Are there any productivity hacks or tools that help you stay organized and on top of everything going on as a product manager?

Like anything in technology, iteration is key. There are constantly new tools, apps, and best practices coming out to help your productivity -  so you need to stay agile to continuously improve your own system. 

That being said, it's easy to get overwhelmed and overcomplicate your workflow. Having a baseline system that you fall back on can ensure nothing falls between the cracks. 

For me that is using a repeatable framework in how I approach problems, and managing a surprisingly simple and unstructured continuous to-do list - I add items as they come in, and delete them when complete or if they are no longer a priority.

I have a Notion board with three swimlanes - to-do, doing, and done.

I groom my to-do list about 3 times a day to ensure the highest prio stuff is next on the queue.

I to try to carve out dedicated blocks for complex, mentally-intensive work. I try not to little tasks (stuff that takes less than 5 min to do) build-up and intersperse them throughout my day.

I stay organized by setting half-yearly goals aligned with my manager. I like to break them down into monthly goals prioritized by impact, and track weekly progress, plans, and problems. This ensures alignment and helps me spot early signs of deviation from the original plan.

You can use a simple spreadsheet or leverage tools your company provides, but the core idea is to maintain visibility into progress and continuously tie short-term actions to long-term objectives. This practice keeps me focused and enables timely course corrections

Time management is essential as a PM, and the tools I use have changed over the years as I find what works. Here are some tips:

1. Use a project management tool: A project management tool, such as Asana or Trello, can help you keep track of tasks and progress you have for yourself. I always found it hard to follow up on tasks I delegated to others until I had a specific column in my Trello board dedicated to them.
2. Make use of templates: Use templates, such as meeting agendas or project planning documents, to save time and ensure that you consistently follow best practices. I have created many templates for PMs in my team to follow for interview guides, opportunity canvases, and decision documents. This lets us quickly get to the point of the document instead of needing to wade through the many variations in layout or formatting that can be distracting.
3. Use a note-taking tool: It can help you capture ideas and essential information and keep it organized. At the end of the day, I usually wonder where I put that note on a customer quote or OKR. If it's all in one place, it's easier to find!
4. Prioritize tasks: Use a prioritization method, such as the Eisenhower Matrix, to help you prioritize and focus on the most important things.
5. Take breaks: We all know we should do it but usually don't. Take breaks to rest and recharge, and try to avoid multitasking.
6. Use time blocking: Use time blocking to schedule dedicated blocks for specific tasks or projects, and try to minimize distractions during those blocks. This is invaluable, especially as a people leader with many 1:1s and meetings.