Ali Abdaal Profile picture
Mar 7, 2023 11 tweets 8 min read Read on X
My 5 favourite productivity apps for the MacBook in 2023 👇
1 - Alfred

I install @alfredapp on every Mac I use because it’s so good.

It’s basically just a more powerful replacement for Apple’s Spotlight Search
feature. Image
@alfredapp A normal person would open an app by dragging their mouse to the dock, finding
the app, then clicking it.

This is a massive waste of time.

With Alfred, I just hit cmd + spacebar, type in the name of the app, and it
opens it up immediately.
@alfredapp 2 - Moom

Moom is a tool that lets you use a keyboard shortcut to snap windows to either
side of your screen.

For example, if I have a Google doc for my book open and I’m doing some research
I can hit cmd + shift + M to quicky resize the windows to be in split screen
view. Image
@alfredapp 3 - Amphetamine

This is a super helpful tool that’s designed to keep your Mac on for as long as
you need it to.

This is particularly helpful when I’m rendering a file in Final Cut and I don't
want my Mac to go to sleep :p Image
@alfredapp 4 - Cleanshot X

I use @CleanShot daily - it’s a great way of taking screenshots and screen
recordings.

So if I want to take a screenshot I just click the icon in the taskbar + hit
‘capture area’

Then it appears in the corner of the screen where I can do whatever I like with
it
@alfredapp @CleanShot One thing I often do is use the arrow tool to point to different things or add
text on top of the screenshot Image
@alfredapp @CleanShot The other cool thing about Cleanshot is that it lets you do scrolling captures.

This basically lets you take a screenshot of a whole page, giving you a really
reallly long screenshot like this: Image
@alfredapp @CleanShot 5 - Rize

@rize_io is an automatic time tracker that tracks all the apps you’re using
throughout the day.

I’ve been using this since Nov 2021, so I can quickly see how much time I’m
spending on different areas of my life in a given week / month. Image
@alfredapp @CleanShot @rize_io It's also got a Pomodoro Timer built into it.

So, if I’m working on a chapter of my book, I’ll hit ‘start focus’ to set my
goal, duration of the session, and some background music.

A notification also pops up if it notices I'm getting distracted, which is cool
:) Image
@alfredapp @CleanShot @rize_io If you want to see what other apps I use on my Mac in 2023, make sure you check
out the full video over on the channel
👉 

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More from @AliAbdaal

Nov 14, 2024
Fear of failure can hold us all back, but I’ve found a simple mindset shift that helps me take the plunge without being paralysed by fear: I treat everything as an experiment. 🧵👇 Image
1/9

An experiment isn’t about succeeding or failing. It’s about testing a hypothesis, learning, and collecting data. So, whenever I feel jitters about a new project, I reframe it as an experiment to take the pressure off.

Here’s how it works:
2/9

1️⃣ Start with a goal

What’s something you want to achieve?

For example, let’s say you’re aiming to start a YouTube channel.
Read 11 tweets
Oct 28, 2024
1/7 🧵 5 Things I Got Wrong About Productivity

I used to think productivity was all about discipline, perfect time management, and cramming as much as possible into my calendar.

Here’s what I’ve realised over the years:
2/7 Productivity isn’t just discipline

It’s more about feeling good—being happier, less stressed, and more energised. When I feel good, my to-do list is way easier to tackle.
3/7 It’s not just time management, it’s energy management

Time is fixed, but energy isn’t. It’s about optimising tasks around my natural rhythms, not just filling the calendar with tasks.
Read 7 tweets
Apr 3, 2024
I used to make the mistake of thinking that I could fit everything into my life.

Work, hobbies, fitness, friends, family, a side-hustle, chores AND time to rest and recover.

But the truth is that we DON’T have time for everything. And that’s okay 👇 Image
There’s a pretty common metaphor used to describe how you should prioritise your life, and it goes like this.

Imagine your life is an empty glass. The things you consider to be the foundations of your life - your family, your job - are big stones that you put into the glass.
All the other aspects of your life—friends, fitness, a side hustle—are the small stones. They fit in between the gaps of the big rocks.

In theory, this means you put the most time and effort into those big foundation rocks, and anything left over can find room at the edges.
Read 13 tweets
Feb 25, 2024
We all want to get the best night's sleep possible.

Here's a mega thread of top tips to improve your sleep routine 🧵
1) It starts in the morning 🌞

Exposure to light in the morning sets our body clocks properly. Taking a walk first thing will give your body the light it needs to tell the time and start your day right.
2) Take 20 minute naps 😴

The occasional afternoon nap can be really beneficial. As long as you don’t sleep for more than 20 minutes, you'll wake up more alert and with more energy for the rest of your day. Try it next time you're procrastinating 😜
Read 21 tweets
Feb 24, 2024
How can we build a life that we love?

This is an evidence-based life design framework that I come back to every few years. I hope it helps you too 🧵
Step 1: Identify what matters to you

Step 2: Experiment with ideas

Step 3: Iterate on the good parts
Step 1: Identify

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you love the life that you’re living?

Try putting a number to your happiness levels. Now, write down the areas of your life that are contributing to that score, both positive and negative.
Read 16 tweets
Jan 12, 2024
I wasted seven years of my life.

And it was all because I was scared.

But you don’t have to learn the hard way.

Here's how to stop fear holding you back.
It took me seven years to make my first YouTube video and launch my business.

I’d block out time in my calendar and sit down to film, but for some reason I just couldn’t do it and I didn’t know why.

At first I thought I was being a perfectionist.
I didn’t want to make bad videos that didn’t live up to my standards.

But when I really thought about it, I realised that I was wrong.
Read 10 tweets

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