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There is no perfect productivity or project planning software.
While this is may seem shocking given my obsession with Notion, it's true. Notion lacks in many aspects, including a good calendar with email or text notifications.
This is why you may opt to build a personal productivity system : using multiple productivity software or apps in order to access their best features.
It's like when your main grocery store doesn't have your favorite peanut butter, so you decide to go to both. It's only a waste of time if you aren't sure what you want!
While it is more complicated to utilize more than one tool, you can begin by writing guidelines for your own reference. Over time, this system will become second nature to your workflow, and you will have built something that is specifically meant for your life.
Make sense?
Step 1 : Find your software.
I personally use Notion, Todoist, and Google Calendar.
You'll want a place to brainstorm, write down ideas, and keep notes.
I personally recommend Notion, as it is very flexible, and can act as your "central hub". There's also Google Docs, Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, etc.
Next is finding your project management tool. This tool will help you take your ideas and notes out of Notion, break them down into tasks, then create a timeline.
I personally think these are the best project management tools :
You can stop here and use the native calendar in the app, but I personally like to sync mine to Google Calendar. I like many of the features in Google Calendar, and it helps keep me focused on completing scheduled tasks without being overwhelmed.
Step 2 : Write down your goals for the next few months.
Monthly & quarterly goals are super easy to break down into achievable tasks.
Sit down and begin brainstorming. I love to use Notion tables for this purpose.
Once you have your quarterly or monthly goals written down, start breaking them down piece by piece. Keep your tasks in chronological order.
quarterly goals ➪ monthly goals ➪ weekly goals ➪ daily tasks
Step 3 : Scheduling tasks.
It's easy to dream up what you'd like to do, but scheduling makes a world of difference. With your goals broken down into bite-sized pieces, you can begin setting dates to each task in order to achieve the goal.
This is when I begin moving my tasks from Notion into Todoist. Notion helps me break down each goal, then I can move those tasks into Todoist for scheduling.
I usually throw all the tasks into Todoist first, then go down the list and set due dates for them.
Each of my Todoist projects is synced to a matching calendar (in GCal). For example, all the tasks in my "school" project are synced to my school calendar.
My blog tasks for the next quarter in Notion. I added a checkbox "added to google calendar" to keep track of which goals are scheduled (properly) and which are not.
TIPS
Set a "goal renewal" date. I like to set quarterly goals, so at the end of each quarter, I need to set new goals. This is an important meeting with yourself, so be sure to schedule it out.
Color code your areas of life. I have matching colors for each area of life across Notion, Todoist, and Google Calendar. This makes it easy to instantly recognize tasks or goals.
Thank you for reading! Please leave any blog post suggestions for productivity/planning.
Here are links to two of my favorite project management apps. Check em' out and see which works best for you!
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