Over the last few years I have worked with various tools to maximize my learning and productivity, from Trello to fancy alarm apps and everything in between. I have refined and simplified my symptoms.
I’ll cut to the chase – here they are!
- Obsidian with Obsidian Sync – best personal knowledge management and notes app, with robust internal linking, a buttery smooth user experience, and a plethora of themes
- Todoist – best no-nonsense task management app, complete with reminders, collaboration features, and calendar organization
- ChatGPT – best for ideas on how to structure information and communication (Now, exact wording? Not so much – AI output always has to be reworked to sound human, and spews inaccurate information about anything that isn’t already well-documented online)
- Phind.ai – best for retrieving and referencing a vast variety of relevant information and documentation on how to solve
- Raindrop.io – best app for keeping a collection of bookmarks to be accessed across browsers and devices
- Google Calendar – nothing beats the versatility and ease of use of this, and everyone uses it
- Daily.dev – This browser extension is what I use to stay on top of my coding news, and I have found many useful videos here!
- Stayfree – an amazing app for blocking distractions during work hours
- YouTube – Although it can be distracting if you are not careful, the vast library of coding news, tutorials, and general productivity tips, is absolutely indispensable. (I save video links to Raindrop.io, and write notes on video content I like in Obsidian).
- GoFullPage – Indispensable for working on web projects, as a good web developer knows that documentation is the backbone of any web development process, and prevents a lot of headaches. (Always back up work before making changes!)
- Toggl – absolutely amazing automatic time tracking tool for tracking hours on tasks and projects. It even has a Pomodoro timer feature!
- Spotify – Some people hate this app, but music guarantees that I experience flow state at least once per day, and aids in efficient context switching.
- VS Code – I know the cool kids use Vim and the like, but VS Code is simple and effective, has a lot of plugins, and a good UX. Maybe I’ll be carving my code into wax tablets like a REAL dev one day, but today is not that day.
I hope these recommendations help you in optimizing your workflow.
Here is to a productive and streamlined 2025!