In today’s fast-paced, always-connected world, intentional tech habits are the secret sauce behind many high-performers’ success.
Our recent survey of over 1,000 professionals revealed that small adjustments, like batching email checks, limiting social media, and scheduling deep-work blocks, can dramatically improve focus, energy, and bottom-line results.
In this post, we’ll unpack the core findings from the Tech Habits of Successful People Study, share practical tips you can implement today, and introduce two free, downloadable assets that help you put these insights into action.
Why tech habits matter more than ever
Modern work environments blend digital tools, remote collaboration platforms, and real-time notifications, often all at once. Without a clear strategy to manage these technologies, even talented professionals can fall prey to endless context-switching, decision fatigue, and burnout.
The study found that…
- 80% of “high-achievers” intentionally schedule device-free time in the morning, gaining an extra 15–20 minutes of uninterrupted planning before diving into email.
- 72% build daily “deep work” blocks (60–90 minutes of distraction-free focus) into their calendar, cutting task-switching mistakes by over 25%.
- 65% use specialized apps or operating-system settings to cap screen time on social media and entertainment, recovering as much as 1.5 hours per week for strategic work.
Those small percentages add up: consistently implementing these habits can translate into hours saved each week, hours you can reinvest in critical thinking, creative brainstorming, or face-to-face collaboration.
Key findings from the study
1. Device-free mornings accelerate decision-making
Survey respondents who avoided smartphones for the first 30 minutes of their day reported 15% faster decision-making on morning tasks. By starting the day with a clear mind, free from pings, banners, and updates, professionals set a more purposeful tone for the entire workday.
2. Batching communication reduces errors
People who grouped email and Slack checks into two or three designated “check-in” windows made 25% fewer mistakes than those who responded reactively. Rather than keeping their inbox open all day, they found that a controlled cadence of communication enabled deeper concentration on high-impact work.
3. Health-focused “micro-breaks” improve energy
Integrating a 5-minute stretch or mindfulness break every hour led to 10% higher productivity scores. Simple tools like Pomodoro timers (e.g., TomatoTimer or Focus Booster) prompted regular movement, which in turn prevented mental fatigue and improved overall well-being.
4. Scheduled deep-work blocks double project velocity
Participants who blocked off two 90-minute focus sessions per day completed strategic projects twice as quickly as those who scattered work in 15- to 20-minute fragments. These deep-work blocks created a psychology of “protected time,” where uninterrupted concentration fueled breakthroughs.
5. Regular “tech audits” yield continuous improvement
Weekend reflections, logging wins, tech hurdles, and tweaks for the upcoming week, helped 60% of users identify recurring distractions (like endless browser tabs or impulsive social scrolling). Armed with that data, they implemented small fixes, website blockers, notification silences, or app reorganizations that built momentum over time.
For an in-depth look at the data and access to the assets, click here Tech Habits of Successful People Study.
Translate insights into action: free downloadable assets
Reading about these habits is only half the battle. To truly embed them into your routine, you need actionable tools and clear, step-by-step guidance. That’s why we created two free, gated PDFs, available now for download, designed to help you form, track, and optimize your tech habits:
- Daily tech habits tracker (interactive PDF)
- What it does: Guides you through a three-part daily process: morning setup, midday check-in, and end-of-day reflection.
- How it helps: Turns abstract goals (like “spend less time on social media”) into concrete data points (hours used, self-ratings, wins/hurdles). Over days and weeks, you can spot patterns, tweak behaviors, and measure progress.
- Use cases: Solo entrepreneurs wanting better work-life balance; team leads needing a simple accountability tool for remote staff; managers aiming to reduce digital distractions across a department.
- Top productivity & balance tools cheat sheet (one-page PDF)
- What it does: Showcases six proven apps and settings—each with a live URL and quick-setup tip—to help you carve out deep-work blocks, limit screen time, and automate routine tasks.
- How it helps: Saves you hours of research by distilling “best-in-class” recommendations into a single page. Ready to print, pin to your desk, or share with your team in a Slack channel.
- Use cases: Anyone who needs a fast, printable reference for implementing immediate improvements in focus and well-being; marketing teams looking to standardize productivity tools.
Here’s a quick preview:

Ready to get started? Click the button below to enter your email and download both assets:
How to leverage these assets for maximum ROI
- Commit to a 7-day sprint
- Day 1: Complete your first daily entry in the Daily tech habits tracker. Set your top 3 priorities and commit to one key tech habit (e.g., device-free morning).
- Day 2–6: Continue logging, track app usage, self-ratings, and reflections. At Day 4, refer to the productivity & balance tools cheat sheet to identify two tools that align with your challenges (for example, Forest to discourage endless scrolling).
- Day 7: Compare your initial self-rating to today’s entry. Note tangible improvements, whether you reclaimed 30 minutes of focus time or reduced email-checking from 15 to 3 times per day.
- Share with your team for collective buy-in
- Distribute the cheat sheet as a PDF posted on your team wiki or Slack channel.
- Encourage colleagues to use the tracker alongside you. Consider a weekly “tech habits roundtable” where everyone shares wins/hurdles, building a culture of accountability.
- Run a monthly “tech audit” workshop
- Print previous weeks of the tracker and do a group debrief: Which apps or settings enabled the biggest gains? Where did distractions still slip in?
- Use those insights to refine your team’s digital guidelines—like instituting “no-email Fridays” or a shared “deep work” calendar block.
- Share with the Liquid Web community using #LWTechHabits
- X: @LiquidWeb
- LinkedIn: Liquid Web LLC
- Facebook: @LiquidWeb
- Instagram: @LiquidWeb
- Bluesky: @itsliquidweb.bsky.social
Frequently asked questions
Take the next step: download the toolkit today
It’s one thing to read about successful people’s tech habits—it’s another to put them into practice. By downloading our free Tech Habits Toolkit, you’ll have a clear, guided path to building and measuring the exact routines that unlock productivity, deep focus, and sustainable work-life balance.
Ready to see real change in just 7 days? Equip yourself with actionable worksheets and a curated cheat sheet of the best productivity tools. Your future self—and your business—will thank you.
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