Your System - Functions and Apps That Fulfill Them

Posted by JakeBernsteinWA
Feb 6, 2019 at 12:01 AM

Courtesy of Graham from the “informal poll” thread on task managers:

> As for my setup: my diary and dated tasks are on paper (Filofax Heritage A5, for those interested), using inserts that I design and print myself (so that they exactly suit my way of working – another added efficiency bonus).
> My undated and repeating tasks are in a highly underrated program called Sciral Consistency. The knowledge I collect and disseminate is in ConnectedText, and project-related knowledge is split between The Brain (because I can easily synchronise that with other computers) and notebooks (the paper variety). My archive knowledge is in OneNote. I carry around an A7 notebook for any ideas of tasks I need to do whilst on the move. I have a whole host of other software I’d like to use (Everdo, Hyperplan, Goalscape…), but I need to get them to work in my way instead of vice versa, so they’re on the reserve bench.

What struck me about this paragraph was Graham’s delineation of the apps he uses and their function in his personal setup/system. This is something that all good CRIMPers use far too much time on, but I am curious.

What do you consider to be the essential functions of Your System and what apps do you use to fulfill each such function?

To get this started, I think of the following functions and associated apps as part of my system:

1. Brainstorming :: iThoughtsX or other mindmapping software
2. Random Notetaking :: Drafts (iOS and Mac beta)
3. Scheduling :: Calendars via Fantastical 2
4. Task Management :: Hybrid System consisting of a bullet journal plus OmniFocus 3
5. Thought Processing :: see Brainstorming OR something like Tinderbox
6. Knowledge Archive :: combination of DEVONthink Pro Office and something i haven’t settled on yet for raw text (possibly The Archive or Drafts for Mac or Ulysses or Day One…ah heck, I don’t know—this remains a struggle)
7. Project Knowledge :: DTPO or Tinderbox

In general, many of this can be hybridized to include paper notebook. For example, I’m working on hybridizing my journaling system to include my bullet journal and Day One (but see my problem with archival text knowledge).

So, who else wants to share their System like this?