*Would love to hear your opinions and whether others have done something like this* Hopefully folks, the lessons helped in improving your thinking and process for choosing applications. Francesco 🙌🏼
I have been an Evernote subscriber all along but just cancelled it because the new Windows app is atrocious. It keeps notifying me several times a day that I am running the latest version (completely unnecessary and irritating - just let me know if there is a new version) and the last straw was that they took away the settings/preferences box - there is no excuse for this even if it is temporary.
I had plans to use Notion until I realised it doesn't work offline which for me when things go back to normal is not doable. Then I almost opened a free account with Asana but no offline either, am tearing my hair apart :). Do you have a video on offline (free) project management tools?
@@froufou100 you won't get what you want but checkout clickup, they're constantly improving their product and they've got a lot of funding. ClickUp is so much better than Asana but abusing Notion for task management worse.
People who judge notion users for liking the aesthetics, who hurt you? Not everyone’s brain responds well to a plain stack of notes. Personally, I’ve been looking for something like notion for 10 years. The website + dynamic database functionality is exactly how my brain operates. Did I spend a full week designing my setup with custom images for pages nested inside gallery blocks? Yup. Am I proud of how it looks? Absolutely. But has it completely changed my life and given me a way to finally feel in control despite multiple mental illnesses? Yes! The aesthetics make me want to use the app, plain and simple. It’s not for everyone, but don’t assume that just because it’s fun and pretty that it’s not also functional.
Exactly! I just discovered Notion and i legit had a HUGE smile on my face as i was discovering its capabilities. Notion to me is exactly the answer to what Evernote & OneNote is missing. It's a productivity EVERYTHING builder not just a note taking app. It's exactly how my brain works too, reminds me of playing with Legos as a kid.
Oh I agree. I have spent endless amounts of money on planners & diaries, all of which don’t fit my way of work. I just don’t pick up the books & I find writing out/bullet journaling an absolute chore. I never end up using the pre-designed sections either. Notion gives me the ability to design anything in the way I see fit. If I want a page about my Frank ocean obsession or a table of all my current assignments & their due dates I can make it. As someone who keeps everything in their head, its much more inviting than physical planners & I am excited to open my notion everyday. I feel 100% more organised, thoughtful & productive.
As a student, I love notion. I use it as a ‘filing cabinet’ as well as for planning etc. and I think it’s amazing because my workflow changes so much, and Notion is so flexible so I can change my workflow without having to change productivity apps. The only thing that puts me off is the lack of security, I’m hoping they do something about that!
Forrest this video explains it quite well: ruclips.net/video/HhWUjp5pD0g/видео.html , for what i use notion for, the security thing isn’t really a problem. i guess it just depends on how much you trust these kind of companies with your data.
I use Evernote also to find physical "stuff" at home. Therefore have several boxes or storagespaces (e.g. bags on a cabinet or under a bed). So what I did is, I created a nested stack of Notebooks with the name of these places. Now , when i put something into such a place, I also create/put a note in Evernote with the name of this object in that Notebook. Or I put several objects/Things on a longer Note (the Note has the name of the place (e.g. big red Box on the basement self) and put it into the Header Notebookstack. Now whenever I surge physical for something, i just look into Evernote, surge there for name of the object. ... Boom, it appears in the Notebook or in the Note with the name of place. Now I know exactly where in my Home this object is.
This is the reality. We don't put our values first, we put the tools first and then we try to shoehorn our values. What Francesco is doing is the right thing. Notion has become the Instagram of productivity. It's not their fault. Their users created stunning overviews of their lives that were functionally vapid. I applauded Francesco! He's aware, brave and consdierate.
Notion users are prone to share their intricate views but they are not the most annoying fans; that trophy goes to Roam Research fans. They are so eager to show they`re cool and smart, that is unnerving. Hahahahha!
You're all just salty the crazy aesthetic bullet journalling fans has invaded Notion lmao! (Just like the scrapbookers invaded bujo back then). But seriously, notion is bad for sensitive info. Good stuff for brainstorming, studying and note taking though, looks better than evernote and doesnt cost an arm and leg.
@@seraby7151 I'm just looking into a notetaking app to schedule my professional classes. Am I sensing that Notion is open to public view? Or what are trying to say? Thanks
@@pattyeyler2909 No, the public can't see your content unless you share it. I'm not sure what he's ranting on about... Evernote to me is the overhyped app. It's great for dumping documents but that's it. If you want to feel in control of your own projects, docs, life, etc... Notion and apps like it (Coda, Clickup, Airtables, the brand new Microsoft Loop) are where it's at imo.
You and Thomas Frank were basically the reason I started using Notion, been using it for college for a couple years and I'm close to graduation. Thank you for showing me this tool and helping me get the most out of it, I hope your productivity adventures go far and beyond in 2021!
As a novice user of a lot of the popular, commonly used productivity apps in the world today, I appreciate your insights 😊. I’m glad you addressed the FOMO. Definitely relevant here. Moreover, the advice ”do what is best for you” is a good reminder for many of us and should never be overlooked.
I am currently trying Notion, yes it is crazy complex. Love the simplicity of Evernote and they have pulled up their socks. BUT.... there are a couple of things they need to add. . .
@@do7425 I know the feeling - also been an Evernote premium subscriber for years. What keeps me in on top of simplicity is the sheer speed that it can retrieve notes from searches. Very reassuring. I've succumbed now just to listing my forward looking plans as a note as like you the complexity of Notion is another boundary and it's just a tad slower at retrieving information (plus can't work offline).
Credit to you Francesco, for stepping back on a regular basis and asking yourself if your tools, systems, and processes still support your current thinking and life position. Things change and this is healthy. As I once heard someone say in a forum, it's about the habits and the doing, not the tools or the software.
