ADVICE Needed: Personal Organisation and Productivity Methods/Apps/Approaches

micabeza · 2023-07-08T00:57:30.526Z

braken · 2023-07-08T02:15:02.815Z

I tend to run my inbox in a pretty similar way to what @ThomasJ mentioned, and generally trained all of my employees that way for years with a lot of success. Moving things out of your inbox triggers that ‘sense of accomplishment’ dopamine hit, and less clutter leads to better productivity, and it all cycles around.

CCMP:

my intention to spend way less time in emails moving forward, which I do, but this is still a great approach and reminder of how to handle an inbox.

I’ll just throw out a reminder of the power of email and it’s calendar sync’ing capabilities. Turning emails into calendar events is a pretty easy way to set deadlines, milestones, task/activity blocks, and identify conflicts. I’m a spaz, a total mess if left to my own, so being engaged in my calendar is a habit that pays. Calendar keeps me on track and out of trouble, brain focuses on the work.

elxsound · 2023-07-08T04:30:18.155Z

As someone who previously could relate to the bad habits of getting things done in that last 5-10%

Apps haven’t helped, despite an earlier and similar attempt.

Honestly the thing that worked best and was easiest, was to start things early, and finish early when possible. It really is as easy as it sounds.

I do have to remind myself that it’s easier, but that’s because it’s not a natural habit for me unless it’s something I truly enjoy.

But even those things you enjoy can become work too, so better to just get it done.

Another thing that helps, but I’m still working on is quickly meditating. For years I didn’t understand how to do this, so if it feels foreign, that’s natural.

I only take a couple minutes to clear my mind and it make it easier to finish things I don’t enjoy,
I can compare the quick meditation feeling to when people drink beer after working. I always liked that feeling but I actually don’t like beer… and don’t care to drink in general (but I like the social aspect of it).
Meditating is easier, cheaper and work appropriate.

I don’t care about the zero inbox. If it matters to you, then have fun making that a responsibility. I often need to reference old emails and organizing it would take as much time responding. It’s not a hinderance to everyone and my own opinion of it is that if you have time to do that, then maybe you’re not that busy, but if that slows you down, there’s a good place to focus.

If you’re juggling multiple things on a regular basis, learn how to triage responsibilities. Focus on what’s important for accomplishing things that need to be done today. Understanding when and when not to multitask is an important thing to know. Learning how to delegate where possible and know how to be flexible is very big.

Otherwise, good luck

subduct · 2023-07-08T05:28:34.482Z

GTD method I’ve found pretty good in the past. Can be done with almost any software. Even just learning the core concepts helps I found, e.g if it takes less than 2 mins do it now, focus on just the next task rather than the whole of a project etc.

There are loads of guides on it, this one lays it out nicely:

Todoist

Getting Things Done: Your Step-By-Step Guide

This is the last GTD guide you'll ever have to read. Learn the task management system used by millions of people to organize their work and lives.

Robobot · 2023-07-08T06:51:59.968Z

I am using https://www.thebrain.com/ and I really like clickup (over monday and the rest)

Mistercharlie · 2023-07-08T07:00:37.709Z

One tip: don’t be forever changing up your apps and methods. I write for a living, one or more articles every day, and I used the same text editor (Ulysses) for years until I moved to Obsidian for superior organisation.

It’s more important to have something reliable and consistent, than to be always chasing a better, “more perfect” method or app. Most of us could apply this to our music gear

At work we use Trello, so I use it to save future article ideas. I have a shortcut on my Mac and iPad that grabs my assigned stories from Trello and makes a text file in Obsidian.

For any non-work reminders, I just use Siri to add a reminder with a date and time.

I also practice inbox zero, more or less. I get a lot of PR pitches, and years ago I stopped feeling guilty about deleting them without replying.

Keep it simple, or you’ll never stick to it.

ktips · 2023-07-08T07:29:06.476Z

I suspect there is no universal systems that works for everyone. But in case it helps, I have a work setup and home setup. They used to be combined but I have to use windows at work and I didn’t want to shift my personal stuff to windows.

For work, I use outlook, teams and MS office with some specialist apps for specific client needs including mural which is a Miro alternative.

So for my home setup I use:

Apple notes: really underrated in my view
Gmail/Google tasks: I run these in one tab in a browser. Dragging an email to Tasks I really helps for someday/maybe stuff
Google calendar
Google drive for scanned documents
Notion as a structured “library”/wiki for recipes, reference materials
Trello for projects. Eg a house renovation
Linea sketch for diagrams
Xmind for mind mapping

Because I am a little old school, I find being able to use an Apple Pencil for notes means I process stuff much better than when I type things. But I hear the kids these days can type or even dictate stuff and get the same neuro effect.
I would add that the single most important thing is to set aside an hour once a week ( and once a day for work stuff) to do a review and reprioritise if necessary.

holonology · 2023-07-08T09:08:15.566Z

I went really deep on this for a while, to the point of looking at lots of the apps mentioned here. I actually find productivity speak interesting because it’s a unique factor of the age we live in. What I found personally was that interest in the system quickly overtook the excitement of doing the work. I looked at everything from apps, self-built wiki’s to notebooks and the works.

