I am a committed journaler. Even apart from my new interest in art journaling or the growing need to juggle schedules and timetables, I love black pen on white paper world without end. But I’m coming to rely on a few digital tools that bring their own ease and beauty. These are my favorites.
Google Keep
I use Keep for all my online notetaking. My notes are a jumbled mess, but it’s a searchable jumble. I can find what I need even if I have only the vaguest sense of where it might be. The notes can be color-coded, but I haven’t hit on a system that’s easy and effective enough to keep using. I can see these notes on my phone or on any computer. I think I use it much the same way Mystie uses Evernote…though my system is much closer to a giant junk drawer!
Slack
I use Slack for work communication, but I’m trying to talk my husband into signing on so that we can chat during the day while he’s away from home. I hate the long chains of emails that form through our days as our conversation swerves farther away from the subject line. I end up with a line of emails that look just the same. Slack is searchable and is easier on the eyes than email.
Toggl
Toggl is a time-tracking tool. Again, it does what I need it too–keep track of what projects I’m working on & when–in a simple, clean way. I use it mostly for work. It keeps me focused and on-task to see the little counter ticking away. But I also keep track of how much time I spend writing here on the blog. Might should start tracking my FB time 🙁
Google Calendar
Right now the only thing I have in Google Calendar is my extended family’s birthdays. Most live far away, so I have reminders sent 10 days before the big day. That gives me enough time to get a card in the mail or make other preparations. I’m thinking about putting my beloved Apartment Therapy housekeeping routine in the calendar too. I like the idea of a friendly email each morning that tells me to clean the bathrooms already.
Asana
This is really a bigger, more complicated tool than I like. But it’s really good at helping you break projects down into their tasks. You can set due dates and reminders to keep you moving forward on projects. On the whole, big projects sort of intimidate me, and I don’t know that trying to set a new project up from scratch in Asana would alleviate that at all. But if you need to track small steps over time, this might be a good choice…especially if you are working with other people.
Scott and I have switched to Slack, too. Working beautifully for our day-to-day (although we’ve frittered away prodigious amounts of time thanks to Giphy…). A couple of my work-related teams use it, too, and it’s highly efficient in that capacity.
I’m with you about the pure joy that is black ink on white paper!