How to work smarter: a productivity expert’s guide to managing time, energy and focus
Overflowing inboxes, never-ending to-do lists and competing demands can make it easy to spend the day feeling busy without making progress.
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it → work → progress
As a professional speaker, trainer and coach specialising in digital productivity, I help people use technology more effectively and take back control of three key resources: their time, energy and focus.
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people → specialise → resources
For me, working smarter starts with practical habits: setting clear priorities, protecting time to concentrate and keeping tasks and information organised.
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working → work → tasks
The right tools can help put those habits into practice, so I wanted to see how the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra could support my everyday routine and help me work more effectively.
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me → help → routine
One of my biggest productivity tips is to take 10 to 15 minutes each morning to create your optimal day plan — before you open emails or messages with other people’s priorities, so you don’t start the day getting sidetracked.
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you → take → day
This enables you to focus on your pending tasks, then highlight your top priorities for the day.
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This → enable → day
It’s about moving away from being “busy” towards being “productive”.
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It → ’ → ?
I advise clients to use a simple, tech-based structure with a set of apps to keep everything organised, so they can easily access important items and information, reducing decision fatigue, and the framework has three elements or keys.
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framework → advise → elements
The first is calendar (your time) – the appointments in your schedule for today (on the Tab, you could use the Samsung Calendar app, which links with all your popular online calendar systems).
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which → use → systems
The second is notes (your energy) – a place for useful reference information and ideas (on the Tab, you could use apps like Samsung Notes or Readability).
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you → use → Notes
The third key is task list (your focus) – your top tasks for today or this week (on the Tab, use a simple setup with Samsung Reminders, or a task management system like Todoist).
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key → use → Todoist
You’ll then have a plan for your day that’s clear and realistic.
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that → have → day
Keep focused
When I’m having an admin day, I like to get on top of my client communications, inboxes, socials, and session prep.
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I → keep → communications
I use my favourite productivity technique, Pomodoro.
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I → use → technique
I divide each type of task into 25-minute blocks, set a timer, and put instrumental music on using BGMC (Background Music Channel) to help me focus and work to a moderate tempo.
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me → divide → tempo
On the Tab S12 Ultra, I can simply open the clock app to set a timer and play some instrumental music saved on the Tab’s internal storage with the Samsung Music app to help me focus (the device’s quad speaker system was great for this).
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system → open → this
Using the multi-window setup, I could keep my timer, Todoist task list and Samsung Notes open side by side, so I can see what I’m working on, track my tasks and jot down notes as I go.
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I → use → notes
Once the timer goes off, I take a five-minute break, grab a coffee or get some fresh air.
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I → go → air
This gives my brain a break so I feel refreshed and ready for the next block of focused work.
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I → give → work
When I’m delivering my masterclasses, I need to bring my A-game, so I close down all my open tabs, chat apps and tools, check my slides and – if it’s an online session – get my client’s video conferencing room ready.
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room → deliver → slides
You can use the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra’s Modes and Routines or Bixby* to set up an automation to close all these apps down and set up your own focus mode, based on a timeframe, manual tap of a screen widget, or trigger from a new connection, such as to a specific device or network – great if you want to set up that focused environment automatically once you’ve connected your Samsung Galaxy Buds via Bluetooth.
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you → use → Bluetooth
On the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, I set up a specific desktop for Zoom and PowerPoint, then connect my external keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth, using the S Pen to annotate my slides and write on Zoom’s digital whiteboard.
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I → set → whiteboard
This enables me to deliver my talks and masterclasses from anywhere, without having to lug a heavy laptop around.
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This → enable → laptop
Go paperless
I’m a huge advocate for a digital-only workflow.
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I → go → workflow
I’ve been paperless for five years – it saves me wondering what all the unclear half-written sticky notes on my desk actually mean.
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notes → save → desk
The beauty of a digital system is having your resources at your fingertips.
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resources → have → fingertips
I’m also the president of an association for professional speakers.
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I → ’m → speakers
I chair the meetings and manage a live agenda document before, during and afterwards, noting actions as we go.
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we → chair → actions
Normally, meeting minutes can take up to a week.
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minutes → take → week
But with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, I was able to make handwritten notes with the S Pen in Samsung Notes, use the in-built tool to “convert handwriting to text”, and then copy it straight into my Todoist task list – turning my jottings into an instant action list.
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I → make → list
I had to fine-tune the spelling and structure afterwards, but my tasks were already captured in my personal “VSAI Board Actions” list inside Todoist, before the meeting had even finished.
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meeting → have → Todoist
I like to travel and work remotely, so the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is a great choice – at 5.1mm thin, it’s light, with a crisp, clear screen that performs brilliantly in different lighting conditions.
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that → like → conditions
A key part of being a professional speaker is giving speedy responses to clients and bookers looking for bios, headshots, and session details.
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part → give → bios
The Tab S12 Ultra makes it easy to fulfil these requests while out and about.
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it → make → requests
I have my files set up in cloud storage, so I simply access the relevant document and send it on.
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I → have → it
With the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, you can work online or offline and sync your cloud drives like Google Drive** to the device at intervals, or use the large in-built storage.
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you → work → storage
The verdict
I found the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra great for boosting productivity.
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I → find → productivity
The multi-screen windows help me structure my optimal day and create a focused working environment.
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me → help → environment
The large screen was great for reading dense documents and writing with the S Pen, while the slim, lightweight design and ability to connect to other devices made it perfect for working flexibly.
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it → read → devices
Overall, it’s a great option for entrepreneurs and professionals who want a device that works with them, wherever they are.
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they → ’ → them
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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