But then I started to find that an old method works best. I have a bunch of notebooks that pile up which in essence are journals on various topics, including my work diary (Volume 9 available nowhere now!) This is literally a rolling capture of to-do’s and jumbled thoughts. I also have work related diaries for book notes and other more in-depth topics. I also have one for music learning. I find that my brain retains the information well this way. There’s enough of a system to keep on top of things, but not too much complexity to distract me from that job.

The single thing that pulled this all into one place for me was the idea of going back to a notebook once finished, and creating a table of contents, and rewriting elements I need for future recall. That way I am able to find anything I need. I just have 2-3 A4/A5 notebooks for everything and yeah… That way works best as a general approach to productivity. Hope that’s useful and somehow relevant.

bibenu · 2023-07-08T10:03:39.763Z

holonology:

interest in the system quickly overtook the excitement of doing the work

Oops … I’ve been guilty of that

holonology · 2023-07-08T12:05:13.393Z

I definitley wouldn’t kick yourself for that. I’ve grown to recognise a moment where I’m in shopping mode where I look for theories that fit what I’m doing. Happens with work, happens with music. This isn’t the “if I only have X then Y will be easier/better/finished” but more a question of being excited by tools and approaches. I think tools and techniques really matter, more than we give credit to. Your tools shape you as the saying goes. I have almost an on/off switch with this stuff where I get excited about the exporation and the journey to finding a new thing, but then literally I’ll go cold turkey on it and crack on. Strange how the mind works eh?! I guess that somewhat explains this specific sub-genre of tools - I just ended up back at pen & paper.

orion · 2023-07-08T12:59:11.656Z

I am going to echo pen and paper.
I’ve tried a crap ton of apps for organizing todos and they all seem blah. I keep several todo lists on pen and paper, an immediate one and one thats a long term one. All ideas go on the immediate one but if something stays on there past everything else being completed it gets moved to the long term one (thats on fancy paper i usually get from https://www.russellandhazel.com/ cause i love fancy pens and paper stuff).

I get a brain boost when i cross things out with pen thats why i stay putting simple things on my todos.

For longer notes i use to use evernote until my login credentials were stollen and used maliciously. I’ll never use an app i have to create an account for to use again. Text edit on a mac works for me. Sometimes google docs if i have to collaborate but im kinda paranoid with online things (read security nut).

Documents for the ipad is the bomb for organizing and storing pdfs (‎Documents: File Manager & Docs on the App Store)

Field notes, post it notes, notebooks i cant quit, they’ll never need to be charged also, Ipads crash.

Musement · 2023-07-08T14:06:53.180Z

I use a hybrid setup to help with study, lesson planning, and blogging. I use Obsidian to keep big, massive lists of tagged links and clippings from my Kindle account, so that I can search quickly and access that link from that thing. Obsidian isn’t mobile though, so I use Apple notes to temporary hold any ideas out in the wild, then periodically dump them all into Obsidian and clear them out.

But when it comes to actually connecting and deploying my notes, I use a notebook. I don’t trust myself to think clearly with an internet-connected device. Paper also forces me to think with care and concision, rather than just blathering at length. It’s like music: constraint is inspiring.

trickyflemming · 2023-07-08T14:22:41.882Z

Musement:

Obsidian isn’t mobile though

There’s an Obsidian app! I pay for Obsidian sync which syncs my notes between my phone and all of my computers. If you know how to use git, there are extensions to use your vault as a repo for syncing as well.

Big vote for Obsidian as well. I use Trello for team stuff, but Obsidian for everything personal. There are extensions for just about anything (repeating tasks, Trello-style boards, calendars…). 1.3 just added in a PDF reader so I’ve been using that to organize gear manuals and DSP research papers.

orion · 2023-07-08T15:25:34.513Z

I also tried this thing once. Cool concept but one time they updated the app and i lost all my digital notes, of course i still have the written notes tho. Smart Writing Set Black | Moleskine

CCMP · 2023-07-08T16:00:17.472Z

Thanks for all the replies so far, folks, I appreciate reading the different perspectives on this topic.

holonology:

I just ended up back at pen & paper.

orion:

I am going to echo pen and paper.

