My 25-Year Productivity Hack: Simple & Sexy

Alright, folks, buckle up for my absolute, battle-hardened (quarter of a century!) productivity secret that I swear by. Plus, there’s an extra productivity hack later, so stick around.

Ready? Here it is:

1. Create one folder for every project you work on in your drive (make sure it’s synced to the cloud because, let’s face it, nobody likes a good backup until they need one).
2. Inside each folder, have one simple TODO.txt file.

That’s it. Magic.

Are you disappointed with such a simple answer? Don’t be. Simplicity is sexy.

Now, let me tell you, I’ve been a coder for a quarter of a century already. In that time, I’ve probably tried every single productivity tool out there. Seriously, if it exists, I’ve used it. From apps that promise to organize your life to ones that claim to make you coffee.These tools are great until you spend more time managing the tool than actually doing the work. And don’t get me started on the learning curve for some of these bad boys.

But nothing beats the simplicity and effectiveness of this old-school method.

My top productivity hack?
Focus on a single task at a time.

And here’s the kicker: slice those big tasks into smaller ones so they don’t take more than 30-60 minutes each. Closing tasks gives a dopamine boost, helps to keep momentum, and keeps you “in the zone.” Just keep crossing off items from that humble TODO.txt file every hour or so.

It’s like a game of whack-a-mole, but with less frustration and more satisfying checkmarks.

Don’t get caught up chasing the next big thing. Trust me, it’s usually not worth it. These text files will still be usable 50-100 years from now. Sure, there are fancy tools based on text files, but then you still have to learn how to use them. Meanwhile, Vim, Notepad++ or its trusty clone will still be around in the distant future, laughing at all the fancy apps that came and went.

Keep it simple, stay productive, and remember: your future self will thank you.