The best productivity hack I've found this year isn't an app. It's a record player.

I've recently fallen back in love with vinyl, and I've realised the appeal has very little to do with nostalgia. While Spotify offers convenience, vinyl forces me to commit.

I love the physical ritual of choosing an album, taking it out of its sleeve and lowering the needle. I also like knowing I own the music; no algorithm is deciding what comes next, and no licensing deal can suddenly make one of my favourite albums disappear. And yes — Ikea effect in action — I think it sounds better.

But what I hadn't expected was how well vinyl works as a focus tool. Choosing a record comes with just enough switching costs that I'm far less tempted to skip to something else. Once I commit to an album, I seem to commit to the work in front of me as well.

So now, when there's something I've been putting off — hello, tax returns 🤨 — I put on a record and make myself a simple promise: just work until the end of Side A.

Twenty minutes later, the music stops. I get up, stretch, make a coffee, flip the record, and carry on. It's basically a Pomodoro timer, but one that feels completely natural because it's not another productivity app telling me what to do.

And for tasks I really hate, there's always the newer 180g pressings with fewer tracks per side, so a 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 commitment. Ideal for a quick burst of focus.

It makes me wonder what else I can use as productivity tools to help nudge better behaviours. 

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And if you're wondering, '𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯?', then rest assured the Audio-Technica Sound Burger has that covered