I understand this, but, for me, pen and paper has been what’s causing my issues.
It would be easy for me to return to that way of working, but I want to be paperless and be able to organise my notes to be useful/cohesive/productive.

I like physically writing though (and dislike typing), which is why I got the Apple Pencil, plus a Paperlike iPad screen cover to make writing feel more familiar/organic.
I travel quite a bit too, so taking 3-4 pads around with me just isn’t practical, esp when I’ll have the devices with me anyway.

Then there’s the trees. I like trees.

holonology:

What I found personally was that interest in the system quickly overtook the excitement of doing the work.

This is something I can definitely relate to right now.

It seems that the apps are quite interchangeable, the power is in having a system and sticking to it. I like that Trident approach… also been reading/watching about the PARA method.

Since I’ve started on this a few days ago, it feels quite overwhelming, like I have way more work to do in getting organised than I’d realised…

I’m currently focussing on using Google Cal (with Fantastical) and Todoist as my main tools for getting myself to the starting line! (And using GoodNotes (which I like a lot) as my notepad/note system.)

Musement · 2023-07-08T16:17:37.423Z

You’re right, I had somehow confused Obsidian sync with “costs more time/money than I’d prefer” with “no option is available.” Of course, for lots of Obsidian users, sync is absolutely worth the cost. But in my case, it wasn’t worth it.

trickyflemming · 2023-07-08T16:51:12.955Z

FWIW, if you have an Apple-only workflow, you can put your Vault on iCloud and use that to auto-sync between devices.

rtme · 2023-07-08T19:28:50.552Z

holonology:

interest in the system quickly overtook the excitement of doing the work.

I’d like to add: The dependency you create on these systems or apps. Some of us can’t imagine this, but there was a time that people were very organised when internet synced apps and “cloud pm” wasn’t a thing .

orion:

I am going to echo pen and paper.

And a (digital) agenda. Using pen and paper also trains your brain, so you’ll easy remember what you need to do and make your unconscious part of the brain do the hard work (like prioritizing and problem solving).

Have a notebook for work and leave it at you workplace. Same for music projects or your house. This way you’re never tempted to mix things up: This keeps you focussed on what you want to do.

CCMP:

I travel quite a bit too, so taking 3-4 pads around with me just isn’t practical, esp when I’ll have the devices with me anyway.

Then there’s the trees. I like trees.

Well… the batteries, power and resources needed for those devices and traveling in general is much more harmful for “the trees” (environment) than the wood used for paper.
There are notebooks made from recycled paper.

CCMP:

it feels quite overwhelming, like I have way more work to do in getting organised than I’d realised…

I’d say it really shouldn’t be that complicated to get organised. Keep it simple and focus on steadyness and dicipline which are important to make any method work.

elxsound:

Another thing that helps, but I’m still working on is quickly meditating

I would take this on step further, as tools, apps and methods are just ways to fix the symptoms of “unorganised-ness” and not the cause: Take care of yourself as much as possible: exercise, meditate, have enough sleep, eat healthy, limit (or quit) alcohol or drugs. When your body and mind are fueled and rested, it’s much easier to get organised, whatever method you choose.

JES · 2023-07-09T02:49:23.186Z

I am pretty old school on this stuff.

To do lists in Apple notes. Used to just use paper.
Use a calendar to schedule things I have to do. This also leads to decisions about what’s most important.
Do the most important stuff when I expect to feel best.
Block out time at end of the week for planning.
Schedule time for music, life, etc.
Keep the organizational structure as light as possible and spend as little time as possible on it. For instance, I don’t delete emails. It’s not because I’m sentimental but because it eliminates dozens of micro decisions from my day. My computer folders are also broad categories. I let search do the rest for me.
For work and music: mise-en-place.

Good luck!

protrusion · 2023-07-09T03:13:59.027Z

At work we use Notion and it is good. I think it is missing some keyboard shortcuts that would improve the experience for me, but otherwise there are very few rough edges and it is very powerful.

From about 2008 to 2016, I used an Apple Newton, which taught me how much I gel with (1) a well-crafted pen interface and (2) outlines and outlined checklists [which Notion also has].

I left that Newton on a plane by accident and never got it back. Switched to a Filofax which had the benefit of being pen/written, with pages I could tear out / throw away, and it was not as attention-grabbing from strangers as the Newton. But I failed to buy new calendar refills for it during “pandemic lockdown supply chain issue time” or thereabouts, and suddenly… was no longer organized at all. Things got really bad. I’m digging myself out; bought new refills for the Filofax and resuscitated a different Newton, hoping one of them becomes my go-to again.

I’d like to try out a Remarkable tablet but I don’t know how elegant they are for outlining and task management.

Can’t bring myself to invest fully in the Apple or Google ecosystems for calendar/todos.