Simple Productivity Tools to Reorder Your Life
- Ashley Fern
- Aug 22, 2021
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 8, 2021
Written by: Ashley Fern
Whether in exasperation, or with absolute conviction, we would undoubtedly reach this conclusion at some point in our lives:
"Alright! It's about time I get it together. But where do I start?"
There are times where we invariably feel overwhelmed due to one of these situations, if not all at the same time:
High expectations others placed on us
Having too many things to be done
Not knowing what to do
Having an unclear direction in life
And the solution to finding balance, productivity and happiness is clearly not a quick fix, but a continuous journey of cultivating the ideal lifestyle for ourselves. Today I share with you the trials and errors I have undergone, in the hopes it will help you expedite your journey in finding yours.
This article includes 4 Productivity Tools which are digital, and 4 which are BuJo styles. Scroll to the very bottom for the Summary if you're tight on time!
What I've Tried
When life feels like a mess, it's only natural to try and organise it into some semblance of order. Like any other person, I took to the Internet to find ways to reorganise my life. And there are indeed many digital tools out there which you can make your life less cluttered... or does it?
Here are the tools which I've used; let me know about the tools you use in the comments below!
Notes (any phone default)
Google Calendar
Trello
Notion
1) Notes (your phone default)
The typical advice you'd find out there is to simply note down what needs to be done. So naturally, I first used the default Notes app that comes with every phone. Sure enough, it worked for awhile.
Depending on the phone, the Notes app usually offers a variety of functions. Beyond the usual note-taking, there are to-do lists, draw-to-text, and even mind-mapping. Some allow customisations as to the colour, text formatting, and overall look of notes.
Even better, it's usually available to pin to home screen, the better to ensure you keep your obligations in view.
But while I did manage to get everything that needs to be done in writing, I felt no less cluttered than before. It was just an enormous list.
So what? I felt even more anxiety from looking at a long list of notes and tasks than when I didn't have the list...
It was time to try another method...
2) Google Calendar
Another popular advice is to do time-blocking. The concept is simple; you can set up slots of time in a day, or entire days, for tasks that need doing. As Google Calendar is easily accessible on desktop and on mobile, it was quite easy to adapt to.
By tapping "Create", you can input any event/task/reminder to the online calendar to your needs.
"Event" is especially useful when coordinating tasks or meetings which involves other people, especially since a video conferencing option is available. As an advocate of work-life balance, I would book my own timeslots for both work meetings AND time for loved ones.
For example, if you promised your brother a 2-hour gaming session, you had better book it in advance so that you really make time for it. If you somehow have an agenda which clashes with that session, the existence of a prior booking would encourage you to reschedule it - which you should. There's only so much time you can spend with family; don't take it for granted.
For simple tasks, you can use the "Task" option and place it in the relevant Tasklist. It comes with a handy reminder option as well.
For recurring tasks like feeding your cat or watering the plants, "Reminder" is wonderful to use.
To this day, I do use Google Calendar for reminders and collaborations. But it's not THE solution to a disorganised life, and here's why:
Google Calendars is very task-oriented when used for planning. It keeps upcoming tasks, events, and reminders in view, in perfect clarity. But the planning process doesn't start at tasks, and neither does it end upon their completion.
I needed a place to drop random task ideas which were not solidified nor sorted yet.
3) Trello
Touted as the tool which keeps many organised in their lives, it's unsurprising to have tried it out.
It's a Kanban Board app which is available both on mobile and on browser. In your "Workspace", you can create multiple "Boards", such as the sample from Trello blog below.
I created Boards for Work, Personal, Writing, and within, created far more lists than just "To Do", "Doing" and "Done". It was all very convenient.
Sometimes, I would wake up in the middle of the night with an idea of an article I'd want to write, and it was just a matter of dropping it in the relevant list to look into the next day. It was quick and easy.
The best part is, it's also a perfectly viable task planning and collaborative app, but with the additional perks of micro to-do lists within each Task, customisable labelling and better visibility. Like Google Calendar, you could also set reminders and add other people to your Workspace, Board, or even individual tasks.
Still, it's missing one element... the space for writing & creativity.
And so I went in search for another app, one that I favour above all others.
4) Notion
If, like me, you're looking for a versatile app with all the following functions, you'd love Notion.
