Essays
Productivity articles
26 articles matching this filter.
We Spend Too Much Time Managing Work Instead of Doing It
Most knowledge workers feel busy all day but struggle to name what they made. Here’s why work became so much management, and how to protect focus.
Can guided journaling improve productivity and self-awareness?
A practical look at the Headway Journaling Starter Kit, where guided journaling helps, where it falls short, and who it is best for.
People Are Vibe-Coding Their Own Productivity Games
AI coding tools are making personalized productivity software cheap enough to build for one person's brain. That may extend the long tail of niche software.
5 Books That Changed How I Think About Work
A handful of books changed how I work. Not better tips — better assumptions about focus, motivation, and systems. Here are the five I keep coming back to.
Why You Should Work Transparently
Working in view of others is uncomfortable for everyone. But working transparently is by far the fastest way to improve and produce a great product. This post explores why you should be working transparently.
My Favourite Media - What I Watch, Listen To, and Read
This article outlines my general principles for consuming media, as well as my favorite TV shows, films, authors, books and blogs.
How to Take Book Notes
This post tells you how to take book notes in an easy process designed to extract the most important information from the books you read, letting you search it, retain it, and use it in the future. Includes screenshots from Kindle and iBook reading applications to make the process clear.
My Favourite Tech Products
A curated list of my favourite tech products for productivity, focus, and effective work—from noise-cancelling headphones to apps that help me stay organized and get things done.
My Morning Routine - 7 Things to Win the Day
Details of my morning routine, which includes 7 things I do to win the day, as well as my tips for creating your own morning routine.
Obstacles Are Opportunities
We all face obstacles. Some–like a pandemic–are larger than others. What doesn’t have to change is our response to them. Will you view it as an obstacle? Or an opportunity?
How to Balance Ambition & Happiness
Happiness is a skill that can be improved, and it is possible to be both wildly ambitious, yet happy with your day-to-day progress. This post talks about strategies for accomplishing both.
How I Do My End-of-Year Review
Whether you set New Year’s resolutions or not, you should do an end-of-year review. Here’s how I structure mine, which can serve as a starting point for your own review.
How to Study in College
Learn about preparation and strategies for studying efficiently and succeeding in university/college.
How to Take Notes in College
Learn how to take effective notes in college/university, with tips on what parts of the lecture to pay attention to, specific products, and the system I used to keep track of tasks.
Making the Most of College
This fall, my two brothers are both applying to college (used interchangeably with university throughout). Both are in different situations, and separated by three years; they’re likely going to have very different experiences. But the fact that both are going to be heading off to university for at least the next four years prompted me to reflect on my time at university, and what I’d do differently if I had to do it again.
Time Not Money
I’ve lost my childhood desire to own and drive a supercar daily. It’s a result of a gradual change in my own thinking, which can be summarized as: time not money.
Just-in-Case vs. Just-in-Time Learning
Just-in-case learning is what we’re taught in school. But just-in-case learning is vastly more efficient. Learn when and why you should use each.
10 Things I Do to Sleep Better
Good sleep has a huge impact on our lives, and most of us spend around a third of our lives sleeping. Don’t you want the best sleep you can get? Here are 10 things I do to get better sleep.
Extreme Ownership: Taking Responsibility to Improve
Learn how the concept of Extreme Ownership can help you overcome self-justification and cognitive dissonance to take responsibility and improve faster.
How to Form Good Habits (and Break Bad Ones)
Forming new habits is tough–most of us fail when we try. But creating good habits is worth the effort. This post provides a detailed guide on how to form good habits and break bad ones.
The Jocko Willink Workout Advice That Changed My Habits
Learn about the Jocko Willink workout advice that has changed my habits, helping me stick to things like scheduled workouts.
Measurement is Not the Goal (and Sleep Anxiety is Real)
Those of us who like data try to measure everything. But what if that’s counterproductive? Measuring things is not the goal. This post explores when and what we should be measuring, using the example of sleep anxiety.
The 4 Things You Need for a Great Remote Work Setup
Remote work is here to stay. To make it productive, you need to make sure you have these four things in place. If you do, it will be almost like being in person!
Why Positive Constraints Are So Valuable
I haven't managed to write nearly as much as I'd hoped for the past several months, but for good reason. After Techstars finished, I did a bit of traveling to visit some friends in Europe, and then headed back home to Nova Scotia. I ended up staying longer than planned - it's difficult to leave Nova Scotia in the summer (check out this video to see what I mean). Ultimately though, it was one of the best summers in recent memory.
How to Communicate Effectively
Effective communication is important for every aspect of life. Here are two communication techniques I’ve learned that have proven to be exceptionally useful.