What’s your go-to hack to stay focused and organized? 📋

The One Thing - the most important task I want to get done. After that the to do list.

For me it's super simple. Leading up to a release/launch, I have a document in iA Writer 4 with markdown checklists. The first is called Critical Path, then below that is Launch, and Post-Launch. Anytime I need to add a task, I figure out if it's 100% necessary for launch—if not, it goes in Post-Launch. Launch includes launch-specific tasks (e.g. uploading). Once everything in Critical Path is checked, you launch. 🚀 I get up at 5am so I can get 1-2 hours of focus time in before the day starts, and just work on the items. I don't get distracted as easily, because if I waste that time, I might as well be sleeping. 😅

My go-to hack is using block scheduling helps me with it. I dedicate specific blocks of time to different types of tasks, which helps me stay in the zone without switching contexts too often. I also rely on tools like Planyway within Jira to visually map out my tasks and prioritize effectively. It’s super helpful for breaking down large projects into manageable steps. Plus, a daily review at the end of each day keeps everything on track.

I do time blocking + To-Do List

My thoughts: Don’t spend time in productivity apps or project management tools. Spend time on doing things. Prioritizing and managing lots of little task may feel good. But it is just a waste of time that you could have used to actually do the tasks instead. Focus on the things that have the biggest impact on whatever your long term goal is. Ignore everything else.

I use to-do list app with strict limit on notifications and colors

Drink coca-cola

Prioritizing work tasks is helpful for staying organized, but ensuring each task is completed within the deadline is equally important. It gives you the confidence to start new projects and helps you stay focused without worrying about unfinished tasks. To achieve this, I also use flexible and reliable productivity tools to boost work efficiency. For example, iBoysoft MagicMenu (https://iboysoft.com/magic-menu/) helps enhance the right-click menus in macOS, similar to Windows. With a right-click, you can create a new file, move or copy files, quickly access documents, software, URLs, uninstall applications, compress files, clean duplicate or similar files, and convert images. Additionally, you can install plugins and create extensions for right-click actions. To save the hassle of manually opening websites and URLs, I use a browser extension called OpenMultipleURLs ( https://chromewebstore.google.co... ). It allows you to open multiple URLs at once.

As for me. I love how Planyway combines to-lists with time blocking. Very useful even for personal planning (https://planyway.com). I love using it to visualize my week and break down projects into manageable tasks on the timeline for the whole team. My go-to hack is color-coding different types of tasks—like meetings, deep work, and quick to-dos—so I can see at a glance what my day looks like. Plus, setting reminders for each stage helps me stay on track without feeling overwhelmed.

To-Do List with Priorities for the win! It’s like a buffet, but for tasks – I get to pick the most deliciously important ones first. And Time Blocking? Well, that’s a close second, because who doesn’t love a good calendar makeover session? 🗓️

Nothing works better than paper and pencil lol Just kidding, I am actually building a tool (https://kosmodrom.work) that combines these hacks together and makes it feel like you are literally launching rockets. Using it right now, enjoying to see my task "Network on Product Hunt" land on a new planet!