Today is my last first day of summer vacation.
I've spent the day sitting on my bed, watching TV, and eating leftover cake from my high school graduation.
As I take some time for myself over the next few days, I'm also adjusting my environment now that school is over (FINALLY, no more random textbooks lying around on my desk).
I've also been changing my "digital environment" (aka my iPad home screen).
As I've been adjusting my home screen setup, I've learned a few tips that might help you out as well. Here you go:
Apps = Actions
One thing I learned from James Clear's Atomic Habits was the power of your environment.
If you keep gaming apps on your home screen, you will play games.
If you keep them tucked away in the deepest, darkest corner of your iPad, you probably won't play games.
If you keep your to-do list app on your home screen, you'll focus on finishing your tasks.
If you keep it in the depths of your App Library, you'll probably forget them.
The apps you place on your Home Screen will have a HUGE influence on the actions you take. Be careful when you're setting up your screen and remember that apps = actions.
Widgets = Actions
The same thing goes for widgets.
If you're trying to break a social media addiction, don't put a massive YouTube widget in the middle of your home screen.
If you want to procrastinate less, put a massive to-do list widget in the middle of your home screen.
If anything, widgets are even more influential than apps because of the amount of space they take up.
I'll repeat this again: match what you put on your Home Screen with the actions you want your future self to take.
Shortcuts
I love the Shortcuts app (it's genuinely one of the most powerful apps you can have on an iPad).
Using Shortcuts with your Home Screen can take your productivity to the next level.
Here's how I use Shortcuts in my workflow:
I manage ads for a few nonprofits across the country. It can be cumbersome to log into individual ad accounts, open up different websites, and set up my ad-managing workflow
Shortcuts fix this issue. For each individual nonprofit, I have a Shortcut that opens up both their individual ad account and their website. For every nonprofit that I help, I add a Shortcut to my home screen.
This makes it easy to get into a deep state of work, leading to better results for my clients.
If Shortcuts seem interesting, I'd recommend checking out Christopher Lawley's YouTube channel. He's the GYWMVATSAOAT (greatest YouTuber who makes videos about the Shortcuts app of all time).
Focus Modes
This is where your home screen can get REALLY powerful (Focus Modes are probably the most underrated feature of iPadOS).
On top of your basic Do Not Disturb features (I swear, some of my friends abuse this), app use restriction, and contact restrictions, my favorite Focus Mode feature is the ability to change home screens based on your Focus Mode.
That unlocks so much potential:
• For a "Writing" focus mode, you could set up a Home Screen with a to-do list widget and whatever writing apps you use.
• For a "Studying" focus mode, you could set up a Home Screen with a to-do list widget and whatever studying apps you use.
• And for a "Friday Night" focus mode, you could set up a Home Screen without a to-do list widget and your favorite gaming/TV apps.
Focus Modes unlock so much creativity. Focus Modes + App Selection + Widgets + Shortcuts offer essentially unlimited customization.
Explore Focus Modes and find whatever works best for you.
Wallpapers
Wallpapers are probably the least important thing here if you care about productivity.
That being said, I feel like wallpapers are a pretty cool touch to your work environment. They add a sense of personal meaning to your iPad, and may even serve as a source of motivation or inspiration.
To find cool wallpapers, just go to Unsplash and find a cool image that fits what you're looking for.
If you can't find anything there, find a free AI image generator and tell it what you're looking for.
If you still can't find what you're looking for, download a drawing app (I love Procreate) and make it.
Final Thoughts
"Motivation is overvalued. Environment often matters more."—James Clear
Thanks for reading!
Adi