For the productivity-obsessed, a more joyful and efficient life starts with good habits. Our sensible routines prepare us for success: plan your day, wash your face, early to bed, early to rise, etc. If you have an iPhone and you've updated to iOS 12, you can streamline those routines on your phone across apps, and maybe even create new habits. Shortcuts (née Workflow) was introduced to iPhones and iPads in this fall's software update. The feature allows you to create an ordered series of steps, called "actions," and consolidate them into a single shortcut.

If you're a Volkswagen driver, you now have another way to lock and unlock your car, start and stop electric charging and check your remaining estimated mileage. You can also use Siri to turn on alarms, start the defroster, set the temperature and remind yourself where you parked. You might opt to set up routines using the voice assistant's Shortcuts, a feature that arrived with iOS 12. So you could, say, ask Siri to warm up the car, defrost the windshield and top up the battery charge with a single command before you step out into a chilly morning. VW does charge a monthly subscription fee for Car-Net, however, so you won't get those Siri commands for free.