Syed Irfan Ajmal
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Est. 2004 · Global · Friday, May 29, 2026Open for projects, Q3 2026
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§ 02About this episodeVol. XV · № 02
Two productivity systems that survived the year intact.
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Irfan: Hey everyone, welcome to another solo episode of the Ask Irfan podcast. I'm your host Irfan Ajmal, and today I want to share with you my top two game-changing productivity hacks of 2018.
These are the two things that really made a significant difference in my productivity this year and I think they can help you as well. So let's get right into it.
Hack #1: The Bullet Journal
The first productivity hack that completely changed my life in 2018 was the Bullet Journal system. Now, if you haven't heard of Bullet Journal, it's an analog system created by Ryder Carroll. It's essentially a way of journaling and planning your life using a regular notebook.
What makes it so powerful is that it gives you a framework for capturing everything — your tasks, your events, your notes, your ideas — in a structured but flexible way. You're not confined to a specific format like a planner. You can customize it to fit your needs.
The key components of the Bullet Journal system include:
- The Index: A table of contents that helps you navigate your journal
- The Future Log: A place to capture events and tasks for future months
- The Monthly Log: An overview of your month with dates and a task list
- The Daily Log: Where you capture your day-to-day tasks, events, and notes
The beauty of the Bullet Journal is the rapid logging system. You use simple symbols to categorize your entries — a dot for tasks, a circle for events, a dash for notes. When a task is complete, you fill in the dot. When it's migrated to another day, you put an arrow. This makes it incredibly fast to capture and review information.
What really drew me to the Bullet Journal was that it forced me to be intentional about what I'm working on. Every morning, I sit down with my journal and plan my day. Every evening, I review what I accomplished and migrate unfinished tasks. This daily ritual has been transformative.
One of the most powerful aspects is what Ryder Carroll calls "migration." At the end of each month, you go through all your tasks and decide: should I do this next month? Should I delete it? Should I put it in a future log? This process of actively deciding what to carry forward prevents you from endlessly carrying tasks that aren't actually important.
Hack #2: The Pomodoro Technique
The second productivity hack that made a huge difference for me in 2018 is the Pomodoro Technique. This is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.
The basic idea is simple: you work in focused 25-minute intervals called "pomodoros," followed by a 5-minute break. After four pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.
The technique works because it:
1. Creates urgency: When you know you only have 25 minutes, you're less likely to procrastinate
2. Reduces interruptions: During a pomodoro, you don't check email, social media, or anything else. You're fully focused.
3. Fights mental fatigue: The regular breaks prevent burnout and keep your mind fresh
4. Makes tasks less daunting: Breaking work into 25-minute chunks makes even large projects feel manageable
How I use the Pomodoro Technique:
- I use a simple timer — either a physical one or an app on my phone
- Before starting, I write down exactly what I'll work on during that pomodoro
- During the 25 minutes, I eliminate all distractions — phone on silent, notifications off, door closed
- If something comes to mind that I need to do later, I just write it down and get back to work
- I track how many pomodoros I complete each day
The combination of the Bullet Journal and the Pomodoro Technique has been incredibly powerful for me. The Bullet Journal gives me clarity on WHAT I need to work on. The Pomodoro Technique gives me the structure to actually DO the work in a focused way.
Wrapping Up
So those are my top two game-changing productivity hacks of 2018. If you're struggling with productivity, I highly recommend trying both of these systems. Start with one, get comfortable with it, and then add the other.
The Bullet Journal can be found at bulletjournal.com — Ryder Carroll has written an excellent book about it as well. For the Pomodoro Technique, there are lots of free resources online, and there are great apps like Forest or Toggl that can help you time your pomodoros.
If you found this episode useful, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It really helps the show reach more people. And if you have questions or want to share your own productivity hacks, feel free to reach out to me on social media or via the website at syedirfanajmal.com.
Until next time, keep hustling and stay productive!