What's In Your Productivity Toolkit?

Do you have a basic productivity toolkit?

Sure it’s a bit nerdy, but understanding these fundamentals is essential for managing life in the modern age. I’ve written a lot about getting things done and the various tools that boost productivity but this week, I want to step back and provide an overview of why you need a productivity toolkit (aka a basic productivity system or BPS), what it includes, and how you can use it to improve your life.

Why do you need a basic productivity system?

It's easy to feel swamped. Life tends to throw a lot at us, and our brains can get overloaded. Without utilizing the various tools available, you can miss appointments, get overwhelmed, and miss opportunities. Being more productive isn’t about doing more; it’s about taking care of what you need to so that you can free up your time to relax, try something new, or recharge.

My wife had a close friend who once asked her, “What does a caught-up person look like?” Honestly, I have no idea. I am never caught up. But more and more, I am finding ways to create boundaries for myself so that I can stop and still feel good about what I’ve accomplished during the day. These fundamental tools help me get there, and I think they can help you too.

In my opinion, the basics of a BPS consist of the following

• Email

• Calendar

• Task management

• Note taking

Email makes the world go

We all get email. It’s part of being an adult. There’s a lot to be said about the different types of email. I use Gmail for almost everything, but there are a myriad of options from Yahoo to Outlook to Hotmail and beyond. Just don’t be too surprised if you get judged for using an older email client (AOL users, I am looking at you).

The trick is to try and only have one or two email addresses. I have one email for work and one for my personal life. Every other inbox in my life gets forwarded to one of these emails.

I highly recommend using the one-touch rule for your inbox. The one-touch rule suggests handling each email only once by immediately responding, delegating, archiving, or filtering it to process later so that you can keep your inbox organized and efficient. Trying to get to inbox zero is key to keeping you from feeling swamped.

Calendars are not just for Type-A people

I am amazed at people who don’t keep some kind of calendar. Trying to keep appointments, dates, or get-togethers in your head is such a waste of mental energy. A calendar is a helpful tool to free up your thinking, and I can never understand the people who resist using one.

When it comes to a calendar, I again turn to Google. Once again, I have one for work and one for my personal life. I also use shared calendars with family a fair amount. My entire life is in my calendar, so I never have to worry about missing something. Apple Calendar is quite good, TickTick (which I’ll get to here in a minute) has a nice calendar option, and of course, there is nothing like having a good old-fashioned printed calendar to rely on.

I know that some people are so militant about their calendars. But for me, it isn’t about having an overly scheduled life. It’s about taking control of my time. Time is the most valuable, non-renewable resource we have in life, and all too often, it is consumed by priorities other people set for you. Using a calendar and scheduling not only meetings and appointments but also time for yourself helps you be the master of your time.

Task management for the win

A core productivity principle is around capturing. Capturing involves immediately recording ideas, tasks, and commitments as they arise. Need a haircut? Capture it. Need to get gas? Capture it. Need to remember to subscribe to Chief Rabbit? Just do that, no need to capture something that takes under two minutes. In general, the idea is to reduce mental clutter by using tools like notebooks or apps to make sure nothing important is overlooked. It enables focused work by offloading the mental burden of remembering every detail. To do this, you need a good task management system and a robust note-taking system.

For my to-dos, I used Apple Reminders for several years. I am an Apple nerd, so I tend to gravitate to the solutions they have in place. Anything that works across my phone, iPad, and computer is essential when it comes to capturing tasks. Todoist is also quite good, as is Google Tasks. But for the last few months, I’ve left Apple Reminders and I’ve been using TickTick. I touched on this a few weeks ago, but TickTick is so good, I might never go back. Not only can I capture and prioritize all my tasks, but it also has a nice calendar option as well as some handy productivity tools like an Eisenhower Matrix or a Pomodoro Timer. And as great as TickTick is, there’s a reason I talk so much about managing your to-dos. Whether it’s the ABCDE method or the 1-3-5 method, you need to prioritize and manage tasks because capturing all these things can pile up and become overwhelming.

Note taking, not just for nerds

Lastly, let’s talk about the other important way to capture things, which is having some kind of note-taking system. Just like capturing your to-dos is critical, so is having a place to dump all your thoughts, capture books to read or movies to watch, or have a place to write down all the things the voices in your head tell you.

Bullet Journals are great for this, as is a good old-fashioned notepad. But if you want to go digital, there are a lot of good options. Evernote is a solid cross-platform tool. Roam Research and Obsidian are also quite good. For me, I tried Notion for a while, but in the end, it just had too many bells and whistles. My note-taking needs to be easy, quick, and accessible. So for my purposes, I use Apple Notes. My main problem is that I have so many notes it’s basically a giant cluttered mess. This summer, I plan to try the PARA Method. The PARA Method, created by Tiago Forte, organizes information into four categories: Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It’s a system meant to help you manage tasks, responsibilities, and knowledge by defining and categorizing them, making it easier to find and use relevant information when needed. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Leveling up

If you’ve got the basics covered, it's time to add another layer to your productivity toolkit. Let's talk about file management systems.

Why use a file management system? With options like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive, your documents are centralized and easily accessible from any device. This makes collaboration smoother. These systems offer powerful search functions, version control, and secure backups, keeping your files organized, current, and safe from data loss. If my computer dies, it won’t be super devastating because most of my stuff is backed up to iCloud and Google Drive.

Next, think about a photo storage solution like Google Photos, Apple iCloud Photos, or Amazon Photos. A cloud-based photo service stores your photos securely online, making them accessible from any device. This way, you can view and share your memories anytime, anywhere. These services automatically back up your images, protecting them from loss due to device failure or accidental deletion. Plus, they include organizational tools like tagging, albums, and advanced search features, making it easy to manage and find specific photos.

Lastly, consider a password manager like LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, Bitwarden, or Keeper. A password manager securely stores and encrypts all your passwords, allowing you to use strong, unique passwords for each account without having to remember them all. It simplifies the login process by automatically filling in credentials across devices, saving you time and reducing the risk of forgotten passwords. Additionally, a password manager enhances security by generating complex passwords and alerting you to potential breaches, thus protecting your sensitive information more effectively.

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Conclusion: How This Improves Your Life

Implementing a basic productivity system can fundamentally transform how you manage your life. By centralizing your emails, important communications are never missed, and inbox zero becomes an achievable goal. Using a calendar frees up mental space, allowing you to focus on what truly matters without the constant worry of forgotten appointments or tasks. Task management systems like TickTick help you capture and prioritize to-dos, reducing mental clutter and enabling you to work more efficiently. Note-taking tools make your ideas and important information easily accessible, helping you stay organized and informed.

Adding advanced tools like file management systems, photo storage solutions, and password managers further streamlines your day-to-day activities. Your documents are always accessible, your memories are safely stored, and your passwords are secure. This approach not only boosts your productivity but also enhances your overall quality of life by providing peace of mind and more time for relaxation and personal growth. By adopting these tools, you gain control over your time, or at a minimum, can pass for a competent adult.