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12 cheap purchases to boost your productivity

2022-12-05 · Long video (solo, talking head or whiteboard) · Ali · recording, 15:05 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Productivity and time (also: Health, sleep and habits) · mode: List of tips or lessons · tags: Lesson from a book, Feel-Good Productivity thesis, Sponsor segment present

Ali lists twelve purchases under $20 that he says have boosted his productivity: a bullet journal, a magic whiteboard, an A3 pad, Sharpies, sticky notes, a fake plant, a water bottle, a foam roller, the book Make Time, a candle, an in-tray and a waste paper basket.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — The bullet journal

  • ★★ Ali says any journal under $20 can become a bullet journal by following the bullet journal method, and calls Ryder Carroll's book The Bullet Journal Method very good. — 00:00:00

  • ★★★ Ali has kept a bullet journal for three or four months and loves it: he calls bullet journaling a mindfulness system disguised as a productivity system, which helps him spend his time more intentionally. — 00:00:29

    “bullet journaling is more like a mindfulness system that's disguised as a productivity system”

  • ★★ Ali's bullet journal has a gratitude log, so he feels more grateful, and prompts him to set his priorities every day, so he is more likely to make progress on what matters to him. — 00:00:29

  • ★★ Ali's personal definition of productivity is making progress on the things that matter to him. — 00:00:29

    “make progress on the things that matter to me, which is my personal definition of productivity”

00:01:00 — Magic whiteboard, A3 pad and Sharpies for big-picture planning

  • ★★ Ali's team uses a magic whiteboard to keep track of the YouTube Shorts and videos they are making, and he uses it for ideas for his book. — 00:01:08 · Feel-Good Productivity (book)
  • ★★ Ali recommends an A3 writing pad, about $5 from Amazon or any stationery shop, which he uses a lot for brainstorming videos and ideas for his book. — 00:01:55 · Amazon, Feel-Good Productivity (book)
  • ★ Ali's own A3 pads have his stationery brand Essentiali printed on them; the team does not sell them and had them printed because it is nice. — 00:01:55
  • ★★★ Ali plans videos with a thick Sharpie: a very thin pen encourages granular thinking, while a thick one stops him being granular and makes him think about the big picture. — 00:02:24
  • ★★ For a student planning an essay, Ali advises making the first spider diagram in broad brushstrokes with a Sharpie or whiteboard pen, then filling in the details with a fine liner. — 00:02:59

00:03:21 — Sticky notes as to-do reminders and productivity mantras

  • ★ Ali likes his Gather 2.0 desk accessories from Ugmonk, a Kickstarter product, but notes they are far from cheap. — 00:03:29
  • ★★ Ali uses sticky notes as a kind of to-do list, sticking reminders of things he has to do on his monitor. — 00:03:57

  • ★★★ A sticky note on Ali's monitor reads "this is going to be fun": while he works on his book and other long projects it reminds him to relax, since it is easy to take work too seriously. — 00:03:57 · Feel-Good Productivity (book)

    “the one i've been using most often and have stuck to my monitor is this is going to be fun”

  • ★★ Ali says the whole point of work is to make ourselves happier and lead a more fulfilling life, so if we can enjoy the journey, everything is better. — 00:04:59

  • ★★ Ali has had a fake IKEA potted plant, about $7, on his desk since around 2014: it adds greenery and good vibes and needs no watering. — 00:04:59

00:05:13 — A fake plant and a more pleasant workspace

  • ★★ Ali says there is reasonable evidence that having greenery around you boosts creativity and makes you feel good. — 00:05:28
  • ★★ The fake plant does not directly improve Ali's productivity, but he finds that making his workspace a little nicer and more pleasant has knock-on effects on his work, creativity and productivity. — 00:05:57
  • ★★ Ali recommends a transparent water bottle: you can see when it is empty, and seeing it reminds you to drink. — 00:05:57

00:06:15 — Water bottle, hydration, and the foam roller in Pomodoro breaks

  • ★★ From his reading on hydration, Ali says urine is supposed to be basically colourless, with just a hint of colour. (hedged) — 00:06:27
  • ★★ Ali says evidence shows people often do not notice being a little dehydrated, yet tests find a dip in their mental performance. — 00:06:27
  • ★★ Ali keeps a foam roller by his desk: sitting gives him hip flexor and lower back pain, and they get him off the desk to roll on the floor. — 00:07:25
  • ★★ Ali uses the Pomodoro technique, 25 minutes of work and five of break, and often foam rolls on the floor in the breaks, which he says massively boosts his productivity. — 00:08:19 · Pomodoro technique
  • ★ Ali says evidence shows that taking breaks from work is good for conserving energy and for productivity. — 00:08:19

