried about the security of their notes.

If you're looking for an alternative to Evernote that will help you stay productive, here are 4 great options to consider:

Notion: Notion is a powerful note-taking app that allows you to create and organize your notes in a variety of ways. It also has a built-in wiki, kanban board, and calendar.

Obsidian is a more lightweight note-taking app that is focused on flexibility and customizability. It uses a graph database to store your notes, which makes it easy to find and connect related information.

Remnote: Remnote is a new note-taking app that is designed to be easy to use and efficient. It uses a spaced repetition system to help you remember your notes, and it also has a built-in collaboration feature.

Bear: Bear is a minimalist note-taking app that is known for its beautiful interface and powerful search features. It's a great option for users who want a simple and distraction-free way to take notes.

If security is your most important need then Obsidian and Bear might be the best choice for you.

So if you're feeling concerned about the future of Evernote, I encourage you to check out one of these alternatives.

Closing:

Let me know if you have any questions about these apps. I have used all but Remnote (thinking of exploring it so this is why I added it to the post).

TL;DR: Evernote is struggling, so here are 4 great alternatives for productivity: Notion, Obsidian, Remnote, and Bear.

I hope this helps!

We use Google Docs in my company for all of our documentation, notes, etc. I don't hate it. It's come a long way.

Personally, I've jumped around way too many note taking apps and I'm currently using Notion (until Anytype gets a little more mature).

Half the time, I start a note in my personal tool and then copy and paste it into a Google Doc so I can share and collaborate. I'm not going to get the entire organization to move over to whatever tool I want.

My biggest problem with Google Docs is that it's organized into directories with the rest of GDrive. I really want to be able to organize it like notebooks in most note taking app. Where I can have a hierarchy and relationships. Notes on a project might be in a directory with 25 other files and I don't want to see all of that. I spend a lot of time hunting for the note I need in the hundreds of Google Drive folders.

I messed around with Rainbdrop.io which is a bookmark manager and gets me close to what I want but it's pretty slow. Anyone have any novel ways to organize Google Docs?

Please message me if you're interested. This community would focus more on planning out bigger life goals rather than day-to-day goals.

Found this really good article on debunking common productivity myths.

Really liked the section about motivation being finite or not and the differences in beliefs regarding this.

Is there any myth that you still believe it’s true?

Why recurrent tasks don't work for me

• I perceive they have control over me; I feel like I am being told what to do (even if it is my past self)
• I feel remorse for breaking the chain and it is not converted into more motivation to perform better from now on
• Repetitive dismissals or delays of the task have a good chance to turn into a negative habit
• At the point of actually doing them, something else with higher priority arises
• At the point of actually doing them, they are no longer relevant to my objectives or need contextual changes

The Effectiveness of Planning Each Task Individually

Instead, planning each task individually (including repetitive ones) is a much more effective technique in bringing me closer to my objectives than recurrent tasks, despite the time inefficiency due to creation of tasks that could have been created automatically. The secret is in intentionality and relevance.

The Effectiveness of Planning Each Task Individually

With manual task creation I feel in control over the task board and over my life, as my self from 24 hours ago - the one who created the tasks, is much more alike to my current self - the one who executes the tasks. Arguably they are one and the same, therefore I don't have the feeling of being told what to do.

The Effectiveness of Planning Each Task Individually

Manual task creation doesn't have any strike chain, other than sitting down to plan the day, which ideally should be done every day. If I miss out a day of task management, that is the only loss I am going to face; there won't be any strike to feel sorry for. And no, I don't need to create a recurrent task to sit down and plan the day. That should be my innermost ambition.

The Key Role of Intentionality

Intentionality plays the key role in manual task creation, because I am always aware about creating the tasks, their details, their timeframe. I wouldn't create the task if I wouldn't commit to do it, right? So I commit to doing it and because of the short timeframe between creating the task and the moment of doing it, sometimes I benefit from the initial motivation I have when creating the task. This way it will be easier for me to get started. Therefore, I won't make a habit out of breaking my own commitments by not doing the tasks due to lack of motivation.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Manual task creation is always flexible with unpredictable events. If something else more important arises, I just do that urgent thing and I don't bother creating the task for the less important thing. Or if it's already created, I just cancel it.

Flexibility and Adaptability

When I create tasks I am up to date with my current needs and objectives as well as the current context. I will create a precise and relevant task for what I need to do in particular and I won't need to edit some "reusable" task template.

