Productivity Tip:

Make an End-of-Year Done List

Before you rush to plan the year ahead, try something different: write down what you already accomplished this past year. Big goals, small wins, non-linear progress, lessons learned: it all counts! We often overlook things we’d happily celebrate in someone else.

Research shows that tracking progress boosts motivation more than setting new goals alone. Harvard Business School calls this the Progress Principle: noticing what you’ve achieved (even tiny steps) helps you keep that forward momentum.

So before you start making fresh plans, give yourself credit. Take 10 minutes, make a coffee, and write down your wins of 2025, big and small.

Routine Breakdown

Matthias Frank, Notion Consultant, Ambassador and Speaker

A Morning Routine That Prioritizes Process Over Perfection

Matthias Frank acknowledges that his morning routine doesn’t always go to plan: “Good habits are not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. It’s a continuous process.” That’s why, when he starts to slip, he reminds himself of his ideal routine and why it matters. 

The Routine:

• Wakes up. “I’m 100% a morning person. My most productive time is from 30 minutes after I wake up to 3 hours later when I start getting hungry for lunch. If I need to get something done, it has to happen in that time window.”
• Drinks a big glass of water.
• Does some super simple morning stretches: “rolling my neck and shoulders, mobilising my hips and knees and helping my lower back face the day.”
• Brushes his teeth and washes his face.
• Takes athletic greens.
• Meditates for 10 minutes.
• Journals a few paragraphs (or just one).
• Sits at his desk and works for 25 minutes on his blog.
  
  

Why it works:

• Matthias’ routine is less about the steps themselves and more about the habits and processes behind them. He’s all about doing what fits best with his individual strengths, like jumping into work soon after waking and keeping a schedule that’s sustainable. He also includes a few evidence-based activities like meditation and journaling to start the day on the right foot.

“Just as important as all the things I do DO first thing in the morning is the one thing I try not to: check my phone,” says Matthias. “Whether or not I check my phone has an outsized impact on my morning.” 

If you’re used to checking your phone first thing, Matthias suggests an experiment: “For the next 2-3 days, start your day without looking at your phone. Instead, sit for 10 minutes and meditate.” After three days of no phone, switch things around and check your phone first. “For me, the difference is stunning,” says Matthias. What effect does it have on your day?