This is a very quick post about a small productivity hack - to end a task by setting up for the next time you start.

One of the biggest problems in completing any task, especially on my computer, is the amount of distractions in close reach. If open my laptop and see a web browser open, the first thing I will do is start browsing. James Clear wrote in Atomic Habits that habit forming is first about shaping your environment vs shaping your behaviour.

So I tried a simple trick that seems to be working - before I close my laptop, I open up Simplenote to my to-do list for the week. When I open it again, Simplenote is the first thing I see, creating a simple reminder of what I need to do.

This also works in writing. After I publish a post, I try to decide on what I’m going to write about tomorrow and set up the draft post. The next time I start, there’s no decision needed - I just open the draft and go.

It’s a really a small trick and doesn’t work for everything, but I’ve found it quite effective.