CGP Grey, the popular YouTube educator known for his thought-provoking videos, recently shared his current productivity app ecosystem on the Cortex podcast, a collaboration with Relay FM co-founder Myke Hurley. His choices offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolving world of task management, note-taking, and time tracking, showcasing the ongoing struggle for balance between functionality, aesthetics, and collaboration in the digital age.
Navigating the Shifting Sands of Task Management with CGP Grey
At the heart of Grey’s productivity system lies his task manager of choice, OmniFocus. Having used it for years, Grey finds himself increasingly frustrated with its perceived outdatedness in the wake of recent iOS and macOS updates, particularly its lack of interactive widgets and cumbersome interface.
OmniFocus 4: A Glimmer of Hope on the Horizon?
OmniFocus 4, long-promised and eagerly anticipated, is set to address many of these concerns. However, its delayed release has left Grey feeling apprehensive, questioning its ability to seamlessly integrate with the latest Apple ecosystem features.
CGP Grey’s iPhone Home Screen featuring OmniFocus Widget
CGP Grey utilizes the OmniFocus widget on his iPhone home screen to display upcoming tasks.
While OmniFocus 4’s public beta didn’t initially impress Grey, the final version might provide the much-needed refresh he seeks. His anxieties stem from the potential changes in design and functionality that come with a major update. He expressed concerns about the transition to SwiftUI and its impact on the app’s overall feel.
Exploring Alternatives: A Quest for the Ideal To-Do App
Grey’s concerns prompted him to reevaluate the landscape of to-do list apps. He embarked on an extensive exploration, revisiting classics like Remember The Milk and delving into newer contenders. However, his quest highlighted a persistent dealbreaker: the lack of robust start date functionality, a feature crucial to his workflow.
Todoist: Myke Hurley’s Simple yet Effective Task Management Solution
In stark contrast to Grey’s OmniFocus saga, Myke Hurley exudes contentment with his chosen task manager, Todoist. Hurley appreciates Todoist’s simplicity and ability to efficiently handle his relatively straightforward task management needs.
Myke Hurley’s iPhone Home Screen featuring Todoist
Todoist plays a central role in Myke Hurley’s streamlined approach to task management.
He praises its intuitive interface, which focuses on due dates and project organization, and its multiple views that provide quick access to tasks for the day and upcoming tasks in a chronological list.
The Power of the iPhone 15 Pro Max Action Button: Streamlining Task Input
Despite Todoist’s limitations in widget support, Hurley has found a novel way to enhance his task management workflow through the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s action button. He utilizes a custom shortcut that allows him to quickly add tasks to either Todoist or Due without leaving his current app.
Reminders: A Surprisingly Versatile Tool for Family Collaboration
For family task management, Hurley has shifted from Trello to Reminders, finding its column view and ease of access a better fit for his needs. While acknowledging its quirks, he appreciates its simplicity and seamless Siri integration for voice-based task input.
Things: A Haven for Checklists and Streamlined Workflow
Hurley also incorporates Things into his system, utilizing it primarily for checklists related to podcast production and packing lists. He commends Things for its elegant design and powerful shortcut actions that enable the duplication of template projects with preserved formatting.
From Time Tracking to Intentional Decision-Making: CGP Grey and Myke Hurley’s Divergent Approaches
Both hosts emphasize the importance of time management, but their approaches differ significantly.
Timery: Myke Hurley’s Reliable and User-Friendly Time Tracking Companion
Hurley remains a staunch advocate for Timery, a time tracking app that consistently exceeds his expectations. He appreciates its intuitive interface, robust features, and seamless integration across multiple devices, making it effortless to capture accurate time data for annual review and decision-making related to his yearly theme.
Timelines: CGP Grey’s Offline Time Tracking Solution for Intentional Decision-Making
Grey’s focus on intentional decision-making and offline productivity led him to switch from Timery to Timelines, an app that works flawlessly without an internet connection. He highlights Timelines’ focus on setting time goals for specific tasks and visualizing progress, aligning with his preference for evaluating daily productivity in comparison to previous days.
CGP Grey’s iPhone Home Screen featuring Timelines
Timelines enables CGP Grey to track his time even when working offline, a crucial feature for his productivity workflow.
While acknowledging Timelines’ shortcomings in visual design and certain data presentation choices, Grey ultimately values its ability to seamlessly support his offline work sessions.
The Notes App: A Transitory Inbox and Junk Drawer
Both hosts utilize the default Notes app, albeit in distinct ways. Hurley uses it for various personal and work-related notes, while Grey treats it as a temporary holding space for information requiring further sorting and potential integration into his Obsidian vault.
The Quest for a Collaborative Knowledge Management System: Notion Takes Center Stage
For team collaboration and knowledge management, Grey has embarked on a journey from Craft to Obsidian to Notion, each iteration highlighting the ongoing struggle for a system that balances robust features with ease of use and collaboration capabilities.
