10 productivity tools I´ve tried
1 Evernote
This app was my 1st PKM app, I used it twice for a like 12 months each. In spring last year I left it behind as it stopped working at all. Like taking weeks to sync a note 15 kb size.
2 Obsidian
Like Evernote, I´ve used it twice for almost a year, including their paid sync option. I learned Markdown along the way, which is pretty helpful. The reason why I left initially was the lack of a mobile app. My second leave was because of their poor mobile performance. The 1000s of plugins available fueled my tendency to overcomplicate things unnecessarily.
3 Notion
Another app I am having an on/off relationship with. Used in the summer of 2019 for like 5 months and now again. I love the sync and their ability to connect notes is enough for me these days.
4 Readwise + 5 Reader
As somebody who reads a lot digitally, these two apps have changed the way I approach information radically. I use the export function to Notion and the daily highlights recap in the app every day, so nothing gets lost, and brings me a lot of calm.
The Readwise database in Notion is a bit slow, but with several 1000 entries, I see it as normal.
6 Bullet journal
I discovered it in March 2017 and it became a non-negotiable for me. It guided me through some very dark periods in my life and helped me countless times.
Don´t go for the aesthetics and just start. Having a simple system with performing all the rituals regularly is challenging sometimes, but the clarity is totally worth it.
7 Kindle
As a very curious person reading non-fiction has become a steady thing in my life. It might be an investment at first, but if you read directly for sleeping it´s worth it.
Nice side effect: Kindle ebooks are often far cheaper than paper books, which saves me a lot of money.
8 Google Calendar
It has turned into my go-to for planning events and roughly time-block my life. The fast sync and having a Windows app for using these (OneCalender) are things I don´t want to miss anymore.
9 Google Tasks
To-do list apps have been my greatest struggle during the last 2 years. I use them for preplanning tasks and setting deadlines. My everyday to-do list goes in my Bullet Journal.
The seamless integration into Google Calendar is perfect.
10 Amplenote
This app has had a lot of popularity during the last 18 months. I never got used to their no-folder structure. Organizing something with tags is just not my thing. Back then in the spring/summer of last year, their fresh Android app and the non-existing Windows app were the reasons why I left after just 4 months.