[Read bolded words to skim]

Below are a bunch of tips, systems, and devices for improving productivity. I don't mean to claim I know a lot about productivity—I think there is likely a lot of useful advice I am missing. If you are new to thinking about productivity, a lot of this stuff might be useful, though it is probably better to instead aim for the mindset that can generate these tips and habits for yourself. For this, I recommend attending a Center for Applied Rationality workshop, reading the CFAR handbook, checking out Neel Nanda's blog, and/or reading Rationality: A to Z (podcast form here).

My recommendations are in very rough order of how much I recommend them, based on how excited I am/would expect someone else to be to know about the tip (my top recommendation being Things 3 + Apple Watch). Though I didn't try that hard to order things in this way.

Table of Contents

TODO List: Things 3 + Apple Watch
Computer Restrictions: Cold Turkey
Sleep: Tips
Exercise: Tips
Phone Restrictions: ScreenTime or Freedom
Reading list: Instapaper
Device: Computer Monitor
Internet speed: Ethernet cable and good internet service
Device: Mouse
Miscellaneous tips
Tracking device usage: RescueTime or Toggl or Forest
Useful programs/apps/sites
Useful browser extensions
Device: MacBook (borrow first)
Password Manager: Dashlane (free for Stanford) or NordPass (free?)
Other products

TODO List: Things 3 + Apple Watch

Things 3 (ETA: Mac required, making me recommend a Mac more than I would otherwise)
- Can add todos, blog post ideas, projects ideas, any other useful notes from my apple watch with my voice very easily through my watch (takes two watch screen taps)
- On the computer, can add stuff to your todo list with a keyboard shortcut from any app
  - E.g. when reading an email, I can press ctrl + space, and this pops up in the middle of my screen. There is even a hyperlink to the email in the description of the todo
- Move TODOs to specific dates in the future such that they appear in your inbox on that date
  - I use this at least once per week, surprisingly useful
  - Useful for things like things you want to apply to but the application doesn't open for months, people you want to reach out to when traveling to a new place, bumping an important email after a week if there is no reply, etc
- Have lists for things other than todos
  - Mistakes or bugs
  - Blog post ideas
  - Project ideas
  - People to talk to
  - Things to learn
  - "Someday" todos
Apple Watch (ETA: iPhone required, making me recommend an iPhone more than I would otherwise)
- Be reminded of all calendar events with wrist buzz
- Add to-dos, blog post ideas, project ideas, etc. easily with voice
- See to-do list from watch
- See the time
- Easy access timer
  - Laundry timer
  - Time blocking tasks
- Music/podcasts/books on the go, during exercise

Computer restrictions: Cold Turkey

You can create "Blocks" which are sets of websites and programs to block
For each block, you can create a schedule
For each block, you can create a system for turning off the block
- Default — just turn it off
- Password
- Type in N random characters
  - Surprisingly effective, allows you to create barriers of variable lengths to accessing certain websites and programs
My computer blocks (ask me and I can email you an importable file)
- Communications Block (5 random chars, usually unlocked)
  - Facebook Messenger app and site
  - Mail app
  - Slack app and site
  - iMessage app
- Distractions (20 random chars, usually unlocked)
  - EA Forum
  - LessWrong
  - Other blogs
  - All social media
  - FB messenger and messenger.com
  - Wikipedia
  - slack app and slack.com
  - iMessage
  - youtube and games
  - discord app and discord.com
- EA Forum and LessWrong (10 random chars, unlock ~once per week)
  - EA forum
  - Lesswrong
- Facebook (unlocked 7-10 am, 10 random chars)
  - Facebook
- Youtube and Games (250 random chars)
  - Youtube
  - Addicting Games
  - Sudoku
  - Chess
  - Skyrim
  - Minecraft
  - Other computer games
- Non-FB Social Media (unlocked 7-10 am, 50 random chars)
  - Twitter
  - Instagram
  - LinkedIn
  - Reddit
  - Tiktok
  - Tumblr
  - GroupMe
- Miscellaneous
  - Anything else that distracts you

Sleep: buy anything that can improve your sleep

Silicone earplugs
Eye mask
Fluffy Pillows
A duvet or nice comforter
Mattress topper

Exercise: Find a fulfilling form of exercise that you will do consistently

Try lots of different forms of exercise
- Game with friends (basketball, soccer, frisbee)
- Dancing to music alone
- Beat saber
- Rock climbing
- Ultimate frisbee
Try only listening to your favorite podcast when you exercise
Try buying things to make exercise more likable
- VR headset for Beat Saber or other exercise games (borrow first)
- Running shoes that you think look really good (maybe somewhat works, not sure)
- Very fast swimming suit
- Basketball shoes and nice basketball
- GameCube for Dance Dance Revolution
- Hula hoops, weighted juggling set, cyr wheel, balance board, unicycle

