Matt Ragland – Analog Action

I remember the exact moment I hit rock bottom with my productivity system. I was sitting in my home office, surrounded by three different devices, jumping between six productivity apps, and somehow still missing important deadlines. My carefully crafted digital systems had become a maze of notifications, reminders, and endless to-do lists.

Maybe you can relate?

Are you trapped in an endless cycle of digital notifications, scattered to-do lists, and constant distractions? You start each day determined to be productive, but end up jumping between apps, drowning in notifications, and feeling more overwhelmed than ever.

Your productivity tools have become productivity traps.

I discovered something surprising when my internet stopped working for two days. With just a pen and notebook, I got more important work done in those two days than I had in the previous two weeks.

This experience made me curious, so I started learning about how our brains work and different ways to be productive. I found something interesting: writing things down by hand helps our brain focus better and remember more.

But I still needed my computer and phone for work, email, and talking with others. I realized I didn’t have to choose between paper and digital tools – I just needed to find the right way to use both together.

That’s how I created Analog Action.

This isn’t just about getting more done – it’s about reclaiming your attention, reducing stress, and making consistent progress on work that truly matters.

Analog Action provides a proven framework that combines the focus-enhancing power of analog tools with the convenience of digital systems. No more choosing between old-school and new-school—this is the best of both worlds.

Why Only 15 Minutes?

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to improve their productivity is attempting to change everything at once. They try to overhaul their entire system in a day, get overwhelmed, and quickly revert to their old habits.

Analog Action is different. Through years of testing and refinement, I’ve discovered that 15 minutes is the sweet spot – long enough to make meaningful progress, but short enough to fit into even the busiest schedule.

This isn’t about adding another time-consuming system to your day. It’s about making small, strategic changes that compound into dramatic improvements in your productivity and focus.

The Science Behind the System

You might be wondering why combining analog and digital tools is so effective. The answer lies in how our brains process information. Research has shown that physical writing activates regions of the brain responsible for learning and memory in ways that digital input simply doesn’t.

When you write something by hand, you’re not just recording information – you’re processing it. This deeper engagement helps you:

• Experience less mental fatigue

• Maintain focus for longer periods

• Make better decisions about priorities

• Remember important information more clearly

• Actually achieve your goals instead of just planning them

Citations: Mueller/Oppenheimer (2014), and Mangen/Velay (2010).