In this final post in the “Working through the Productivity Field Guide” series, we will discuss the digital tools you might use to set up and maintain your roles-based productivity system. These tools can help you keep up with your roles and arete statements and streamline quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily review and planning sessions.
The use of apps was not a topic in the Productivity Field Guide. However, it was the topic of one of the course webinars. During the series, many people asked David Sparks for advice on the best tools for implementing a roles-based productivity system.
You Don’t Need Fancy Expensive Apps to Have a Great Roles-Based Productivity System
You don’t need to have or use complex, expensive apps to have a tremendous roles-based productivity system. A piece of paper or a notebook would be enough. However, there are significant advantages to using digital apps.
David Sparks intentionally used simple tools in his videos to produce the Productivity Field Guide. He used built-in, simple Apple apps like Notes, Calendar, and Reminders because he didn’t want people to think they needed to buy a bunch of new apps to have a good roles-based system.
On the other hand, David Sparks and I use several other advanced third-party apps. David Sparks has a complex practice with many projects and tasks that benefit from more complex apps with more features. I have a pretty simple practice. I’m retired. I don’t have that many projects, tasks, or habits that I’m working on at any given time, so I can use less complex apps with fewer features.
Use the most simple app that can get the job done for you. The more complex an app is, the more difficult it is to learn and apply. So why not just use an app that meets your needs rather than having many features you don’t need or use?
Some people find it appealing to find one app, like Obsidian, to meet their calendaring, task management, and note-taking needs. David Sparks and I prefer to use “best-in-class” apps for each function. They usually have more features and are designed to do a specific job.
The Three Main Categories of Apps: Calendar, Task Manager, and Notes Apps
To manage your system, you need three apps: a calendar for hyper-scheduling, a task manager for recording and reminding yourself of individual tasks, and a notes app for keeping a list of your roles and your Arete “best behavior” statements.
1. Calendar. David Sparks uses the Fantastical calendar app. He likes its design. He values using calendar sets, setting up automation, and automatically scheduling appointments. These strengths complement Spark’s complex and involved business and personal systems.
My needs are much less complex than David Sparks’. I use the free version of Fantastical primarily because I like how it looks better than the Apple Calendar app. The Apple Calendar app can meet all my needs, but since Fantastical has a free version and I like how it looks, I’ve chosen to use it. It’s just a basic calendar where I can list appointments and hyper-schedule my day.
2. Task Manager. David Sparks has been using OmniFocus for several years. He likes its powerful features, which include a built-in project review function, deferred dates, and automation.
With my less complex system, Things is the task manager that works best for me. I tried Omnifocus for a few months but found it too complex for my needs. I prefer Things because it’s simple and beautiful and does everything I need a task manager to do without being overly complicated. In Things, I can display my tasks under my role headings, reminding me why I’m doing them.
3. Notes App. David Sparks uses Obsidian for his notes app. He likes the power features, flexibility, nimble development, community plugins available to provide different options, and the fact that it’s all markdown files, so it’s portable data.
I also use Obsidian for my Notes, but I use a very simple version of Obsidian. I use it to keep a list of my roles, the projects, and the habits I’m working on, as well as for doing my quarterly, monthly, and weekly reviews. I don’t use many plug-ins or advanced power features. I use the basic app with a few community plugins to improve its appearance and function.
Journaling Apps to Record Your Thoughts
David Sparks and I journal to reflect on our progress and record our thoughts.
David Sparks uses the journaling app Day One. He records his thoughts in several separate journals. For instance, he has one journal for each role, such as Husband, Father, Friend, etc. He also uses Day One to record his weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews.
After using the daily note feature in Obsidian for several months, I’ve recently returned to using Day One. I’m using just one journal to record my thoughts on several topics. My journaling isn’t as involved as David Spark’s, so I can use just one. Maybe at some point in the future, I’ll expand to more than one journal. See my Confessions of a Journaling App Jumper.
In the past, I’ve used the “daily notes” feature of Notes apps like Craft and Obsidian. These apps offer the advantage of easily linking journal entries with other notes, but I didn’t take advantage of that feature to the extent I thought it would. I prefer the layout and media compatibility of Day One.
Using a paper journal to record your thoughts would also be acceptable. It’s just a matter of personal preference. For me, the advantages of a digital format outweigh those of an analog format.
Apps for Doing Your Quarterly, Monthly, and Weekly Reviews
If we’re going to make progress in fulfilling our Arete “best behavior” statements, we need to consistently complete our weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews. Apps can help us streamline the process and record our thoughts and plans.
While David Sparks uses Day One for that purpose, I use Obsidian. I have folders in Obsidian for each level of review. I have prepared templates for my quarterly, monthly, or weekly reviews that list all the review questions and lead me through the process step by step.
When it’s time to review, I create a new note and insert the appropriate template. I enter my answers directly into that template. I find it’s a simple, easy way to do my reviews and keep a record of them.
I make my daily plans each morning as a part of my morning routine. I have a daily template in Day One with my general journaling prompts (such as “What’s on my mind?) but also prompts to help me plan my day.
I ask what my three main tasks for the day are and what my primary task is. I include space for writing my daily plan, in which I designate time blocks and what work I intend to do during each time block.
Using Dictation Apps to Record Your Thoughts
David Sparks and I use dictation extensively to journal and record our responses to review and planning sessions. I find dictation much faster than writing or typing, and my thoughts flow more freely when I dictate.
I’ve used the built-in dictation in Mac, iOS, and iPadOS with varying degrees of success for several years, and it works reasonably well.
Recently, I switched to using a third-party dictation app called Whisper Memos. I’ve found it’s more accurate than the built-in dictation in the Mac.
I especially appreciate the way it divides dictation into paragraphs automatically. It does an excellent job. While many dictation apps are pretty accurate, they struggle with paragraphs.
Another feature I like about Whisper Memos that differentiates it from the built-in dictation is that it doesn’t transcribe as you speak. When I used Apple’s built-in dictation, I would always have one eye watching the transcription to make sure that something didn’t go wrong, which interrupted my thinking. With Whisper Memos, I focus on speaking.
It records your voice and then automatically uploads it to be processed. It will email the finished transcription to you, or you can copy and paste it directly from the app itself. There is a free trial period. If you decide to keep the app, there is a subscription fee, but I think it’s well worth it.
Ultimately, the Tools Don’t Matter That Much
Ultimately, what tools you decide to use don’t matter that much. The tools that David Sparks or I use don’t need to be the same as what you use. They can be anything on a spectrum, from a simple piece of paper to a complex Obsidian setup.
Apply some intentionality to what you use. Find something fun, enjoyable, that you enjoy using, and that meets your needs. You won’t use it long-term if it isn’t functional and enjoyable. Choose what works best for you.
Once you pick your tools, master them. Learn your tool well to use it to its full effect. Courses on different tools are available from the Sweet Setup and other sources. David Sparks has several Field Guides that teach you how to use apps.
What Matters Most Is Doing the Work and Making Progress on Your Arete
What matters the most is that you keep doing reviews and keeping up with the process because that’s how you’ll progress. Again, it doesn’t matter what tool you use as long as it fits you, meets your needs, and is something you’ll continue to use.
Keep in mind that apps and processes are constantly changing. If you’re like me, you’ll continually be tweaking your system. Picking an app is not a one-step process for most people. Most people don’t choose their tools and then stay with them forever. You’ll likely experiment with it and may or may not change your tools over time.