Optimizing Your Productivity with xTiles: A Fresh Approach
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Chapter 1: Understanding Productivity Challenges
Achieving goals is a captivating concept—we all recognize what we ought to do, yet we often find ourselves procrastinating until the last moment when adrenaline drives us to pull an all-nighter.
You can probably relate to those nights filled with caffeine, just three hours of sleep, and the inevitable crash that follows. If not, consider yourself fortunate and likely among the organized crowd.
However, beneath the illusion of heightened productivity, I frequently feel overwhelmed, despite my efforts to stay on track. Last year, I embraced the Notion productivity trend, but what initially felt exciting soon became complicated. If you're just interested in the free resource, you can access it here.
Section 1.1: The Dilemma of Life Admin OS v.1
Life Admin OS began with positive intentions, but I soon realized I was suffering from a condition known as backlog sprawl. My to-do lists multiplied, accumulating in a vast backlog that eventually required its own dedicated page.
Hours would slip away as I tried to make it visually appealing, only for backlog sprawl to rear its head once more. Each time I attempted to delegate tasks to another page, the cycle would repeat.
Section 1.2: The Cycle of Repetition
Eventually, I reached a breaking point with my labyrinth of tasks. I would duplicate my template in an attempt to start afresh, only to find myself trapped in the same cycle once again.
Chapter 2: Discovering xTiles for Enhanced Organization
Section 2.1: What Makes xTiles Different
xTiles simplifies the organization process by allowing you to create and rearrange blocks on your page effortlessly. The structure resembles an enjoyable game of Tetris, making it visually engaging.
Through observation, I identified the main cause of my to-do list chaos: my desire to maintain the layout of my Notion view. xTiles addresses this issue while providing added benefits. The tile format evokes the nostalgia of old corkboards I used to have, making it easier to navigate on my iPad compared to Notion.
Section 2.2: A Compact Overview for Daily Tasks
After experimenting with xTiles, I achieved an optimized view that offers a quick glance at my daily tasks, organized by clients and projects.
In the center, I feature a quick links panel, serving as my hub for both work and personal resources.
Section 2.3: Managing Client Backlog Efficiently
A strategy that works effectively for me involves maintaining a separate board for client backlogs. At the beginning of each week, I review my tasks and transfer them into a tile that I can then move to the main workboard.
This approach allows me to shift tasks between views without the hassle of copying and pasting.
Chapter 3: Capturing Ideas on the Go
Every so often, I encounter interesting snippets that I want to save. xTiles offers a Chrome plugin that enables me to create snippets that automatically populate my Quick Notes section.
The extension is accessible on Apple, Android, and Chrome. Once I capture a snippet, it appears in my Quick Notes, where I can categorize it into different xTile boards.
Section 3.1: How I Use Quick Clips
Personally, I utilize the quick clip feature for planning my weekly menu and noting books I wish to read, among other things included in the free template.
Conclusion: The Benefits of xTiles
For me, this revamped productivity system is more compact and visually appealing than Notion. While Notion allows for customization, achieving a polished look often requires additional tools like Canva, leading to distractions.
xTiles is designed for visual thinkers and offers an intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. As promised, you can download my refined productivity system template here.
Additionally, xTiles is currently offering a discount promotion on Product Hunt—consider checking them out and giving an upvote. Thank you for reading!