These two apps are all I need to keep my productivity high

I’m all about productivity, trying to get as much done in the least amount of time. As an Editor here at Android Authority and someone who is involved in all sorts of projects outside of work, I have a lot of tasks to handle on a daily basis, and I need help getting organized.

While I use all sorts of apps and services, two of them stand out. I use both Notion and Todoist regularly to stay on top of my professional and personal life, and honestly, I don’t think I could live without them.

I want to share exactly how I use each one, whether there’s a chance to ditch one for the other, and which other apps also help keep me from going crazy.

Out of the two, I use Notion the most. It’s my main work app, and it comes in handy in more areas than I can count. This very post you’re reading was written in Notion first before being published on our website. I used to use Google Docs for this but switched to Notion since I can more easily organize all of my writing.

Notion is also where I keep all the ideas for topics I want to tackle. I set up a table, making it easy to add and see all my ideas on one page, along with details that matter to me — date added, difficulty level, and more. I also use it to keep track of all the meetings I have with the team here at Android Authority. I downloaded a template for this, which I modified to fit my wants and needs. I use it to prepare talking points, write down all the important parts of each meeting, and a lot more.

I also use Notion to keep track of all the work projects I’m handling — like new product launches we cover — making sure I never forget to handle anything important, make work-related notes, and so on. It’s hard for me to imagine doing my job without it, since it’s the first app I open when I start my shift. I like how the vast majority of things I need to keep track of is right in front of me, in one app.

In addition to work, I use Notion to keep track of my personal life. For example, I have a Fitness page set up that contains a detailed workout plan, my meal plan, and a few trackers for my weight and other body measurements. What I like about it is that it’s very customizable; I can set up pretty much everything I need. That’s very different from a dedicated fitness app, which can be quite rigid. The ones I used in the past had a bunch of features I didn’t want to use that got in my way, while the features I did use were not quite up to the standard I wanted.

Then there’s my recipe book. I could have easily used a separate app for this, but my main goal is to keep as much as possible in just one app, as that seems the most efficient. And it works. Notion lets me easily keep track of all my favorite recipes, making sure I don’t forget how to make my favorite dishes when the time comes. Sure, there aren’t that many recipes in there since I’m not that great in the kitchen, but hey, it’s a start.

Beyond my fitness journey and recipes, I use Notion for personal notes and to keep track of various other projects. For example, I bought a new apartment not too long ago, and there was a lot to handle. From figuring out exactly what furniture I needed, where to buy it, and how much it would cost, to keeping track of all the claims I filed, Notion had me covered. That’s the beauty of the software — it’s so versatile, I can do just about anything with it.

Because of Notion, I was able to replace all sorts of other apps, including Google Docs, Evernote, and more.

I know what you’re thinking: I could technically set up a to-do list in Notion, so why am I still using Todoist? The problem is that the options for creating task lists in Notion are still very limited, and I get a lot more from a dedicated task manager like Todoist. For example, Todoist’s natural language processing is far superior, meaning I can just type something like, “Go to the gym every day during the week at 6 PM,” and a recurring task will be created automatically. I don’t have to manually select a date, set up a recurring option, or create a reminder. This saves me time, which is what productivity is all about. The reminders I can set up in Todoist are also better and are a must for my workflow.

So for now, I’m sticking with Todoist, as it really helps me stay on top of all my work and personal tasks. I try to keep my system as simple as possible. Complicating it will just confuse me somewhere down the line, as it’s harder to remember all the intricate details of a complex system.

I have only two projects set up — one for personal and another for work-related tasks. This allows me to easily glance at what I have to do daily for my job and what tasks are coming up in my private life.

It’s a simple system — perhaps too simple since work and personal tasks generally fall into different categories. That’s where labels come in. They allow me to further organize all the tasks I add to Todoist, making it easy to sort them by their nature.

For example, I use Todoist to keep track of all my family and friends’ birthdays, just so I don’t forget to call them when the day comes and wish them all the best. I could use a calendar for this, but as I said, I’m on a mission to use as few apps as possible. I also use labels for general tasks I have to handle and for specific projects I’m working on, like a side business.

So when I add a task related to my side business, I put it into the “Work” project and add a label to it titled “Side Business.” That way, I can easily see all my work-related tasks by opening the Work project and then further sort them by checking out all the tasks related to my side business.

This system is easy to set up, use, and remember. Simple is the way to go, and I haven’t found an issue with it yet. There is a third component to it, though: filters. They work like labels, allowing me to sort tasks within projects even further. However, I use them to sort tasks across both projects, and they can show me things like which tasks have the highest priority, which tasks are recurring, and the ones I haven’t set a due date for yet, among other things. The whole point is to find exactly what I’m looking for with just a tap or two, which isn’t always the case if you complicate a workflow with dozens of projects and sub-projects.

When it comes to productivity, especially related to my job, Todoist and Notion are the two apps I use the most. I generally don’t get through a workday without them. However, there are a few others that help me get things done faster and stay on top of my life.

One of them is Gemini, the chatbot I use more and more often. It helps me clean up my posts before I publish them by finding any possible typos, missing commas, and the like. I also use it to brainstorm titles, research new topics I’m interested in, and just generally get the information I want faster.

Then there’s YNAB, the money management app that has eased a lot of financial stress over the years, and the meditation app Balance, which helps me improve my focus, just to name a few.

I generally try to download and use apps that help me get places — apps that save me time and assist me in achieving a specific goal one way or another. In my opinion, that’s what technology should primarily be used for, even though most people use it for getting into arguments with strangers online and watching cats jump into boxes.

Don’t get me wrong, a bit of relaxation and a good laugh are crucial, and apps designed for that purpose have their place in the world. But for me, at least, they should be secondary to the ones that bring real value to our lives. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments.