How I Found the Perfect Productivity Note-Taking & Task App Setup | What DID actually I Find?
You know it, you can feel it, maybe even see it… Months, even years of productivity methods. Frustration and exhaustion. You know already all the techniques like: “Eat that Frog”, GTD, Timeboxing, Pomodoro, 2 min rule, 5-sec rule, using tens of notes & task/to-do apps, fine-tuned workflows, automated workflows & shortcuts… and you are still stuck or at least sense uneasy & somehow unsatisfied with your “system”. Not found it yet? Despite massive effort. Sad.
Does that sound at least a little familiar or does something resonate with you? Have you practised so-called ‘app-hopping’? Let me give you an example, from Notational Velocity to Simple Notes to Evernote to Notion back to Evernote and then OneNote, Roam Research, Notejoy, Apple Notes, Zotero, Omnifocus, again Obsidian, just Standard Notes, oh god, need inter-linking Bear, no… Logseq for graphs & links etc? Price? Free? Open?
Running (and at the same time procrastinating, you can’t work now with the project since you haven’t found tools & setup…) in the never-ending task management app’s labyrinth looking for a beautiful white unicorn and same time used for example: Remember The Milk, Todoist, Reminders, Google Tasks, Wunderlist, Microsoft To-Do, Things 3…
Productivity
First, let’s start with the concept of productivity. Many of us understands that idea of the productivity is rather ordinary, simple and practical:
“Getting valuable things done in faster, efficient or easier way.”
Yes, that’s right. Nothing surprising under the sun.
Now, let's a little dig deeper into ‘the productivity app cult.’
Think about yourself, tinkering and tweaking at your computer… half past midnight. It seems like some of us are seeking the “perfect solution”, “the sweetest setup” or “app combo” which then makes us satisfied & productive. At the same time always think about all the shortcuts, scripts, or automation methods with Zapier, Shortcuts and IFTTT. Apps change frequently, from Evernote to Joplin etc.
You have got lost.
Productivity addiction or at least some level of obsessive symptoms for being productive all the time. Unfortunately, life can’t be totally under our control. You are not the God.
Searching for Your Reasons
Don’t take the next question negatively or as an anti-productive thing, but ask yourself honestly “Why do you want to have a productivity system in place?”
Think it seriously. Jot some sporadic reasons on the paper. This is an exercise, but not a test.
Rational answers might be obviously something like “I get things done better and faster” or “Then I have a good feeling after ticking off the to-do list, perfect streak”, or “When I’m productive, I’ll get a raise or promotion” …
This Emotional Level Hunting for a perfect system might also relate some kind of stress-relief, escapism from mundane work, or avoidance of something else which bothers you, or you would need to confront uncomfortable situations or feelings. Path of the least resistance. Or just good old post-lunch afternoon slump + procrastination.
Be Honest with Yourself, and Make It Clear To Yourself What & Why is Driving You to Get Productive? (Emphasis on the work Honest)
Somebody might say that reason is getting the sense that everything in life is in control, or a productivity system gives an illusion of control & safety, seeking comfort, etc. Reasons might have roots early in your life or have been copied from parents, or siblings in childhood. Who knows? You know. But you need to think about how you think.
The Reasons
Only you can know the emotional reason. Unfortunately, certain types of persons (personalities/attitudes) who just don’t bother about anything ‘soft’ like philosophy or psychology, their world-view (mental model as Peter Senge used) is completely different. Especially for those people, it might be much more difficult to do real soul-searching.
Seriously, think about the reason. There are no rules or right or wrong answers. This is not a test, it is just for your benefit.
In the end, time management and a perfect note-taking system do not solve your Real Reasons. Awareness can lead out from the endless labyrinth, where you obsessively get dopamine hits from new productivity scripts…
The Solution
Maybe, you would need just massage, stress relief, more meaningful work, comfortable social relationships or discussions, hugs, respect, getting rid of co-dependency, or a prescription for Adderall.
(Note: ADD/Adult ADD causes dis-organisation. Obsessive tendency (“hyperfocus”) to tweak perfect notes & tasks system can be used as procrastination in its the purest form and also heavy need to organize notes might indicate mild adult ADD, i.e. procrastination & disorganization).
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and I don’t want to be offended anybody, just giving you food for thoughts). However, hard to say. All the people procrastinate, sometimes. And… it’s good to recognize & be self-aware, what is the reason; e.g., is the task hard? Or do you “escape” something in front of you? Self-awareness is more than gold. Think, why?
If one wants to be productive, the target is more important than the methods or tools. Make it clear to yourself what you actually want (or need?) and why? The real reasons…
In the Next Article…
Thank you for reading this, and feel free to give feedback or ideas etc. BTW, This was my very first Medium article.
The next article’s topic is about real-life practical solutions & apps for effective note and task management in 2022. See ya!
