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!