Do you ever find yourself wishing you had more time?
Maximizing your daily time hinges on productivity. We’ve discussed the importance of time management and numerous strategies to enhance productivity in previous videos. Today, we’re sharing 10 straightforward hacks and tools that will significantly boost your productivity. These are techniques that my team at Med School Insiders and I use to free up hours each week.
Stay tuned for one of my favorites towards the end.
1. Utilize Text Expanders
One of my favorites is using a text expander to quickly generate frequently typed text. This tool was a game-changer for me in medical school, and I still use it daily.
With a simple shortcut, you can pull up a pre-drafted message, email, address, phone number, or website. It’s also great for long or difficult-to-spell words and symbols.
For example, I use @adr to pull up my mailing address or @em for my email. You can set up drafted emails for scheduling meetings or responding to sponsor requests and customer questions if you run businesses like I do.
In medical school, I used shortcuts for frequently typed words. Typing dz would turn into disease, tx into treatment, and dx into diagnosis. I also used it for symbols, such as ,a for alpha, ,b for beta, and ,d for delta.
These shortcuts save only a fraction of a second to a few seconds each time, but over the long term, they add up. Saving even 5 to 10 minutes each week makes the time investment worthwhile. Plus, starting with polished text reduces typos and grammatical errors.
There are many text expanders to choose from, including CapitalTextBlaze, TextExpander, Magical, and TypeIt4Me. Macs have a basic built-in text expansion feature in the Keyboard section of System Settings.
2. Leverage Automation Apps
Leverage productivity tool automation for repeated actions. There are countless productivity apps for different focuses and automations.
I use Magnet, which allows me to resize windows and customize my desktop with a click or swipe. Google Drive is set up directly on my desktop, saving time navigating to the Drive website.
Alfred, another tool, enhances Mac functionality with powerful workflows, including pasting recent images, setting timers, switching windows, manipulating file types, converting units, and accessing synonyms.
These hacks require upfront effort but save time long-term. Reduce friction wherever possible and review your workflows regularly to improve them.
3. Play Videos at Increased Speed
Play audio or video at increased speeds for educational content, online lectures, podcasts, and audiobooks. By playing content at 2x speed, you consume it in half the time.
I use Accelerate for Safari to default all videos to 1.5x speed and allow speed adjustments by 0.25 increments with a keyboard shortcut.
Start with 1.25 speed if this is new to you and adjust. Your preferred speed will vary based on the speaker and topic complexity. Ensure comprehension without sacrificing focus.
Avoid the competitiveness of listening speeds; it’s about maximizing efficiency and focus, not speed bragging.
4. Type Faster
Learn to type properly, with fingers on the home row and touch typing, meaning typing without looking at the keys. This improves typing speed and accuracy, crucial for typing notes, messaging, emails, online exams, and more.
Typing faster saves substantial time over frequent use. If you type fewer than 100 words per minute, practice to improve your speed and accuracy. Our free Casper typing tool at casper.medschoolinsiders.com can help you.
5. Pomodoro Technique for Deep Focus
The Pomodoro Technique encourages deep focus through timed intervals. Set a 25-minute timer to focus on a task, then take a five-minute break.
Avoid distractions during the break and use the time to stretch, hydrate, or go to the bathroom. Check out our Pomodoro guides for efficiency tips and common mistakes.
Experiment with intervals to find what works best for you. We recommend using a physical timer for fewer distractions.
6. Use Focus Mode
Create a distraction-free digital workspace using focus modes. For Mac, Apple’s built-in focus feature allows you to pause notifications or permit only certain ones.
Go to the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and click Focus. Customize modes for studying, exercise, or sleep. Android devices offer a similar feature in the Digital Wellbeing section.
Set up different Focus modes to prevent distractions during work or personal time. Limit notifications to maintain deep focus and avoid multitasking.
7. Email Snooze Feature
Utilize the email snooze feature to save time and ensure important messages aren’t forgotten. When sending an email that requires a reply, snooze it for a few days to remind yourself to follow up.
Use snooze to push forward tasks or emails you can’t address immediately. This clears your inbox and keeps your mind focused.
8. Journal to Offload Ideas
Keep a journal to offload ideas and clear your mind. Instead of switching tasks or turning to your phone when you have an idea, jot it down in a notepad or pocket notebook.
Review your notes later to follow through on chores. I use Things3 to track miscellaneous tasks, reviewing the list weekly to assign due dates based on importance.
Choose an app option carefully. If turning to your phone leads to distractions, opt for a physical notepad. Keep a small journal by your bed to jot down nighttime thoughts.
9. Batch Alike Tasks
Batch similar tasks together, like checking emails and messages. Schedule one or two blocks of time each day for emails, rather than constantly checking them.
Batch brainstorming, writing, editing, studying, and meetings. I group meetings on certain days to avoid switching between focused work and communication.
10. Delegate
Know when to delegate. Allow group members to share project burdens, let family help with meals during exam prep, and ask for help when needed.
Consider automating and delegating tasks to AI tools, which are rapidly improving. Use AI for repetitive tasks, brainstorming, simple messages, and initial research.
Also, consider the time cost of tasks. Opt for services that save time, like grocery delivery or meal services. Weigh both financial and time costs to truly leverage your productivity.
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