My best productivity advice for 2024:

Here’s a simple productivity hack that feels almost too easy: write tomorrow’s to-do list tonight. That’s it.

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This handwritten notepad image nails it. It’s imperfect, human, and has personality. Just scribbles and boxes. But that rawness is what makes it relatable—it communicates clarity and control without fancy apps or systems.

Why it works

• Planning the night before clears morning brain fog.
• A fixed list creates boundaries so you actually stop working.
• Physical checkmarks = micro dopamine hits that drive momentum.
• Simplicity lowers friction—you’ll actually use it.

Examples

• Benjamin Franklin planned each day the night before.
• Cal Newport calls this “plan tomorrow today.”
• The Ivy Lee Method (1918!) used a nearly identical list approach.
• Tim Ferriss uses “3 most important tasks” on paper every night.