Stop searching for the best productivity apps (and what to do instead)

I’ve spent countless hours searching for the best productivity apps and tools. Asana, Monday, ClickUp, Basecamp, Trello—you name it, I’ve probably tried it.

For a long time, I thought the issue was that I hadn’t found the right tool yet. I thought the next app would magically unlock my productivity.

But the truth? I was approaching the whole thing backwards.

Inconveniently: productivity apps don’t make you productive. At least, not on their own. They’re the final piece of the puzzle—not the first.

If you’re stuck in the same endless loop of app-hopping, here’s how to break free and build a productivity system that actually works.

Step 1: start with purpose

Before looking for your next productivity tool, ask yourself: what problem are you trying to solve?

Here are a few common reasons people turn to productivity tools:

• Feeling overwhelmed: You have too much on your plate and can’t keep track of everything.
• Struggling with procrastination: You need help staying focused and getting unstuck.
• Maximising limited time: You want to prioritise high-impact tasks and make the most of your day.

Maybe it’s none of these, or maybe it’s all of them. The point is, without a clear purpose, you’re just throwing tech at an undefined problem. No app can fix that for you.

Take the time to reflect. What does “productive” mean to you? What outcomes are you hoping to achieve? This step might seem simple, but it’s the foundation for everything else.

Step 2: find your method

After defining your goals, you need a productivity method that aligns with your objectives and work style.

There’s no shortage of options. Some popular methods include:

• GTD (Getting Things Done): Focused on capturing tasks and breaking them into actionable steps.
• Kanban: A visual system for managing tasks, perfect for tracking progress at a glance.
• OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): A goal setting and measurement system (check out my approach to OKRs).

Not sure where to start? Todoist’s summaries of popular productivity methods are fantastic, and they even include a quiz to help you narrow down the right approach.

The key is to find a method that resonates with you. Try one (or a few) to see what clicks. Over time, you’ll likely tweak and customise it to better fit your style—this is normal and part of the process.

To make your method stick, layer in some supporting routines:

• Daily reviews: Review and plan your day to make it impactful.
• Weekly reviews: Look ahead to the upcoming week, shifting from reactive to proactive time management.
• Quarterly reviews: Reassess your big-picture goals and adjust your approach as needed.

By combining a method with regular reviews, you’ll create a productivity system that’s tailored to your goals and adaptable over time.

Step 3: choose your tools

Only after establishing your productivity method should you consider which productivity apps and tools will best support your system.

The good news is that most productivity apps are flexible enough to work with most methods.

Start with these guiding principles:

• Physical or digital? Some people swear by physical planners or notebooks; others prefer digital tools. Many (like me) like a mix of both. There’s no right or wrong—just what works for you.
• Test a few options: Apps like Todoist, Trello, Asana, and Notion are all solid choices. Experiment to find one that feels intuitive and aligns with your workflow.
• Make the tool fit your method: The app should support your system, not dictate it. For example, if you’re using Kanban, look for an app with strong visual task boards (e.g. Trello).

Congratulations: you now have a productivity system, tailored to your purpose.

My Productivity System

Here’s how I apply productivity methods and tools in my daily routine:

My purpose

To increase my impact. Over the years, I’ve learned that the goal isn’t to be “productive” and get lots of things done. Impact comes from getting the small number of truly important things done.

My method

• Quarterly planning: I use OKRs to align my long-term goals with daily tasks. Here’s a deeper dive into quarterly planning.
• Weekly review: I follow a structured process to reflect on the week and plan ahead. Read about weekly reviews here.
• Daily review: This helps me stay focused and prioritise effectively each day. Here’s my simple approach to daily reviews.
• Day-to-day action tracking: I practice a simplified version of GTD to capture tasks and keep things moving. It’s based on this method.

My tools

• A physical planner: Right now, I use the MiGoals planner, but I’m transitioning to our own Impact Planner – here’s a sneak preview.
• Todoist: I’ve been using Todoist for years, and it’s fantastic. It’s a to-do list app packed with productivity features and works seamlessly with the methods I use.

That’s it—nothing overly complex, but it works far better for me than any of the flashy productivity apps I tried in the past.