Unless you discipline yourself to use a given tool, it probably won’t have a positive effect on your doings. I wrote a number of posts about this previously (one, two, three) and always have more thoughts to share on the topic.

Simple or Advanced

I recommend a thorough conversation about your needs to identify the most appropriate tool(s) to help you accomplish your goals. A clear outline of what works best for you now can inform your decision about alternative approaches that might be more effective.

For example, if you use a paper calendar with a matrix of dates, times, and colors, perhaps a calendar app is your best choice on the digital side. Complexity aside, what features must be present because you expect to rely on them the most?

Feature vs. Function

Five years ago, I started using 2Do on iPhone and iPad. As I shared then, it has a wealth of features, but I’ve found I use very few. 2Do serves my primary needs: basic, color-coded to-do list with due dates, time-specific alerts, and some repeating tasks.

To date, I’ve added very few tasks to my list, so my sorting and highlighting needs are limited. However, I just added the Mac version to my arsenal and I wonder whether I’ll shift my usage.

Use It or Lose It

The digital Getting Things Done® space remains a crowded market of desktop, mobile, and web applications that customers like or dislike for various reasons. If you’re considering a new way to keep track of your living or working activities, it’s worth exploring this landscape to see if there’s a tool worth trying.

However, always remember to set the advertised features aside and identify your core needs. This focused conversation will help you determine whether a specific product or service will actually help you become more efficient or flexible.

This conversation always reminds me of Chris Breen’s excellent Macworld article in 2000 that compared two popular personal organizers: the fancy new Palm m100 ($149) and the age-old Mead Memo Book (99¢).

Would you like to have a similar conversation with me and figure out what set of tools will best fit your needs? Call or email to book an appointment.