Tip: If you struggle getting enough listening input, try converting your reading materials to audio

I used to have a massive folder of articles and short stories in my Target Language that I swore I was going to read someday. The problem was that sitting down to decipher text requires 100% focus, and I rarely had the energy after work. Now I convert them to audio and listen whenever I want, and I actually get through all the content I save.

This has been one of the easiest productivity hacks for me: instead of forcing myself to sit down and read, I just let the app read everything for me while I do something else. It also helps a lot if you have ADHD or if you get tired of looking at screens.

There are plenty of free apps that can do this — for example: Frateca, Speechify and many others, so you can choose the one that fits your workflow. Once you try it, it’s hard to go back to reading everything manually.

Also just wanted to mention that all these tools can convert PDF and FB2 books as well, which makes them a great solution for listening to useful content while walking or commuting.