Boost Your Productivity: Proven Strategies to Optimize Environment, Mindset, and Workflow

I am a programmer, designer, entrepreneur, and co‑founder of Asana, a team‑productivity tool used by companies such as Uber, Pinterest, and Dropbox; I also designed a productivity tool at Facebook that is still in use.

Improving the Environment

Avoid All Distractions

Set your phone to Do‑Not‑Disturb mode (e.g., swipe up on iPhone and tap the moon icon).

Close all web pages unrelated to the current task.

If you need to write email, hide new incoming messages (Gmail filters can achieve this).

Turn off new‑mail notifications on your computer.

Log out of chat applications.

Discover Your Time Flow

Block a three‑hour "meeting" on your calendar where you are the sole participant, so colleagues avoid scheduling during that period.

Designate a company‑wide no‑meeting day, like Asana’s "No‑Meeting Wednesday".

Track when you are most efficient during the day and schedule your hardest work in those slots (e.g., 10 am–noon).

Master the Tools You Use

Replace mouse actions with keyboard shortcuts; on Mac, ⌘ = Command, ⌥ = Option, ⇧ = Shift, ^ = Ctrl.

Use tools like SizeUp to quickly rearrange windows without the mouse.

Optimize Thinking

One of my favorite books is Tony Schwartz’s The Power of Full Engagement , which emphasizes managing energy rather than time.

Take Regular Breaks

Working longer does not equal higher output; research shows a 90‑minute work block followed by a 15‑minute break improves productivity.

Meditation

I built a daily meditation habit (see my Quora answer for details).

Take Care of Your Body

Drink plenty of water; keep several large bottles on your desk as a visual reminder.

Improve your diet; high‑carb lunches can sap afternoon energy.

Exercise twice a week with aerobic activity to boost efficiency.

Face Difficulties and Overcome Procrastination

Honestly identify the source of your anxiety and write it down or discuss it.

Find an easy next step to take.

Read my article on confronting anxiety to beat procrastination.

If you lack energy to face fear, work on the second‑priority item on your list instead of checking Facebook; this is called “structured procrastination.”

Optimize Processes

Set clear plans. Many inefficiencies stem from unclear priorities. Before acting, ensure the next step is fully defined and the whole team agrees.

Ask: What is the goal? Why do we want it? What steps are needed? Who owns each step? In what order should they be executed?

Team Collaboration

Find a willing partner; tasks that take two days alone can be finished in two hours together. Pair programming is common in software but applies to any field.

Or engage in self‑dialogue: write important questions and answers in a text editor or notebook.

Publicly Declare Deadlines

Turn peer pressure into an advantage by committing to deliver a task by a specific time (e.g., “I’ll have a copy ready by Friday evening”).

Use Software to Track Your Work

Asana excels at maintaining personal to‑do lists and managing team workflows, reducing endless meetings and keeping everyone synchronized without constant email.

Reflect Daily

Spend a few minutes each day reviewing what went well, what didn’t, and where the workflow can improve; a 1 % daily efficiency gain compounds to a 15‑fold increase over a year.