Phone restrictions: Screentime (iOS) or Freedom

My system
- I don’t know the ScreenTime passcode, and it is written in a notebook that I never look at
- When I need to edit the ScreenTime settings, I have someone else type in the passcode and show them the notebook
- App store blocked
- Deleted all apps except utilities, reading list, and podcasts
  - Calendar
  - Todo list (Things 3)
  - Safari (heavily restricted)
  - Google Maps
  - Uber
  - Instapaper (reading list)
  - Podcast App
  - Uber Eats
  - Financial apps
  - Audible
  - Music
  - Other utility apps
- Blocked all websites except necessities
  - Wikipedia
  - Google searches
  - Health-advice websites
  - Car repair websites
  - Restaurant review websites
  - Airline related websites
  - Financial websites
- Advice: when traveling or doing anything other than very routine work-life, unblock everything

Reading list: Instapaper

Instapaper app, program, and extension
- Easily add any URL to your reading list
- Read from phone, iPad, computer
Read at meals
Instapaper is one of the only "fun" things on my phone

Device: Computer Monitor

Makes a number of tasks faster and easier
Less cluttered screen
According to a study (sponsored by a monitor company), people using a 24-inch screen were 52% more productive than those using an 18-inch screen (link).

Internet speed: Ethernet cable and good internet service

Ethernet cable for computer plugged into your router
Get better internet service — I've never actually bought service, so would be happy for someone to give a recommendation

Device: Mouse

Significantly faster than a trackpad (for me)
Even if it isn't at first, it should eventually be faster I think?

Miscellaneous tips

Using bookmarks and bookmark folders in google chrome
Move your phone to a hard to reach place to make it less distracting
For tasks you are avoiding, instead of doing the task, just think about doing it in detail
- Eg "First I would find webpage A, contact information B, write the introduction sentence of an email, ..."
Accountability bets
- Make commitments with your friends of the form "If I succeed/fail at X, then I have to/get to Y"
- Try leveraging an irrational fear
  - Leveraging a rational fear means that the losing condition is actually bad, but an irrational fears coming true is likely not "actually bad"
  - Eg I found that making the losing condition be "eat a bowl of cereal" was much more motivating than "pay $300 dollars" because I am irrationally afraid of cereal
Your environment shapes your actions a lot
- Have a different place for different activities:
  - Sleeping
  - Working
  - Eating
  - Reading
  - Socializing
- Wearing different clothes when you work is an example of another thing that might help you be more in the productive mindset
  - Your brain infers what behavior it should employ based on the environment
  - "I'm wearing nice clothes must be time to work"
Vitamins
- Iron, B12, Omega 3, creatine (might improve cognition, apparently. Feel free to source in comments)
- Have a sugary multivitamin so you actually take all of your vitamins
- Practice taking all of them at once
  - Faster and no time cost to adding a new pill
  - Though micromorts from the possibility of choking?
Shortcuts
- The URL “docs.new” opens a new google doc
  - Similarly, “sheets.new” and “forms.new” make new Google sheets and new Google forms
- cmd-a or ctrl-a
- Connect AirPods to your phone by tapping back of phone three times
Break reminders and mantras: Timeout
- I display "rationality" mantras like
  - The litany of Tarski
  - Multiply your time estimates by 2
- Display things like "have you stood up in the past 30 minutes?" "have you had water recently?"

Tracking device usage: RescueTime or Toggl or Forest

It can be really useful to see how your time is actually spent
For example, a year ago I realized I was spending 3-5 hours on messaging apps
- Since then I have made a conscious effort to minimize time on those apps as much as possible
Or maybe you spend 45 minutes on social media per day
- Imagine replacing that with conversations or a fun kind of exercise instead

Useful programs/apps/sites

Google Calendar
x.ai (instead of Calendly)
- The free version of x.ai allows having multiple meeting types simultaneously
- If you are willing to pay, Calendly or SavvyCal might be better, haven't looked into it much
- Free version of SavvyCal also might be better than x.ai or Calendly, haven’t looked into it
iOS Automator App
- For example, can make a keyboard shortcut to close/open all messaging apps
- Or keyboard shortcut for opening a new google doc in your browser
RemNote (free version of Roam Research)

Useful browser extensions

Dashlane (password manager)
Grammarly (grammar checker)
Cold turkey (site blocker)
Instapaper (reading list)
Zotero (easily create bibliographies)
Tab aside (save sets of tabs for later)
uBlock Origin (adblocker)
RescueTime (time tracker)
Catalyze x (arXiv papers have code linked at Google search)
Zoom scheduler (for easily adding zoom links to Google Calendar events)

Device: MacBook (borrow first)

I'm still unsure if it is worth it
Things seem faster and smoother
I would not have switched to a Mac if someone hadn't given me one for free
I am now more in favor of using a Mac than I used to be, though still not sure

Password Manager: Dashlane or NordPass (free?)

Security: allows for all passwords to be long and different
Time and energy saved: some saved, probably not that much though

Other products

These are less recommended but depending on who you are, might be worth it
Large water bottle (64 oz)
Special physical timer only for pomodoros
iPad
AirPods
Phone pop socket handle
Nicotine gum when need energy at night (instead of coffee)
- To be safe, have much less than the addictive dose
- Has shorter half-life than caffeine
Things that Rob Wiblin recommends buying