How I freed 5+ hours weekly while working remotely: My “anywhere productivity” system using Todoist across devices

Two years ago, I was the poster child for remote work chaos. Working from home, coffee shops, and occasionally while traveling led to task management disaster. I’d write deadlines on my phone, project notes on my laptop, and client follow-ups in random notepads. The context-switching was destroying my productivity and threatening my professional reputation.

The breaking point: I was on a train after a day of remote meetings when I realized I’d completely forgotten to update a critical client deliverable. That moment cost me a weekend of emergency work and nearly lost a key account.

After testing multiple solutions specifically designed for remote work scenarios, I developed a cross-device productivity system centered around Todoist. The results transformed my remote work experience:

What actually worked:

• Location-based task triggers – Created custom filters for “home office,” “coffee shop,” and “travel” work modes
• Reclaimed 5+ hours weekly previously spent context-switching between different work environments
• Reduced missed deadlines by 90% using synchronized notifications that follow me across locations
• Cut Zoom preparation time in half by having project details available on whatever device I’m using
• Eliminated the “which device has that file?” frustration when switching between workspaces

Remote-specific workflows that made the difference:

1. Morning planning ritual: 10-minute review of the day’s tasks regardless of where I’m working
2. End-of-day documentation: 5-minute summary of what was accomplished and next steps
3. Weekly review at my primary workspace: Deep analysis of what’s working and what needs adjustment
4. Template creation for recurring remote work scenarios: Client updates, team check-ins, etc.
5. Focus time blocks that sync across calendar and task manager: Preventing schedule fragmentation

Remote work benefits nobody talks about:

• The ability to seamlessly transition between different work environments without productivity loss
• Dramatically reduced anxiety about “forgetting something important” between different workspaces
• Improved communication with distributed teams since all project details are instantly accessible
• Better work-life boundaries once I stopped carrying mental work baggage across physical locations

What’s your biggest productivity pain point as a remote worker? Has anyone else found that a unified cross-device system gave them back more time than expected?

If anyone’s interested in my detailed setup, I’m happy to share specifics in the comments!