Brief Summary
In this video, Ali Abdaal shares the productivity apps, tools, and tech he uses daily to stay productive. He covers his morning routine, planning, writing, desk work, filming, gym, and end-of-day activities, highlighting specific tools and techniques for each.
- Morning Pages technique for decluttering the brain and generating ideas.
- Using Things 3 for to-do list management and calendar synchronization.
- Changing work locations to make work feel more like play.
- Using Ulysses for writing and tracking daily word count.
- Using Reader app for intentional time spending in the bathroom.
Introduction
Ali Abdaal introduces the video by stating that he will share the best apps, tools, and tech he uses every day to stay productive, saving viewers the time and money of testing them themselves.
Early Morning
The first thing in the morning is going to the bathroom and weighing himself on Withings smart scales, which sync with Apple Health Kit to track weight changes. Then he makes coffee using a clever dripper and uses a pen and paper journal for morning pages, a technique from "The Artist's Way" where he writes three pages of stream of consciousness to declutter his brain and generate ideas.
Planning my day
Ali uses the Things 3 app as his to-do list to plan his day. He manages his tasks using two lists: a to-do list and a today list. The today list includes tasks like filming a video and calling his grandma, which repeats every two days after completion. This synchronizes with his calendar, helping him plan his day effectively. He focuses on what needs to be done today from his anytime list, avoiding the week or month lists.
Mid-morning
Depending on whether he wants to write or film, he either heads to a coffee shop with his journal and 11-inch iPad Pro or prepares to film. Changing locations makes work feel more like play. He uses a Peak Design 6-liter sling bag for his iPad, journal, and pen. He emphasizes reducing friction for activities he wants to do more of, making it easier to build habits.
Writing in a coffee shop
At a local coffee shop, Ali uses the Ulysses app on his iPad for writing. Ulysses is a minimalistic markdown-based writing app where he drafts email newsletters, book projects, and video plans. He tracks his daily word count, aiming for a thousand words a day. Ali mentions that he has started therapy recently, which has been game-changing for understanding his emotions and limiting beliefs.
Desk work
Back at his desk, Ali plays YouTube videos with focus music in the background. He checks his emails using Superhuman, which helps him navigate his inbox quickly with keyboard shortcuts. He also browses newsletters like Morning Brew and Readwise. For writing videos and courses, he uses Notion, where his company organizes content calendars, annual objectives, key results, and project sprints. He uses a standing desk with a treadmill underneath, walking while working or playing games. He switches between Windows and Mac, using a mechanical keyboard. He uses the Rise app to track his time automatically across different apps and platforms.
Filming a video
Ali describes his video filming setup, which includes multiple camera angles connected to an ATEM Mini Pro camera switcher. He uses a Sennheiser MK416 microphone for primary audio and an Elgato Wave 3 microphone for podcasts and Zoom calls. His desk includes a Ugg Monk Gather 2.0 monitor stand and various Post-it note organizers. The Mac Mini is connected to a CalDigit TS3 Thunderbolt dock. All footage is uploaded to Google Drive, utilizing Google Workspace for team emails and storage.
Bathroom shenanigans
When in the bathroom, Ali uses the Reader app to intentionally spend his time reading articles. Reader is an RSS feed aggregator that saves articles for later reading. He highlights interesting points, which synchronize with Readwise and Notion.
Afternoon
After writing and filming, Ali consults his calendar in Fantastical. If there are no immediate tasks, he goes for a walk, which he considers an underrated productivity tool for recharging energy and generating ideas. He jots down ideas in Apple Notes, using it as a default note-taking app. He listens to podcasts or audiobooks on Audible while walking. He also uses Otto, an AI-enabled voice recording and transcription app, to record and transcribe ideas or meetings.
Gym
On workout days, Ali spends about an hour in the gym, tracking his workouts with the AFitness app, programmed by his remote fitness coach, Dango. He also recommends the Strong app for those working out independently, as it allows users to program workouts and track progress.
End of the day
At the end of the day, Ali often goes out for a meal with friends or business associates. While in cabs or on public transport, he journals in the Day One app, which he has been using since 2016. Before bed, he plays relaxing yoga and meditation music on his Amazon Echo, does stretches on his Lululemon yoga mat, sets his alarm, and reads on his Kindle.
