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My search for perfect productivity... 👨💻
Let's talk about getting things done — or not, depending on the day. We all have our moments of chasing deadlines or dodging them, right?
I've been on the lookout for something that could really help streamline my workflow.
I needed a change from my previous task management system.
It just wasn't cutting it anymore, and I was craving a tool that could handle my daily grind without turning it into a grind itself.
So, what should a good productivity tool have?
Time-Blocking: It's about carving out specific times for tasks - directly in your calendar. This method can transform a hectic day into a well-oiled schedule.
Tasks: The easier, the better. If a tool makes task management a hassle, it's out.
Clear UI: Clutter is the enemy. A good tool should feel like a breath of fresh air, not a brain teaser.
Enter TickTick. After testing out a handful of to-do apps, it came out on top. It's affordable and hits all the right notes for a sleek, efficient productivity app.
I was all set to dive into time-blocking with TickTick, but to my surprise, I didn't rely on it as much as I expected. It turns out the flexibility of my days doesn't always fit into neatly scheduled blocks.
(Plus, the modern work environment is very fluid — particularly if you are working within a team.)
But where TickTick really stands out for me is with its organization features — groups, folders, and tags.
Make it Your Own: Tags let you sort your tasks your way, whether that's by project vibes, how urgent they are, or just what feels right.
Mix and Match: You're not stuck putting a task in just one box. Slap on as many tags as you need to keep everything straight.
Find Stuff Fast: No more digging around. Use tags to zero in on the task you need without the fuss.
See What's Hot: Tags can act like a highlighter for your to-do list, showing you the big-deal tasks at a glance.
For me, the main thing about TickTick is that there is no "friction" when I need to write a note. I just switch to the tab, and in one line write the folder / tag / day / time and the tasks. TT separates everything for me.
That's my take on TickTick. It's worth a shot if you want to keep your to-do list clear and your mind focused.
Other Tailwind Favs.💥
We did a quick poll of our team to find out what tools they use to get stuff done.
Our director of marketing has an Asana board with To-Do, Completed, Assigned to others, etc. She moves tasks back and forth there. And she uses an automated rule to send completed tasks to a board that corresponds to the month, enabling her to see what she's done in any given month.
Tailwind's Customer Success Manager has a similar system in Trello. She likes how easy it is to drag and drop tasks if they are completed early or need to be pushed to another day or a different project. And, she likes how Trello handles fluid schedules and projects that move around often.
Our site reliability engineer swears by Logseq. He likes the daily journal format, where he can make a new line with TO-DO and write a task down, then in another view he can see all of the things marked as to-do from any day that isn't complete.
Tailwind's Controller uses Smartsheet. She says it's very much like Excel for project management. She uses the same formulas she has in Excel. And Smartsheet tracks the percentage of a project that is complete and has conditional formatting that helps her keep track of progress.
Our Director of Partnership swears by Slack's "Later" feature. He writes to-do's in his personal channel then uses the "save for later" feature.
What tools do you use to stay organized?
We'd love to hear from you. And, in case you are wondering, we aren't affiliates for any of these tools 🤣 — just a group of people trying to get more done and sharing the journey with you.
Cheering for you!
Vlad, and the team at Tailwind
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