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I’m a productivity monster.
I keep to-do lists, Google calendars, alarms, and timers. Productivity hacks. Everytime I hear about a new productivity tool or technique, I have to try it out.
However, many of them tend to phase out of use over time. So I’ve compiled a list of products, services, and techniques I use that will help you improve your productivity, so you can get more of the stuff you want to get done done.
Editor's note (2026): This article was written by Gio Orellana in 2016. Tools, prices, and UI mentioned below may have moved; the argument is the guest's.
1. Bullet Journaling
This new method of journaling has changed my life, and improved my productivity dramatically.
Bullet Journaling is a simple system using just pen and paper, and making checkboxes, circles, and dots. The key is sticking to it, and writing down your daily tasks either in the morning or the night before.
Check out Bullet Journal. Cost: $10-15 for supplies
2. Freedom And Self-control App
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably wasting time on surfing the internet when you should be working!
And that’s okay. This is a great site, after all. 🙂
If you have a Mac and want to stop wasting time online, you should download Freedom. It’ll seriously get your freedom back.
It blocks the internet or specific sites for a session so you can focus; Premium adds longer sessions and Locked Mode so you can’t easily cheat mid-block.
Check out Freedom. Cost: Free tier; Premium is subscription-priced (check Freedom for current rates)
There’s also Self-Control, which is free! It doesn’t let you log back in even if you shut down your computer, and you can have a black list of website to block only those sites for a period of time, check it out: Cost: Free
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3. Things
Things is a Mac app that is the best digital to-do list that I’ve tried. It has project to-do lists, it has daily to-do lists, it has tagging functionality, and a bunch of other useful functions.
It’s all around the best app for keeping a record of tasks.
Check out Things. Cost: $49.99 or Free trial
4. Multi Inboxes In Gmail
Imagine being able to see everything at a glance in your inbox.
Multiple Inboxes can help you get your inbox super organized. You set search criteria for each section you want and Gmail sorts matching mail into those panes.
It’s built into Gmail now (no Labs): Settings → Inbox type → Multiple inboxes, then Customize. Read Google’s guide for the current steps.
I know Gmail has Tabs, but they’re less flexible than custom Multiple Inbox sections. M.I. should do the trick.
5. Boomerang For Gmail
Sometimes I have to send out emails at a certain time, but I’ll either be working, or driving, and I can’t do it.
This is where Boomerang comes in handy. You set the time and date when you’d like your email to be sent, and then you just click Send Later and you can forget about it.
Check out Boomerang.
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6. The Power Of Habit
The Power of Habit is an awesome book describing how to change your life by getting rid of bad habits or making new ones.
Up to 40% of what we do daily is based on well ingrained habits. This book tells you how to control your habits.
If you purchase the Kindle version, you can get the audiobook from Audible for only $4 bucks more, which is a steal.
I listen to it while I’m driving or before I go to sleep. It’s a great book describing the psychology behind what we do and why we do it just based on a few things like cues, rewards, and cravings.
Check out The Power of Habit. Cost: about $12 (check current listing)
7. How To Wake Up Earlier
The best way I’ve found to wake up earlier is by drinking a cup of water at night to wake up earlier the next morning.
Usually, I wake up 20 to 30 minutes earlier than normal. It’s not scientifically proven, but my buddy introduced me to it, and he wakes up usually at 6am or 6:30am.
If you don’t believe me, just try it yourself.
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8. Nev’s Task System
Nev write’s an entrepreneur blog I found a long time ago, and he talked about how he does his daily to do list.
I’ve tried it and it’s really helpful to see how much time you spend doing things and where all of your time goes.
The only thing is I don’t like large notepads, but maybe you’ll like the system. It’s really simple and efficient.
Check out Nev’s Task System.
9. Ohlife (idea still useful; service shut down)
Sometimes you’re going through life, and then you try to remember what you did last week.
You try and try…and nothing…you come up blank.
Sound familiar?
Even looking at the entire year, you think “what the fuck did I get done this year?”
Ohlife used to help with that by sending a daily email asking “What did you do today?” — reply, and you built a searchable log.
After doing it for 3 years, it’s helped me in several situations where I had to remember what the hell I did that day. It especially helps for accounting purposes to remind yourself when you received or sent a payment.
Note: Ohlife shut down in 2014. The habit still works: schedule a nightly email (or use another daily-prompt journal) asking what you did today, and reply to yourself.
10. Wetransfer
This is hands down the best temporary file transfer service out there.
- It’s better than Yousendit and Dropbox for sending temporary files.
- Free transfers are capped around 3 GB (with a monthly transfer/data allowance), and
- Free links expire quickly (a few days), so you can send it and forget it — if the recipient downloads in time.
However, that last point can be a double-edged sword if your recipient forgot to download it, and needs you to resend the damn thing again. In that case, Dropbox may be better.
Paid WeTransfer plans (Starter / Ultimate and up) raise limits, extend or remove expiry, and add extras like password protection and branded pages — check current pricing on their site.
Check out WeTransfer.
Let me know if you guys have any helpful productivity hacks or tips, I’d love to hear ’em out! Let me know in the comments below!
This article was written by Gio Orellana of Giordany.com.
He’s a USC school of cinematic arts alum from 2009. He started his own production company called Anchorbolt Studios and directed his first feature around the time this piece was written (2016). From Gio: “I want to share as much wisdom as I can so you don’t make the same dumb ass mistakes I made.”
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