I’ve worked as a content manager and copywriter for 15 years. Ask me which productivity apps I use, and I’ll say almost none.

My to-do list lives in Apple Notes. I start with the quickest tasks, keep my phone silent, and meet deadlines.

Every app promises to save time, yet each takes some back: setup, syncing, notifications, and features to learn. A few habits do more for my focus than any software.

My Stack

Four productivity tools cover my working day. A calendar holds my meetings and webinars. I write in Google Docs, and Apple Notes keeps my to-do lists.

Jira is the fourth, and I open it only when a client wants me to track my hours there.

That’s the whole list. I don’t use a task manager or a project board, and I don’t miss them.

Order

The best-known productivity advice says to do the hardest tasks first. Brian Tracy popularized the idea in his 2001 book, “Eat That Frog!”

I do the opposite. I start with the quickest tasks.

Easy tasks rarely take long.…