The Productivity Show

What’s in Our Menu Bar? Productivity Tools We Use Every Day (TPS560)


Listen Later

How much untapped potential is sitting in your menu bar or system tray right now? For many users, that screen section is cluttered with random icons — or worse, completely overlooked. But for us, it’s a quiet command center filled with powerful tools that make our work faster, our days smoother, and our systems smarter.

In this episode, we’re revealing the exact apps we keep in our menu bars—and why. From quick file automation and smarter calendar previews to advanced keyboard shortcuts and browser rules, you’ll walk away with simple, actionable ideas to level up your setup. When possible, we share Windows alternatives as well. Whether you’re a power user or just getting started, you’ll find a few new tools to try (and maybe even clear out some digital clutter while you’re at it).

Sign up for a $1/month trial period at shopify.com/tps.

Go to Zocdoc.com/TPS and download the Zocdoc app to sign-up for FREE and book a top-rated doctor.

Thanks SelectQuote. SelectQuote.com/TPS.

You can find links to everything that we share in the show notes at theproductivityshow.com/.

Cheat Sheet:

Become a member of TPS+ and get ad-free episodes a week before anyone else with other great bonuses like the famous “One Tweak A Week” shirt.

  • Top 3 Productivity Resources [02:21]
  • What exactly is a menu bar—and why should you care? [04:01]
  • Bartender or chaos? How we keep our menu bars sane [05:36]
  • A better way to take screenshots [08:26]
  • The shortcut to snapping your windows into place [10:09]
  • The nostalgic system monitor we still love [15:58]
  • The drag-and-drop utility hiding in plain sight [18:39]
  • The calendar feature we can’t live without [23:30]
  • Open links in exactly the browser you want [27:08]
  • The shortcut savior for long-winded replies [29:14]
  • Which icons we keep visible—and what stays hidden [32:14]
  • Quick control for your home office lighting [33:14]
  • The Mac app that can (almost) do everything [35:51]
  • Links:
    • Shopify
    • Zocdoc
    • SelectQuote
    • Setapp
    • Bartender
    • The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
    • Ice
    • CleanShot X
    • ShareX
    • Moom
    • FancyZones – PowerToys
    • iStat Menus
    • Rainmeter
    • Dropzone
    • Fantastical
    • Rainlendar
    • Velja
    • TextExpander
    • PhraseExpress
    • Breevy
    • BetterTouchTool
    • AutoHotKey
    • Elgato Control Center
    • 25X Productivity Coaching
    • Productivity Academy
    • The Productivity Show on Youtube
    • The Productivity Show Youtube Clips
    • Become a member of TPS+
    • Take the Productivity Quiz
    • If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or your favorite podcast player. It’s easy, you’ll get new episodes automatically, and it also helps the show. You can also leave a review!

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      The Productivity ShowBy Asian Efficiency

      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6

      4.6

      485 ratings


      More shows like The Productivity Show

      View all
      Modern Mentor by QuickAndDirtyTips.com

      Modern Mentor

      693 Listeners

      Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak

      Coaching for Leaders

      1,458 Listeners

      Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life by Erik Fisher

      Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

      840 Listeners

      The 5 AM Miracle: Healthy Productivity for High Achievers by Jeff Sanders

      The 5 AM Miracle: Healthy Productivity for High Achievers

      733 Listeners

      The Productive Woman by Laura McClellan

      The Productive Woman

      474 Listeners

      Organize 365 Podcast by Lisa Woodruff

      Organize 365 Podcast

      1,304 Listeners

      Getting Things Done by GTD®

      Getting Things Done

      456 Listeners

      How to Be Awesome at Your Job by How to be Awesome at Your Job

      How to Be Awesome at Your Job

      1,042 Listeners

      Focused by Relay

      Focused

      119 Listeners

      The Double Win by Michael Hyatt & Megan Hyatt-Miller

      The Double Win

      1,433 Listeners

      The Modern Manager by Mamie Kanfer Stewart

      The Modern Manager

      190 Listeners

      The Daily Stoic by Daily Stoic | Wondery

      The Daily Stoic

      4,725 Listeners

      It's About Time | Time Management & Productivity for Work Life & Balance by Anna Dearmon Kornick

      It's About Time | Time Management & Productivity for Work Life & Balance

      225 Listeners

      Deep Questions with Cal Newport by Cal Newport

      Deep Questions with Cal Newport

      1,276 Listeners

      Best Laid Plans by Sarah Hart-Unger

      Best Laid Plans

      743 Listeners