WWhen my friend Rosamund suggested we try the productivity hack of leaving each other voice notes every day, I immediately said yes, even though deep down I suspected we might not keep it up for long. I was careful because we both lead busy lives 3,500 miles apart. She lives in London and I live in Brooklyn. Sometimes it's hard to keep in touch. Even talking on the phone is difficult given the time difference and our schedules. Adding one more thing every day, even something as small as two minutes, seemed like a daunting task.
The technique is quite simple. In the morning, you send a voice note to your friend telling him what you “did” that day. You always speak in the past tense when calling for responsibility. The theory is that once you tell a friend you've “done” something, you're more likely to follow through.
There is also a manifesting element. Because when we take notes, we are also talking to ourselves. As a freelance journalist working from home, I told Rosamund that I “went” for a walk even though I had a deadline, and felt much better afterwards, and that I had effectively “written” a complex article without changing the introduction 17 times. Once I verbalized this holy behavior, I found that I was more likely to carry it out.
What surprised me was that within six months it took hold. For me, this method works much better than a traditional to-do list because I am forced to think about what can be accomplished in one day before telling the other person about it. It also motivates me to stick to my goals. When I explain each “completed” task with a few words about why I “set aside” the time, I remind myself why I should do it. I sent messages saying I “took” my kids for a walk even though it was cold because I know how important exercise is. And that I “gave” an interview and “found” a charming way to ask an awkward question. More often than not, I complete these tasks later.
For us, this technique has another big advantage: we can stay aware of small and boring things. Because when you emigrate, as I did in 2022, you tend to miss out on your friends' micro-news. Now I know everything about Rosamund's daily life. A new cafe on her street where she goes to work; yoga classes, which she really enjoys. Her excitement at taking her teenage son to the cinema for the first time in the evening. How she laughed at her daughter's pirate-themed birthday party.
Anyone who heard our voice notes would probably find them extremely tedious – and we're okay with that. They made us a little healthier, a little more productive. Now I make sure to go to weekly Pilates classes and meditate more, having already explained to Rosamund so many times why I “went.” I find that I complete difficult tasks much more effectively by bragging about it in my morning voice memo.
It turned out to be quietly and modestly life-changing. But the byproduct – the fact that we know the little and boring things about each other's lives again – is truly the best thing.