Notion’s Power and Versatility: From Knowledge Base to Project Management Tool
Grey expresses newfound enthusiasm for Notion, praising its power and versatility. He currently utilizes it primarily as a knowledge base and information repository for his Cortex brand, but envisions expanding its role to encompass project management in the future.
Revolutionizing Podcast Show Notes with Notion’s Kanban System
A notable success story with Notion involves the transformation of their podcast show notes process. The Kanban system, adapted for podcast production, has proven surprisingly effective, enabling efficient topic organization and collaboration.
The Tension Between Information Archive and Actionable Items: Finding the Right Balance
Grey acknowledges the inherent tension in knowledge management systems like Notion, where the sheer volume of information can overwhelm actionable items. He advocates for clear separation between archive and action, and prioritizes systems that minimize information duplication.
The Pain of Collaboration: Balancing Personal Preferences with Team Requirements
The quest for the ideal team communication and collaboration tools has proven to be the most challenging for Grey. Balancing his personal preferences with the requirements of his team often leads to compromises and a sense of frustration.
Slack: A Necessary Evil? Balancing Powerful Features with High Costs
While acknowledging its high cost, Grey has come to terms with Slack as his primary team communication tool, particularly since the introduction of the “Later” feature, which enables him to bookmark messages for future action.
The Future of Team Collaboration: Is Reminders a Viable Alternative?
Grey contemplates the potential of using Reminders for team task management, recognizing its improved features and seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem. However, he acknowledges the need for cross-platform compatibility and the potential disruption to his assistant’s established workflows.
Obsidian: The Ideal Writing App? Striking a Balance Between Individual Needs and Collaboration
For writing, Grey remains a devoted user of Obsidian, a powerful note-taking and knowledge management tool that resonates with his workflow. However, the lack of seamless collaboration features presents an ongoing challenge, leading him to consider alternative approaches.
Embracing AI for Writing Assistance and Technical Troubleshooting
Grey embraces AI tools for specific writing tasks, such as using ChatGPT as a sophisticated thesaurus for scriptwriting and for technical problem-solving, particularly when debugging complex issues on his computer.
CGP Grey’s Desktop Setup featuring Obsidian
Obsidian serves as CGP Grey’s writing app of choice, providing a flexible and intuitive platform for his note-taking and knowledge management needs.
He emphasizes the importance of follow-up questions when interacting with AI systems, and advocates for using dictation to streamline input and improve accuracy in conveying technical issues.
Looking Ahead: Embracing Change and Finding the Right AI-Powered Tools
CGP Grey recognizes the inevitability of AI integration into productivity workflows, and is actively exploring its potential benefits while remaining cautious of its limitations. He anticipates significant advancements in AI-powered features across various app categories, potentially changing the landscape of productivity in the years to come.
FAQ: Exploring the Evolving Productivity App Ecosystem of CGP Grey
What is the main reason for CGP Grey’s dissatisfaction with OmniFocus?
Grey’s primary concern with OmniFocus stems from its perceived lack of integration with the latest Apple ecosystem features, particularly the absence of interactive widgets and the app’s aging interface.
What is Myke Hurley’s primary reason for choosing Todoist?
Hurley appreciates Todoist’s simplicity and effectiveness in managing his relatively straightforward task management needs. He favors its focus on due dates, project organization, and intuitive interface.
Why did CGP Grey switch from Timery to Timelines?
Grey’s increasing focus on offline productivity necessitated a time tracking app that functions without an internet connection, leading him to choose Timelines for its offline capabilities and focus on intentional decision-making.
What is the role of the Notes app in both hosts’ workflows?
Hurley utilizes the Notes app for various personal and work-related notes, while Grey treats it as a temporary holding space for information requiring further organization and potential integration into his Obsidian vault.
Why did CGP Grey ultimately choose Notion for team collaboration and knowledge management?
Despite initial reservations about its feel, Grey was won over by Notion’s power and versatility, particularly its ability to serve as a central repository for information and its potential to evolve into a comprehensive project management tool.
Conclusion: A Productivity Journey in Constant Flux
CGP Grey’s evolving productivity app ecosystem underscores the ongoing quest for balance between functionality, aesthetics, and collaboration in the digital age. From the anticipation of OmniFocus 4 to the embrace of Notion’s versatility and the exploration of AI’s potential, Grey’s choices reflect a constant drive for improvement and adaptation, mirroring the ever-changing landscape of technology and productivity tools.
We encourage you to share your own experiences and insights in the comments below. What are your go-to productivity apps? Have you encountered similar challenges in balancing individual needs with team collaboration? Let’s continue the conversation and learn from each other’s productivity journeys.
