I need something I can consult to track projects, remind myself of who owes me an article, which articles I promised to write or edit, what how-tos I swore I would take on next, etc.Īs a result, while I appreciate (and sometimes use) simple note-taking apps such as Google Keep or reminders such as TickTick, I love experimenting with more complex task managers. I’ve always had a not-so-great memory, and as a result, throughout most of my career, I’ve gone through I don’t know how many different apps for keeping track of what I have to do. The point is that you are using something that works for your own brain. The point is not the tools you are using. Still, my oldest notebooks are cheapo, nasty spiral-bound ruled paper I bought at the drugstore for under a dollar. You do not need to buy an expensive notebook, though I like them because they make me feel fancy, and the paper is nice to touch. Do you just want to write down your feelings before you talk to someone about them? Brainstorm on a task? Whatever? Great news! There is a blank piece of paper, and it can be whatever you want it to be. Do you want to track stuff using bullet journal layouts? Great.

Are you a monster who operates her life through jerry-rigged to-do lists? Great. Personally, I like markers because I like color, but this is your notebook, so you should follow your heart. You can get wild and buy markers and a ruler. You are much more likely to design a system you will use than someone else is. Do you know why? Only you operate your brain. In fact, keeping track of yourself is much easier if you aren’t using tech designed for someone else. If you’re finding that this year is turning out to be a confusing one and you need a way to try to keep your life and your sanity in order, here are some methods that we use. And it turns out that they use a variety of different apps or some fairly old-fashioned paper-and-pen solutions - or both. So we’ve asked the staff of The Verge what they use to keep track of all their appointments, tasks, projects, and workflows. What do you need on your grocery list? When is that work project due, and who is working on it with you? A friend wants to do a movie-watching session, but is that the same day you promised your parents to help clean the garage? Which bills are due, and can you afford to pay them all? Where is that article about which masks to wear? And on and on. Life these days can be very complicated, and many of us - I’d guess that most of us - are constantly looking for the best method to keep our lives in order.

Ticktick extension