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Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

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Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#21

Post by richliss »

Here's some free/low cost suggestions...

1. Listen to all of 10 hours of rain and thunder on Youtube whilst working every day. I get into a state of flow much easier listening to that than practically anything else.

2. Text important people in your life to say you're offline until lunch and then turn your phone off and put it in a drawer.

3. Get a water jug so you don't have to keep getting up to fill your glass of water.

4. Create an alternative profile in Chrome or Firefox without your usual social profiles and add a site blocker blocking social media to it.

5. Print 4 rows of 10 boxes on a piece of paper and tick a box for every hour you successfully do work without distractions and put a cross for every hour that you are distracted. If you hit 40 hours without distractions give yourself a prize.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#23

Post by schwartzworld »

uyt wrote: post #7

Does anyone have good experience using a wacom tablet to replace paper/whiteboard? I tried using an ipad but it's not quite the same. It's too small and there's no way to directly integrate with desktop (I'm on linux).

The big thing with Wacom tablets is that it takes a long time to get used to them. Your writing appears on the screen, so you have to get used to the feeling of writing blind.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#24

Post by distances »

richliss wrote: post #21

Here's some free/low cost suggestions... 1. Listen to all of 10 hours of rain and thunder on Youtube whilst working every day. I get into a state of flow much easier listening to that than practically anything else. 2. Text important people in your life to say you're offline until lunch and then turn your phone off and put it in a drawer. 3. Get a water jug so you don't have to keep getting up to fill your glass of w…

For point 4, I'd go further and use a separate user account/computer. Nothing private on work account, not even email or a single news site. That has helped me draw the line easier: to procrastinate or answer any private message I have to either use my phone or boot up another computer.

On the water jug I disagree though, I think it's good idea to get up from the chair every now and then even if only to fill the water glass.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#25

Post by laptop-man »

uyt wrote: post #7

Does anyone have good experience using a wacom tablet to replace paper/whiteboard? I tried using an ipad but it's not quite the same. It's too small and there's no way to directly integrate with desktop (I'm on linux).

Maybe a rocket book?

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#26

Post by staz »

Far from the whole $1000 but I bought a monitor arm and a second screen. I really like the monitor arm, as it allows me to use more space on my desk.

I also bought a Bluetooth headset but I'm considering buying a real, big microphone to ease meetings.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#27

Post by catacombs »

poundofshrimp wrote: post #16

Here are some ideas (and US prices): 1) Nespresso coffee machine. Can get a good one for 2) Autonomous standing desk. Base model $399 3) Trackpad. Nice addition to the mouse. E.g. $129 from Apple. 4) Second monitor. I personally find this convenient. A decent one will cost you under $300. 5) Tablet. Useful for when you are too tired to sit or stand. Good for reading docs or whitepapers, for example. $329 for a base m…

> Faster internet. A few bucks added to your monthly bill.

A few bucks? Yeah, right.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#28

Post by kennethko »

I would first suggest improving your monitor situation.

I often find myself in a situation where there is a single application that I want to focus on (be it the terminal, a document, etc.) with some reference material (browser, other document, etc.) that I need. The ability to have even these two windows visible, together, without needing to alt-tab between them has been a big win.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#29

Post by slipwalker »

if you already have a modern/decent computer,

  - get as much RAM, as fast as your BIOS allow.
  - swap your drive for a nvme.
  - get a better/bigger 4k ( or even 5k ) monitor.
  - get a nice "cloud storage" data backup plan ( i like wasabi ).
  - have some reserved money to buy a new machine "on the spot" when you main machine dies on you.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to spend $1000 to improve your productivity?

#30

Post by throwaway524 »

uyt wrote: post #7

Does anyone have good experience using a wacom tablet to replace paper/whiteboard? I tried using an ipad but it's not quite the same. It's too small and there's no way to directly integrate with desktop (I'm on linux).

longtime wacom user here. ipad pro is far better.
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