R.J. Nestor Profile picture
Jul 7 7 tweets 3 min read
In college, I was HOPELESS at dating.

I’d get infatuated with a girl, and by the time I asked her out, I was a nervous wreck. Never went well.

Finally I had a talk with myself. “R.J., just DATE. Don’t fall in love first. Just DATE.”

You may ask: …is this about productivity?
Why yes, it IS about productivity!

Lots of folks think you have to trust a system before you can use it. So they find a big, elaborate productivity system and they fall in love with it.

Then they dive in, but everything that seems like it SHOULD work… DOESN’T. Not for them.
But WHY doesn’t it work?

Because you can’t trust a system UNTIL you use it. And when you start with a new system… it is not going to work well at first.

It is THROUGH using a system that you can fix the flaws and shore up the gaps.

So what’s the best system to start with?
Start with a system you can use from day one.

Simple, fundamental, functional.

Then build it into what you need it to be. Prototype workflows, develop routines, incorporate multiple apps if you need to.

But always USE it. That’s how you figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Naturally I have an opinion about how to DO that. I use #ToolsforThought like @RoamResearch, @obsdmd, @amplenote, @logseq, etc.

(Check out my AP Productivity cohort course—link in bio—to see how I do it. Cohort Five launches tomorrow!)

But my opinion isn’t important. YOURS is.
When I started “just dating,” it didn’t take long to meet the woman I eventually married.

Because soulmates aren’t found, they’re made. Love GROWS.

Your “soul-productivity-app” isn’t something you just find either. Sure, you may be well-aligned. There will be attraction.

But…
It’s the work you put INTO building your reliable, tailormade productivity system that makes it powerful for YOU.

So in short:

1. Don’t “fall in love” with the prospect of every shiny new app

2. Use your system BEFORE you trust it

3. Start with simple, fundamental, functional

• • •

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More from @rjnestor

Jul 8
❓ What tool(s) do I need to be more productive?

As enticing as that question is... it's the wrong question.

The REAL question is this:

❓ What do you want to do?

If you ask "What do I want to do?" at different levels, you'll build a productivity system!

What levels?
👉 "What do I want to do right now?"

Specify EXACTLY what you want to do, and commit to it.

Why start here & now? Because it's the only moment you have any real control over.

If you develop a systematic approach to right now, you can build from there to your bigger picture.
👉 "What do I want to do tomorrow?"

Eisenhower said "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything."

When you write down what you want to do tomorrow, when unexpected things happen (they will!), you are equipped to adapt.
Read 13 tweets
Jul 6
Do you want to get more work done in less time?

And do you want to focus on more IMPORTANT work?

Here are three methods *I* use for that ⬇️

(You can apply them anywhere—but #ToolsforThought like @RoamResearch, @obsdmd, @amplenote, @logseq, etc., are where I like to work.)
Method 1: Clusters and Rhythm reduce Transitions

Transitions are where #Productivity goes to die. We get distracted, we follow tangents.

(1) Cluster related tasks

- Tasks that are related by location, project, co-worker, etc., are easier to tick off one right after the other
(2) Standardize work startups & shutdowns

- When every piece of work has a predictable starting and ending routine, your work finds its Rhythm. The routines shouldn’t be long or complicated, just consistent and reliable.

Once you’ve got your Rhythm going, transitions fade away
Read 7 tweets
Jul 5
AP Productivity: Cohort
vs.
AP Productivity: Essentials

Both courses help you build a reliable, tailormade productivity system using #ToolsforThought

So… why are there two?
AP Productivity: Cohort is currently on Cohort Five.

✅ The most current iterations of the videos, files, etc.

✅ A community of @RoamResearch, @obsdmd, and @amplenote users to work with and learn from

✅ 3 live sessions per week for work, exploration, and demos (all recorded)
AP Productivity: Essentials is self-paced

✅ “One iteration back” of my latest content: videos, files, etc. So the current videos are the same as Cohort FOUR, not Five

✅ Circle-hosted community

✅ 2 Office Hours per month for Q&A
Read 6 tweets
Jun 30
Twice in my life I’ve SUDDENLY started getting more work accomplished:

First was 2014 when I read #GTD and implemented it in @todoist.

Second was 2020 when I moved into my Tool for Thought (TfT) of choice, @RoamResearch.

Here’s why I use a TfT as the spine of my work:
1. You have to explore a project before you can list its tasks

—and that’s far easier to do in your TfT than in a dedicated task app.

You have to know the territory before you draw up the map, and you can do BOTH in a TfT.
2. It’s easier to timeblock clusters of related tasks

Some task apps allow this. But TfTs give you far more flexibility in how you structure those clusters.

My Agenda is the “last mile” from HAVING a list to EXECUTING it, and that’s effortless in my TfT.
Read 7 tweets
Jun 27
How often does your day go exactly according to plan?

If you’re like me, rarely!

But that doesn’t mean planning your day is worthless. It’s extraordinarily valuable.

Here are 3 reasons why you shouldn’t give up planning and fly by the seat of your pants:
1. It’s easier to recover from distractions

If you have a plan, it’s easier to get back on track when the inevitable interruptions occur—even when the interruptions are “self-inflicted!”
2. It’s easier to keep hold of the thread of your projects

When days go seriously awry, you’ll still have a list of what you MEANT to do. You can use that to triage your work and move it to different days/times as needed, without projects getting lost in the shuffle.
Read 6 tweets
Jun 6
“How can I be more productive?”

I’ve run four cohorts of AP Productivity, and I’ve helped 100+ folks design their productivity systems to focus on the work that’s important to them.

Here are four high-leverage tips you can implement for yourself:
1. Work in “clusters” to minimize transitions.

When we switch from one task to the next, we lose time in the transition. Our momentum lags, or we get distracted.

Timeblock clusters of related tasks (e.g., same location or same tools) and it’s easier to skip tricky transitions!
2. Create startup & shutdown routines.

Startups prep you for work. Shutdowns define the NEXT work—they make future startups easier.

These apply to any process: your day, projects, work sessions.

Make your startups & shutdowns predictable, reliable, and—when possible—automated!
Read 6 tweets

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