Dont Make It Complicated
Yesterday, I listened to the newest episode of the Waveform podcast about Our Favorite Productivity Apps. In that episode, Marques and David Pierce try to convince Andrew to switch to a productivity system and not to depend solely on his alarm app for everything.
Over the past few years, I have personally used or tried multiple productivity systems, whether it’s using Notion to manage my whole life or just the default calendar app on my phone.
What I have learned over a long period of time is that we humans tend to be easily influenced by others. Each year, there is at least one new shiny productivity app heavily promoted by most productivity content creators. The app may advertise itself as the ultimate tool you need in your life to be productive. Sometimes they may even implement subscriptions into something which can be done easily.
I would like to say that you don’t need all these productivity apps in your life. Most of your life management can be done very easily with just a pocket notebook and a pen.
Yes, you read that correctly: a pocket notebook. I don’t understand why people tend to use those bloated applications just to get their stuff done. Have a meeting on Friday? Just write it down.
Many will complain that they would forget about it because it can’t remind them automatically via a notification. Our lives have become so entangled with our devices that we can’t live without them. Another complaint is about privacy: anyone can access the notes or tasks written down in the notebook. The solution to this problem is to either buy a notebook with a lock or just carry your notebook everywhere.
I have been using notebooks to track and manage my whole life for more than 5 years. Not only is it super easy to manage but it also gives you a break from your screen-filled life. In my experience, using analog tools has helped me balance my screen time and achieve my goals or tasks without feeling any anxiety.
All you need to do is write down the tasks and notes you want to remember and then periodically check your notebook. It provides an actual sense of completion when you strike down the task you have completed.
Remember, there is no perfect productivity system for everyone; you need to figure out which one works for you, and for me, it’s my pocket notebook.