I've always wanted to document the applications I use to support my productivity system. The apps I'll mention here aren't everything I use, but they are the main ones that shape how I work and manage my time. I've also grouped them into categories to make them easier to follow.
- Obsidian — Note-taking app
- Google Calendar — Scheduling and time blocking app
- TickTick — Task management, habit tracker, focus timer, and Eisenhower Matrix
I love Obsidian for note-taking because I've long been used to writing my notes in markdown. Obsidian handles markdown beautifully and makes the entire process smooth and enjoyable. Back in my first year of college, I stored my notes as markdown files in a private Git repository and used Visual Studio Code (VSCode) with markdown extensions to edit them. The main reason I switched to an actual note-taking app was for accessibility, convenience, and extended features. With Obsidian, I can synchronize and edit my notes on my mobile device anytime, which frees me from the limitation of needing my laptop or desktop just to write something down. While the GitHub mobile app technically allows editing markdown files, it's clunky for note-taking and takes too long to navigate to the right file. A dedicated note-taking app simply makes the experience faster, cleaner, and more efficient.
Before using Obsidian, I tried Joplin. It's also a markdown note-taking app, but I eventually moved to Obsidian because of its cleaner UI, better markdown editor, and the canvas feature. I use the canvas to turn conceptual models into concrete diagrams, which helps me understand complex topics better. I also use it for mind mapping so I can see how concepts connect to each other more clearly.
For Google Calendar, I use it mainly to schedule my deep work sessions. I follow a rhythmic deep work philosophy, which I first learned about in Cal Newport's Deep Work. This method involves blocking off consistent time periods weekly to make deep work a habit. I also use Google Calendar to keep track of friends' birthdays, events, meetings, appointments, routine tasks, work hours, and class schedules.
Finally, there's TickTick, which I use to manage my tasks. I categorize them into several directories such as College, Daily Routine, and Self-Study. Each task can be assigned a priority level such as None, Low, Medium, or High, which helps me decide what to tackle first. I also use its Eisenhower Matrix feature, which divides tasks into four categories:
- Important and Urgent
- Important and Non-Urgent
- Not Important and Urgent
- Not Important and Non-Urgent
This structure aligns really well with the concepts from the First Things First chapter of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
Another feature I love about TickTick is the focus timer. It works like a Pomodoro timer, but instead of the usual 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest, I set it to 60 minutes of work and 10 minutes of break. This is influenced by Cal Newport's deep work principles and research on flow state, which shows that it can take at least 20 minutes to fully immerse yourself in focused work. Short Pomodoro cycles interrupt my flow too often, so a 60-minute focus window works best for me.
Of course, I also recognize that longer sessions can create more mental resistance at the start. To handle this, I switch between two modes: shallow work and deep work. For shallow work, I simply start a stopwatch and aim to work for at least 5 minutes, which lowers the psychological barrier. For deep work, I commit to the full hour to maximize productivity and flow.
Following the principles from Atomic Habits, I also use TickTick's habit tracker to maintain my daily routines. Seeing a straight line of checkmarks on its calendar is satisfying. It's similar to that story from Atomic Habits about using a jar and pins to visualize progress. That visible streak becomes its own motivation to keep going.
These are the main apps I rely on to stay productive and organized. I know Notion is a popular all-in-one alternative, but I prefer the simplicity of using tools that each excel at one job. There are more reasons why I've stuck with this system, but I'll wrap it up for now. I hope this gave you some insight or inspiration to build your own productivity stack.