Calendar-planning (like Google Calendar)
Kanban boards (like Trello)
Note-taking with full text formatting options & other customisations
Pages with sub-pages
Other productivity & planning options (Gantt charts, tables, lists and checklists)
It's quite literally a database for everything going on in my life. I doubt I would have survived my university days without the use of Notion.
Needless to say, I love Notion, and I use it for creative writing, ideation, planning, creating databases, project management and even goal-setting.
But, no surprises, it's not the perfect solution either. Not a single one of the tools above worked as a standalone solution, and not even when paired for different uses are they capable of creating the lifestyle I needed.
In fact, there were (at the time) unnamed elements which could only be found by going back to the basics... good old pen and paper.
Bullet Journaling
What is bullet journaling?
A bullet journal (sometimes known as a BuJo) is a method of personal organisation developed by designer Ryder Carroll. The system organises scheduling, reminders, to-do lists, brainstorming, and other organisational tasks into a single notebook. - Wikipedia
It isn't just about productivity - the act of writing your plans in a simplified (and sometimes artistic) manner is a form of mindfulness and therapy.
All of the digital productivity tools above do serve their purpose, and all play a part in organising different aspects and/or phases of my life. But none of them managed to help me find my balance and sense of fulfilment. I was efficient and organised, but I didn't feel happy and productive.
Writing, or bullet journaling, isn't just meant to organise your life - it forces your mind to declutter, and the reasoning is really quite simple.
When you're writing on paper, you don't get distracted by notifications popping up on the screen, since... you're not looking at it.
Your mind is focusing on simplifying and classifying bullet points.
Your brain is further preoccupied with the act and the sensations of writing on paper - especially if you're one to focus on the aesthetics of your journal. It keeps you grounded to the present moment.
Writing down my plans creates a greater sense of commitment, whilst striking them off the list creates a note of finality and a stronger sense of satisfaction. It's almost meditative in nature.
And here are some common tools I use for bullet journaling:
Classic To-Do
Energy Level To-Do
Calendar Planning
Eisenhower Matrix
1) Classic To-Do
This is the simplest form of bullet journaling, and here are some ideas for the lists you can create.
The example below shows a breakdown of my personal goals, from general, to leisure and financial.
2) Energy Level To-Do
This one takes a bit of self-knowledge beforehand, in order to be effective.
The template I created does not include the exact timeframe for tasks, but it's ideal if you know exactly when are the suitable times for your tasks.
Essentially, you should have a good idea as to when your energy levels are high and low, and assign tasks to the suitable timeslot.
For example, if you're alert in the early mornings, then ensure you plan to do complex tasks then.
Don't waste your energy and alertness on menial tasks like responding to emails.
3) Calendar Planning
This method is quite straightforward, and I use it for high-level planning; leaving the granular details to simpler methods.
Remember the Personal Goals example I shared earlier? That would be the details, whilst this calendar shows the days which I would work on those goals.
Hence, where the typical planner is larger and contains space for each day, it is unnecessary for bullet journaling purposes - unless, of course, you do it differently!
The best part about designing your own journal is that you have quite literally a blank canvas to work on, without any editing restrictions.
4) Eisenhower Matrix
The classic productivity tool to prioritise tasks using 2 metrics: urgency and importance.
This is an especially interesting exercise, as it pushes me to order my tasks in terms of priority.
I've had to rethink what I previously held to be urgent, and/or important.
After all, things appear larger right in front of you - but that's only its relative size.
Similarly, everything always seemed urgent and important in the moment, but when scrutinised calmly, are rarely both at the same time.
In Summary,
Digital tools are useful, but are missing elements of mindfulness and creativity. A mixture of digital productivity tools, and bullet journaling tools worked for me.
Digital tools:
Notes (your phone default) Useful for quick to-dos like groceries
Google Calendar Useful for task-planning & collaboration
Trello Useful for brainstorming, task-planning, & collaboration with better visibility.
Notion A combination of all the above, with better customisation and more productivity options besides.
Bullet journaling (organisation + a boost of wellbeing):
Classic To-Dos For granular task-planning
Energy-Level To-Do For greater efficiency
Calendar Planning For high-level planning
Eisenhower Matrix For prioritising
Once again, here's to happy, productive lives!
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