4 essential tools for maximum productivity
🚀 Creator Journey 04
Ever wanted to scrap everything and just start fresh? 😅
That's kinda what I did this week with my productivity system.
For years, I mainly relied on Apple's native apps to get stuff done (email, to-dos, calendar, etc.). And yes, it worked.
But I wanted to see if I was missing out on anything.
So, I spent the last few days researching and testing new tools.
This is my new productivity system and all the apps I use. ✍️
✉️ Email: Spark
Email is an essential part of any project. It's my main place for communication with clients and partners. However, inboxes can get messy fast.
I used to use Apple Mail and it definitely worked. But I decided to give Spark a try and it's honestly pretty cool. 👀
What I love the most is the Smart Inbox, email templates and Todoist integration.
Spark automatically sorts your inbox based on what's important and what's not. It separates emails into categories like Personal, Newsletters, Notifications, and Scheduling, making it easier to prioritise your emails and keep your inbox organised.
Email templates are great if you often have to write similar emails over and over again. For example, I have templates for collaboration requests or pre-written answers for questions I get regularly. This saves time and makes it easier to respond to emails.
Another great aspect is how easy it is to use Spark with my new task manager Todoist (more on that later). With just a few clicks, you can turn an email into a task in Todoist.
This is extremely helpful because it lets you keep track of all your tasks in one place, without having to switch back and forth between your email and task manager.
I'll keep using Spark for the next weeks and then decide whether or not I like it more than Apple Mail.
✅ Task Management: Todoist
The never-ending quest of finding the perfect task manager. 😩
My requirements:
Week view to easily move tasks around
Mac menu bar integration for quick access to my tasks
Sync with calendar (Fantastical)
Sync across Apple devices
Email integration
I asked my audience on Instagram and Twitter for app recommendations. Here are the most popular ones:
Todoist
TickTick
Things 3
TeuxDeux
Asana
Microsoft To Do
Notion
ClickUp
Trello
I've downloaded them all, and so far Todoist, TickTick and Things 3 are my favourites.
Todoist ticks most of the boxes. There's an option to view tasks in week view and rearrange them. Scheduled tasks automatically show up in my calendar (Fantastical). Todoist has an app for iPhone and Apple Watch and I can use it with Spark.
The only thing that's missing is a proper menu bar integration on Mac. TickTick is the best for that. However, there is a workaround using my new calendar which I'll get to in a second. 🤫
Feel free to share any to-do app recommendations with the community on Twitter!
📅 Calendar: Fantastical
Coming from Apple Calendar, this doesn't feel too different. But Fantastical offers so many useful features.
Some of the best features of Fantastical include natural language event creation, a sidebar view of upcoming events and tasks (from Todoist) and a convenient menu bar integration on Mac, which makes it easy to access your schedule at any time.
Natural language event creation is quite fascinating. I can simply type something like "Exam Tue 11 am at school" and Fantastical creates a new event "Exam" on Tuesday at 11 am with my school as the location. 🤯
Next to your preferred view (I like to see the whole week), there's a list with all events and tasks to keep track of everything.
Most important, however, is the menu bar integration. No matter what app you're using, you can always look at your events by clicking the icon in the menu bar. And, since it integrates so well with Todoist, you can also see and edit your tasks here. That's the workaround I mentioned earlier.
🎯 Project Management: Notion
I use Notion to manage bigger, more complex projects. Databases are great for that. Also, I'm a fan of all the ways you can customise your digital workspace in Notion.
You can add pages, text blocks, photos, tables, lists, photos – the list goes on.
There is nothing you can't do in Notion. And that's kinda my problem with it. 🤔
Of course, it would be fantastic to have every tool connected and in one place. But since Notion offers so many features, many of them are naturally just not as good as the competition. Sure, I can use Notion as my to-do list. But there are other tools (like Todoist) that are specifically designed just for that and simply do the job better.
I don't want to force myself to do everything in Notion. If there are better tools and they work for me, I might as well use them.
In the end, tools are just there to make your life easier. Don't obsess too much over it. But now and then, ask yourself if your tools are still working for you, or if you might need to change things up.
– Leo
P.S. You can still download my trusted folder structure template for free! The feedback has been incredible. 🙏
Weekly Favs ⚡️
Tools, content and other things I’ve enjoyed over the week.
📖 Article – The Day You Decided to Take the Leap
– By Lawrence Yeo
This article discusses the importance of “taking a leap” in life, whether it be personal or professional. Changes always come with a certain amount of risk. Learning to see the potential in changes and taking calculated risks (such as switching your entire productivity system 😬) can improve your life in various ways. Yeo emphasises that taking a leap can lead to unimaginable benefits and opportunities.
📱 App – Pocket
My new favourite place to save and discover new interesting articles. I used to use Notion for that, but it was just too impractical. You can save websites, videos and articles in Pocket, add tags to categorise them and archive old ones. I especially love the design of the app.
🎬 Video – The Real Danger Of ChatGPT
– By Nerdwriter1
Interesting and well-researched video about ChatGPT and its dangers. Writing is such an underrated yet insanely powerful skill. Potentially losing that ability over time by relying on AI tools is highly concerning. While even I use ChatGPT regularly for various tasks (like brainstorming ideas for this newsletter), I do feel like we have to act responsibly with how we utilise it.
"Not to write is to live according to the language of others."
Any thoughts, questions or feedback? I’d love to hear from you! ✍️
👋 See you next week!