My 4 Favourite iOS & macOS Tips To Keep You Productive
I think it’s safe to say that a vast majority of us have an addiction to our phones and generally, being connected — I know that I do! It can be a tough addiction to nip in the bud especially when you’re trying to be productive at work and you can’t help but scroll TikTok for 30 minutes. So what are some ways that I use my phone & even my laptop to actually help me focus and stay organized during the work day & while working on my own projects? Let me tell you all of my favourite tips and tricks!*
* This post is specific to Apple iOS 15 & macOS Monterey. Depending on when you’re reading this, the current operating systems may be a newer version than these, or your device may not be running these operating systems.
1. USE FOCUS MODE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
A huge blessing to the newest Apple operating systems for my productivity is Focus. This feature is essentially another Do Not Disturb function, however, there’s far more customization available. There are 4 options to pick from — Do Not Disturb, Personal, Work and Sleep that you can turn on whenever you want or even schedule (I scheduled my Work focus mode for when I start my work day until lunch, then after lunch until the end of my work day!). Two key features about Focus for me are:
When turned on, it displays a message to your contacts that you are currently busy and may not respond & they have an option to notify you anyways, giving a little freedom to your contacts to notify you of something important.
You can allow certain apps & contacts to get in touch with you even when your Focus mode is on. For example, my family is on that list so they don’t have to go through the extra step of pushing through a notification to me.
2. SCHEDULE EVERYTHING INTO THE CALENDAR APP
I am a very big fan of scheduling my entire life in my calendar app (shout out to The Jilly Academy for teaching me how to time block!). One of my favourite newer features is the ability to add links to Zoom, FaceTime & Teams (and more) meetings. I recently had to step away from my desk to take my dog to his vet appointment, but I didn’t want to miss my meeting. I was able to quickly put that meeting & the link to the call into my calendar, and I was able to easily join the meeting from my phone.
3. THE REMINDERS APP HAS BECOME MY BEST FRIEND
I really wish I could say I was kidding, but I’m really not. I put everything into the reminders app — from reminders to take my daily pills, to even “don’t forget to put this in your bag tomorrow morning!” kind of reminders. Whether you need a reminder at a certain time, or when you leave or arrive at a location, the reminders app is a great tool for ensuring you don’t forget to do something — for work, or in your everyday life.
4. UTILIZE QUICK NOTES
This is a somewhat macOS-specific tip, but using quick notes has been very handy, especially if I get an idea for a blog post while working on another! Just hover your mouse into the bottom right corner & the corner of a note will pop up. Once you type, and add information to your quick note, it saves it into your Notes app and then it’s accessible on any Apple product you own.
Honestly, I love using technology to organize my life, both personally and professionally. It’s definitely here to stay in my life, so I figure I might as well make it work for me as much as I’m addicted to it (and believe me, that’s a lot!). What are some ways you like to use technology to keep yourself focused? Let me know in the comments below!
