5 productivity tips I've learned during startup building

The first step to improving productivity is knowing where your time actually goes. We all have our guilty pleasures that steal hours from our day without us even noticing.

My personal top time wasters used to include Netflix, YouTube, news pages, video games, and social media. Once I became aware of these, I could start making conscious decisions about when to indulge and when to focus.

Take action: Create your own top-5 list of time-wasting activities. Just writing them down increases your awareness and makes it easier to catch yourself before falling into the trap.

The biggest mistake is trying to work without a plan. This is the fastest way to invite chaos into your life. When you don't have a clear direction, every interruption becomes a potential derailment.

I've tried many planning tools over the years. Here are my favorites:

• Todoist - Perfect for personal task management with recurring tasks for habit building
• Trello - Great for visual Kanban-style planning, especially for team collaboration
• JIRA - Ideal for growing startups with development teams who need structured workflows

The tool matters less than the consistency. Pick one and stick with it. The dramatic productivity gains come from the habit of planning, not from the specific app you choose.

Once you've identified your time wasters, it's time to actively block them during focus time. Willpower alone is rarely enough—you need systems.

My recommended focus toolkit:

• Blocksite - Browser extension that blocks distracting websites during work hours
• Airplane mode - The nuclear option for your phone when you need deep focus
• Disable notifications - Turn off all non-essential notifications on all devices
• Mac Focus Mode - Built-in feature that silences everything except chosen contacts

The goal is to create an environment where staying focused is the path of least resistance. Remove the friction from productive work and add friction to distractions.

Every hour spent on repetitive tasks is an hour stolen from high-value work. The math is simple: if your hourly rate is $100 and a virtual assistant costs $50, delegating a 1-hour task saves you real money and frees up your mental energy.

For automation, I rely on:

• Make.com - Powerful automation platform for connecting different apps and services
• Zapier - User-friendly alternative for simpler automation workflows
• Zencal - Automates all my scheduling so I never have to manually coordinate meetings

For tasks that can't be automated, consider hiring virtual assistants. They can handle email management, research, data entry, and many other tasks that don't require your specific expertise.

Productivity isn't just about doing more—it's about maintaining the mental clarity to do your best work. When you're burned out, even simple tasks become mountains.

My wellness practices that directly impact productivity:

• Daily meditation - Even 15-20 minutes makes a noticeable difference in focus and stress levels
• Focus music playlists - Instrumental music or lo-fi beats help maintain concentration
• Reduce junk food - What you eat affects how you think. Clean fuel = clear mind
• Exercise regularly - Physical activity sharpens cognitive skills and reduces anxiety

Here's a counterintuitive truth: fatigue often stems from inefficiency rather than task volume. When you're working on the right things in the right way, you can accomplish more while feeling less tired.

Take care of your mind and body. They're the only tools you truly have.