Getting to grips with the mess! - Part 2

This is the second part of a two-part series about finally getting to grips with the chaos & messiness in my life. The first part, which focussed on the actual steps, can be found here.

Now, in the first part of this series, I already mentioned above that I’ve been using stuff like Todoist, OneNote or OneDrive to get at least the digital aspects of my life in order. In this section, I’ll talk just a little about how and why I’m using these tools. There’s often numerous different alternatives out there, and tools that work for me might not work for you, so once again this is just my personal take. However, a few things are crucial as far as I'm concerned.

Cross-Platform functionality is vital in this day and age!

We live in a world where people are mobile and usually have multiple devices, often across different platforms. One might have a Windows laptop, and Android smartphone and then an iPad for good measure. Add in smartwatches like my beloved Apple Watch and things get really complex. Therefore, it is vital that any tools you use to structure your day work seamlessly across all these different devices and platforms. Secondly, they should have a web interface that is equally easy to use as the dedicated apps, in case you need to access them from a work machine, a university or library computer, or you know, in case you're running one of your machines on Linux. Finally, and this should go without saying, ease of use is vital. The more complicated a system is, the more likely you are to abandon it sooner or later.

Task Management

Todoist – If you regularly check the App Store, you’ve probably seen it. I was originally sceptical about a task management system outright. After trying Todoist following a certain course I mentioned further up, I did change my mind. It actually helped me getting more organised. Getting tasks into the system is easy, especially given Todoist’s natural speech recognition which is excellent. Marking tasks as completed also adds to your “Karma” score, which is Todoist’s way of maintaining long term motivation, something that is crucial for me. What’s more, there’s also extensions for the likes of Chrome or Safari. And while the app is free, after about a month of using it, I actually went for the premium subscription, which gives you a few extra features, such as customisable filters

Note Taking

OneNote – The one and only! Now, I know that some people have serious issues with Microsoft, and I haven’t always been their greatest fan myself. However, even a broken clock is right twice a day, and Microsoft have certainly gotten things more than right with OneNote! Before starting the full draft of this article, I checked out Evernote, which I’d used back in my days at Apple, and to be honest, it was like stepping back in time, and not in a good way! The interface feels dated, even though the basic structure of the two programs is identical. With OneNote, it’s all about just taking notes. More importantly, OneNote’s cross-platform capabilities are second to none. I’ve got a full Apple setup in my home, with everything from a MacBook Pro down to an Apple Watch, and OneNote performs flawlessly on all of them, a key aspect since I often leave my MacBook at home and just take my phone or my iPad with me. I do miss automatic handwriting transcription on the iPad, but that is a really minor point. Plus, you can’t beat the price. While both Evernote and OneNote are available for free, the free version of OneNote is just as powerful as the “regular” version included in Office 365, with the only difference being the available amount of cloud storage. More on that in the next topic.

Digital File Management

Microsoft OneDrive – Yep, back to Microsoft. Granted, there’s dozens of cloud storage providers, Google Drive, iCloud Drive for the Apple aficionados, Dropbox, you name it they have it. However, for me personally, Microsoft OneDrive really comes out on top. Okay, one of the reasons is that I’m already an Office 365 customer, so I’ve got it whether I use it or not. This membership gets me 1TB of cloud storage as well as access to the entire portfolio of Microsoft Office apps at 7€ a month. Now that is obviously much more than I need, and other providers such as Google offer cheaper plans for their 100GB plans. However, what seals the deal for me is the iOS app for OneDrive, with it’s built in scan function. This makes it really that much easier to immediately get important letters or documents, from tax forms to doctor’s certificates digitised and filed away. A few weeks ago, while I was suffering from a really bad headcold and was out cold for a week, and still I was able to have the certificate scanned and on my way to my manager before even paying my bill at the doctor’s office! That’s something I haven’t seen yet with Google Drive et al.

And that’s pretty much it. Now, setting up such a system is easy, it’s keeping it going that’s the hard part. At the moment I’m doing pretty well on that front, the system has been running since January 2019, after all, and I’ve yet to have a major relapse into chaos that completely wrecks the system. Also, don’t take any of the two thousand words I’ve written above as gospel. This is just how I managed to tame chaos for myself, and other people might find that different structures work for them. There’s also numerous different applications and tools out there if you don’t want to work with the tools that I’m using, maybe because you just can’t stand Microsoft ;) So have a look around, and find something that fits for you. Also, don’t hesitate to take a look at platforms like Lynda.com or skillshare.com, or even YouTube if you find that works better for you.

Finally, and this is probably the biggest bit of advice I can give you, this whole thing is nowhere near as dramatic as it may seem. It may seem daunting at first, it certainly seemed that way for me when I started, not least due to the trauma attached to some of the documents. However, once you’ve actually decided on your system, it’s surprising how quickly you can get everything done. Your back may hurt after sorting and filing paperwork for half the afternoon, but once you’re done you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place.