About this time last year, I decided that I would try out moving my paper-based productivity tools of a diary and notebook to a more digital format (you can see the post about that here). Other than the digital calendar I have linked to my phone it's never really been something I've tried before. I've always liked using paper and pen, as it just seems to work with how my brain is wired, and the satisfaction of ticking off the work that you've done, so this year has been a bit of an eye-opener.
After a year of testing out 14 different apps (twelve for productivity and two for note-taking) this is what I've found:
- There are a lot of options out there, so it's pretty likely you'll find something that suits you.
- Despite the variety, it's unlikely you'll find something that is 100% what you want, but then that's the same for all forms of productivity, including paper.
- That I actually prefer the simpler apps with the least amount of frills, which is not what I was expecting when I first started this. Really this should have been obvious, I've tried many complex versions of diaries, habit tracking, and task completion, and yet I always reverted back to simplest format. The other forms just made me feel like I should be busy, even when I really shouldn't.
So, which are the apps that I actually liked and am likely to carry on with.
When it comes to note-taking I only tested two apps and the one that I prefered was OneNote. I liked the way I could have it on my phone, my laptop, and link to it through my email, and the layout really works for me as it's more like a notebook than just post-it notes.
When it comes to the to-dos or tasks my favourite apps were actually Cute Note (which is funny as I originally picked it as just a light end) and Teux Deux. I like Cute Note for the simple but actually quite effective layout, the countdown page, and, to be completely honest, the cuteness of the whole thing. It's also completely free, which is always good. Teux Deux is just as simple but has a more minimal appearance with no distractions. However, it does function much more effectively as a task keeper, specifically the part where the tasks get moved for you to the next day. This one does cost money, but the price wouldn't exactly break the bank.
For a long time, TickTick was actually my favourite app, but I've now decided it's a bit too complex for what I actually need. I'm also no longer bothered about keeping an eye on my habits at the moment. My main aim is to drink enough water and take my iron tablets, I'm not sure I need an app to do that. This may change in the future if I ever need to work on more things and I would definitely recommend it if that's what you're looking for.
An honourable mention has to go to Habitica. It's far more complex than I need, but it definitely added an element of fun to getting tasks done without taking up a large amount of space on my phone. Definitely keeping it in my list of future possibles for if things get a bit more complex.
So, am I doing moving forward? My physical diary is now coming to an end. It's a visually beautiful diary, but I'm not going to buy a new one. However, I do have a number of notebooks sitting in my storage boxes that I want to use up, so the start of the year is going to still be paper-based when it comes to organising my to-dos. I'm pretty sure I'll always need to have a notebook of some description with me as my brain does work better when I write things down (I just don't think I'll ever be able to go completely digital). However, I have already moved a lot of my long-term notes and note-taking onto One Note, and I'll continue to do that. Also, once those notebooks are finished I'll move to a digital task manager. I haven't decided yet if it's going to be Cute Note or Teux Deux yet, but it will probably be one of those two.
To read about the apps I tested this year you can following my Paperless Productivity label.
No comments:
Post a Comment