00:08:48 — The book Make Time and the daily highlight

  • ★★★ Ali recommends the book Make Time because it is non-opinionated: of its roughly 100 strategies he uses five or six, and the idea is to find the ones that work for you. — 00:08:48 · Feel-Good Productivity (book)
  • ★ Ali calls John Zeratsky, co-author of Make Time, an internet friend whom he has had on his podcast. — 00:08:48
  • ★★★ Ali calls the daily highlight from Make Time, asking every day what is the most important thing to get done and then doing it, probably the single biggest productivity tip of his life. — 00:09:18 · daily highlight
  • ★★ When people ask Ali how to be more productive, he usually recommends reading Make Time and picking a few things from it. — 00:09:18
  • ★★ Ali cites a study finding that a vanilla scent in your work environment makes you more creative, more productive and less stressed. (hedged) — 00:09:52

00:09:54 — A candle as a work ritual

  • ★★ Lighting a candle is part of Ali's work ritual, with headphones and his study-with-me playlist of Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter music: you do not need a ritual, but it helps him get into work. — 00:10:27 · Harry Potter (book series)
  • ★★ After about six months with a candle on his desk, Ali finds it genuinely improves his mood and suggests trying a cheap one, about $5. — 00:10:56

00:11:00 — Sponsor read

00:12:19 — An in-tray for physical mail and a bin by the desk

  • ★★ Following David Allen's Getting Things Done, Ali recommends an in-tray: a place for the physical papers you need to act on. — 00:12:24
  • ★ Ali now has an in-tray, finally taking David Allen's advice about ten years after reading Getting Things Done. — 00:12:53
  • ★★ Ali recommends a small bin within arm's length of the desk, even just a plastic bag: without one, paper piles up and the desk becomes a nightmare, and working in a clean environment is much nicer. — 00:13:48
  • ★ Ali moved into a new flat about two months before this video and went without a desk bin until a few days earlier. — 00:13:48

Threads in this video

  • refine · Which productivity system should you use to organise your life? — Ali has kept a bullet journal for three or four months and loves it: he calls bullet journaling a mindfulness system disguised as a productivity system, which helps him spend his time more intentionally. (00:00:29)
  • restate · Should productivity be about efficiency or about enjoying the work? — A sticky note on Ali's monitor reads "this is going to be fun": while he works on his book and other long projects it reminds him to relax, since it is easy to take work too seriously. (00:03:57)
  • refine · How do you write a good essay? — For a student planning an essay, Ali advises making the first spider diagram in broad brushstrokes with a Sharpie or whiteboard pen, then filling in the details with a fine liner. (00:02:59)
  • refine · How should you set up your desk? — The fake plant does not directly improve Ali's productivity, but he finds that making his workspace a little nicer and more pleasant has knock-on effects on his work, creativity and productivity. (00:05:57)
  • restate · How should you set up your desk? — Ali recommends a small bin within arm's length of the desk, even just a plastic bag: without one, paper piles up and the desk becomes a nightmare, and working in a clean environment is much nicer. (00:13:48)
  • shift · Should you use the Pomodoro technique? — Ali uses the Pomodoro technique, 25 minutes of work and five of break, and often foam rolls on the floor in the breaks, which he says massively boosts his productivity. (00:08:19)
  • restate · How should you plan your day? — Ali calls the daily highlight from Make Time, asking every day what is the most important thing to get done and then doing it, probably the single biggest productivity tip of his life. (00:09:18)
  • restate · Which productivity system should you use to organise your life? — When people ask Ali how to be more productive, he usually recommends reading Make Time and picking a few things from it. (00:09:18)
  • restate · Should you journal, and how? — Ali's bullet journal has a gratitude log, so he feels more grateful, and prompts him to set his priorities every day, so he is more likely to make progress on what matters to him. (00:00:29)
  • restate · Should you listen to music while studying? — Lighting a candle is part of Ali's work ritual, with headphones and his study-with-me playlist of Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter music: you do not need a ritual, but it helps him get into work. (00:10:27)

Mentioned

Central: daily highlight · Make Time

Also: People: David Allen · Jake Knapp · John Zeratsky · Ryder Carroll

Projects: Essentiali

Works: Feel-Good Productivity (book) · Getting Things Done · Harry Potter (book series) · Pirates of the Caribbean · The Bullet Journal Method · The Lord of the Rings

Organizations: Amazon · IKEA · Kickstarter · Lululemon · Morning Brew · Ugmonk

Concepts: bullet journal · Pomodoro technique · spider diagram

Places: Bali

Products: IKEA Fejka · YouTube Shorts

Also centred on Make Time: My Favourite Productivity Book of All Time · One of The Best Productivity Books Ever ⏳

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