The productivity tools I swear by.

There was a time when I obsessed with finding the perfect tool. Each day began with an eager scroll through the latest releases on ProductHunt. Headlines like, "The only task manager trusted by Y Comb" were instant downloads. By noon, the totality of my work would have moved from one app to the next. Those emails I've yet to respond to, the contract in need of review- I would make quick work of them once organized.

If you are here in hopes of discovering something to make life feel manageable again, the tool is therapy. Productivity tools are a wonderful way to organize an otherwise structured mind. They help us become efficient with our already productive efforts. Unfortunately, they don't often make tasks we dread become less dreadful. Nor do productivity tools break the cycle of avoidance caused by stress.

My own experience and projections aside, let's take a look at productivity tools!

Akiflow

I'll preface this by noting Google Calendar is an absolute titan. GCal does everything, integrates with anything, and is easy to use. If you're looking to step out of the Google ecosystem, you'll find Akiflow a welcome transition. As you would expect, reminders, tasks, events, meetings, and scheduling are all present.

What draws me to Akiflow comes down to the mindset. I've used Apple Calendar or Google Calendar for years, but always as a means to coordinate a meeting. With Akiflow, I launch the app with the intention to schedule out my day and assign time to tasks. It seems like a minor detail, but changing apps is a lot easier than changing mental frameworks.

The simplicity of Akiflow is a major boon. What do I want to do and when do I want to do it? No jumping between calendars or Google accounts. I'm able to use Akiflow almost like a notepad; except, I can drag that thought to the calendar and make it an action. There are weeks I'll have a big goal in mind with many tasks, and Akiflow makes it easy to assign time to each of them. It's a great app for reflection, too, as you can see patterns in tasks avoided.

Obsidian

In 2020, I made the decision to drop my PC and switch to a dedicated Mac for work. My goal was to declutter and start over in an organized space- mentally and digitally. Unfortunately, this meant confronting a long standing problem I had with notes. From the critical to the mundane, my thoughts lived in random, often untitled .txt files.

Moving to Obsidian was like starting an organized work journal. There was now a home for my various .txt files, a keyboard short-cut to jot down more thoughts, and even a map to view them. Obsidian combines the simplicity of Apple Notes with the writing experience of Bear. It's also part of a new wave of writing tools that auto-links and connects notes based on common patterns.

Second brain apps are gaining traction fast. Roam, Workflowy, and even Notion are building ways to interconnect thoughts. You can organize your own thoughts by folders, or leave them all over your desktop like I did... Or, you can let them organize themselves. It's worth taking a look at what this new wave has to offer, but I'm sold on Obsidian for now.

Notion

Asana, Trello, Monday, Airtable, Dropbox, GSuite, and millions more fight for your team. These collaborative tools have made working together easier, but also exhausting. With much of the RAD team coming from teams where they became burnt out on the big name apps, Notion was a welcome sight. Notion is able to do anything; though, it's the classic jack of all trades scenario.

I enjoy writing in Notion. Rather than approach it as a project management tool or knowledge base, I focus on writing. With my thoughts down and an outline constructed, Notion then empowers me to evolve. Converting into task-lists, creating tables, attaching pictures, assigning roles, and more. It's a tool that encourages creativity and collaboration, but that isn't for everyone.

With the environment we've cultivated at RAD, Notion works perfect. The team is able to see grand ideas, solid structure, and then run with it. I'm not sure I'd use Notion for strict project management or with a team that needs direct management.

Other Tools

Amazing Marvin

I love Amazing Marvin. I've been a fan of AM for years now and enjoy recommending it to others. It's a clean, straight forward, scalable task manager. Any productivity tool, hack, or workflow can be setup within Marvin. For those with task-oriented days, please check out Amazing Marvin. As my work has become more focused on ideation, I'm not using AM as often.

Superhuman

If Superhuman was free, it would have been my top recommendation. For gmail users, this is a master crafted inbox setup + the best extensions built in. Superhuman has changed the way I see and handle emails. The list of high-power CEOs using Superhuman grows each day, and for good reason.

Centered

If staying focused is a challenge, Centered may be exactly what you need. This app leverages cognitive science to help you remain in a flow state for as long as possible. The desktop app will even bug you if it sees you spending time outside of a task. What sets Centered aside is the social nature of the app. As you start "flowing", you'll see others using the app flowing alongside you. The social feature and AI keep you feeling responsible for your tasks.

As many of you know, I study alongside https://www.twitch.tv/studytme. On days StudyTme is offline or I'm not able to focus, I open Centered.