To conclude

Planning each task individually through manual creation has proven to be a more effective approach for me compared to recurrent tasks. It allows me to feel in control, maintain relevance, and foster intentionality. Manual task creation provides flexibility, adaptability, and a sense of ownership, leading to optimized productivity and goal achievement.

What's the secret here?

Now that new communities have appeared on Lemmy what are some of them that you found that helped your productivity increase.

Share a link and tell us why.

I recently found myself reflecting on a TED Talk that caught my attention years ago. The central premise of the talk was the psychological benefits of attributing events in our lives to external factors such as fate, muses, or other influences.

Let’s consider this: when a situation doesn’t pan out as hoped, understanding that not everything was within our control can alleviate stress. It places things into perspective and prevents us from shouldering the entire burden. This acknowledgment is not about shirking responsibility, but rather recognizing the interplay of various factors in outcomes.

Conversely, when we achieve success, acknowledging that external elements might have contributed to it can foster humility. It helps to realize that success is often a confluence of effort, timing, and sometimes a dash of good fortune.

Now, society often emphasizes the importance of control. We’re told to take the reins and be the masters of our destiny. While taking initiative and exercising control are important, it's equally essential to recognize that many elements lie beyond our grasp.

In a practical sense, acknowledging the role of randomness, chance, or even providence, does not diminish our achievements or failures. Instead, it provides a balanced view that can be beneficial in both personal and professional spheres.

I find this perspective to be grounding. It encourages a realistic and pragmatic approach to life’s ups and downs.

I’d be keen to hear your thoughts on this. Have you ever experienced a moment where attributing an outcome to external factors has been constructive? Let’s have a candid and meaningful discussion.

PS: If anyone can track down the TED Talk in question, I’d be grateful if you’d share it in the comments.

• Are you replacing Reddit with Lemmy?
• Have you discovered new found powers of concentration now that you took a break?

Tell your story in the comments.

What is your one life-changing productivity tip that kicked your efficiency into high gear? It could be anything – a mindset shift, a nifty tool, or even a morning ritual!

My tip: Consistency. Whatever you do repeatedly every day is the thing that brings the most impact in the long term to your life.

Now it's your turn! Drop your pearls of wisdom below, and let's make this thread a treasure trove of productivity nuggets. 💡

This is a niche-solution based on the well-known todo.txt, for the more technically capable user. I mainly just wrote it for myself but maybe others can find use for it too (it's fully open source).

Hello, fellow productivity enthusiasts!👋

Allow me to introduce you to an app that's been making waves in the world of task management and productivity: Sunsama. 🌅

🎯What is Sunsama?

Sunsama is an all-in-one daily planner and task manager designed to help professionals, students, and just about anyone to organize their work, goals, and daily routines efficiently. Imagine if Trello and Google Calendar had a baby that was raised by Asana, that’s Sunsama for you!

🔥Key Features:

• Daily Planning: Organize your to-dos, meetings, and priorities in a single daily view. Integration Wizardry: Seamlessly integrate with apps like Google Calendar, Asana, Trello, Jira, and Slack.
• Focus Sessions: Engage in deep work by setting focus timers directly from your task list.
• Collaboration: Share your priorities and coordinate with teammates, or just cheer each other on!
• Reflection: Reflect on your accomplishments and setbacks with built-in journaling prompts.
• Customizable Workflow: Adapt Sunsama to fit your needs, whether you're a fan of GTD, Kanban, or any other productivity method.

⚡️Why Try Sunsama?

In a sea of productivity apps, Sunsama stands out due to its unification of calendar management and task management. It’s as if it creates a bridge between your daily agenda and the tasks you need to accomplish.

💔My Love-Hate Relationship With Sunsama💕

My relationship with Sunsama is a bit love-hate. When I use it, it takes some extra time to set everything up, but my life becomes so much smoother and organized. When I give it a break thinking I can manage without it, life seems easier for a brief moment. But soon enough, everything spirals into chaos, and I remember why I need to use Sunsama.

💸Pricing:

Sunsama offers a free trial so you can take it for a spin. If you fall in love, there are monthly and annual subscription options.

🤔Conclusion

Are you juggling between multiple apps and sticky notes? Give Sunsama a try and bring all your daily planning under one roof. Whether you're tackling a passion project or climbing the corporate ladder, Sunsama might just be the guiding light you need.

Happy Planning! 📝🚀

#Sunsama #Productivity #TaskManagement #DailyPlanner