Lets keep in mind that productivity systems are his business so doing this helps generate content and new ideas. For most people that have as system that works, changing theirs could be unhealthy and a waste of time. As you note, periodically reassessing your habits and actions (as well as priorities) will be more useful than any app.
@@NickSiekierski RECAP4ME YT: ruclips.net/video/xdErW9b7WGc/видео.html I'm gobsmacked how badly you all are discussing App selection. You all need to approach product evaluation properly, holistically and pragmatically. To benefit yourself and benefit the community (looking into each tool for pros & cons, benefits & drawbacks). Start with requirements. 1. What dependencies are there for your App? Is connectivity a real issue (mobile offline Vs mobile always on). Is need for local storage a real issue? 2. What is an App? 3. What features does the App have? 4. Integration to other Apps. 5. Does your App need any specific integral functionality (Basic Operations Vs Advanced Operations. Eg lookup Vs Artificial Intelligence). Application Dependencies : ...Given Apps are mobile ... a loss of connectivity is a real risk (of happening) ....so the question is "is App AVAILABILITY critical to you or not (offline Vs online)" ...if it is not critical. Solution is simple. Just wait till connectivity is restored. ...if it is critical. Solution is more complex. Start with add a simple backup connection or insist on full blown backup storage requirement to local device. Suggest : you KISS, You don't make an issue for yourself ...assume your always on ie connected to internet. This is easonable...in today's world of 4G & 5G you can have both a primary & back connection easily. ...assume you have no need for local storage (I see comments which say it is a need...no it isn't !). Very little in life now needs offline storage. A backup connection will remove need for local storage by App. Application identification : ...What is the target Application you have in mind ? Visualise An application as being a set of FUNCTIONAL AND NON FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS that collectively you need or want. Hence NOTION would be the tool to implement. TASK MANAGER would be the Application. CRUD tasks (CREATE-REMOVE-UPDATE-DELETE) are functional requirements (most important), TASK COLOR CODING could be Non-functional requirement (less important). Do you see how your beginning to draw a picture of what you want. I list the basic categories of Application types I've identified from the videos about NOTION & comments here. 1. SIMPLE NOTE TAKING Application (basic text, sequential notes, no attachments) 2. COMPLEX NOTE TAKING Applications (anything more than "simple note taking") 3. TASK MANAGEMENT Applications / To-do list style Applications 4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Applications 5. DATABASE APPLICATIONS (dependency is on storage retrieval & integrations central to App function) 6. Something otyer...new yet to be identified. Application features : ...Then ask for what exact features of each Application. ...Start with basic USE CASES you NEED to implement ...Then consider other USE CASES to you WANT to implement. Be clear on need Vs want. Don't run ahead to want...it will only over complicate your process. If you do just invest in application function that imports functionality. More...TBC
As he himself said: His use cases are pretty basic. They're not hyperautomated, hyperintegrated Zapier-y, Applescript-y monstrosities. If you just need a page you can put things into, the old giants of OneNote and Evernote are straight up some of the best in business. No one does offline support and rich content like the old giants. Evernote's still great for writing pages with lists and capturing thoughts.
@@Rez-N-8 i have one and i love it, it really feels like paper the good thigs is that you don't have to buy a notebook again.. I love pen and paper but this device have help me to write digital now with the same feelig..I also use remnote.io for making a brain is free and remarkable for taking notes
@@levantateyora9317 I'd say that an iPad it's better than Remarkable, Remarkable is really expensive for what it does and and iPad w/ Apple Pencil and a matte protector is way useful.
I already use Notion for work especially for projects, tasks, and organization. Todoist for personal use, lists and stuff, small personal tasks. One Note as my filing cabinet for everything.
I feel similarly. I use notion to run both my businesses, but it really doesn’t work for me for note taking. Using Rome for notes and notion for project management has worked much better.
I agree this is an odd video for sure. After camping in this productivity space for sometime I’m beginning to wonder how much of productivity on RUclips is about tools for tools sake and not a focus of their greater use. It’s like going into my garage and doing a ten minute video on the color and feel of 3 different hammers vs doing a video of how to build a deck and which hammer was preferred for that job and why. It’s clearly the end of the year and time for me to reread GTD again with even more appreciation of why it’s purposely tool agnostic. As an IT professional in a dual OS environment with both analog and digital commitments hitting reset will help get me get on with business at hand not just busyness. Nothing personal Francesco, just felt a need to vent some of my personal shortcomings of how little actual progress I have made in the past 6 months after watching so many different videos about productivity online. This video seemed to be the catalyst. Thanks? LOL. Clearly the challenge is on my side. Have a great New Year.
I loved this video. Yesterday I stopped using ROAM Research, Craft, Agenda, and Bear and moved all pertinent information to Evernote because anything I did with those other programs I can do in Evernote. I was worried about this decision but after your video I feel much better. Thanks, and Happy New Year, PJ
@@richaprasad6737 it does not easily backlink and you filter with tags. What I realized was that all the info I needed I could find with search. I did not need the “fancy stuff”
I have just moved to Notion from Evernote. In my opinion there is no competition. Notion is much more advanced and thought-out piece of software. It killed my usual Asana+Evernote combo.
I definitely favor compartmentalization over simplification. I am the sort of person who makes a separate RUclips channel or email address to track each personal interest. It was really interesting to hear the other perspective.
It started happening to me, I hopped on the train of wanting to use everything everyone else would be using & quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of features Notion has & I require simplicity. Needed to understand my brain first instead of just wanting to hog every tool, some just aren't build for you & it's okay
Can't wait to see Carl Pullein's response when you do the Todoist video :) I did OmniFocus for 4 years, used Things 3 for ~ 6 months and found that it needed too much maintenance from my part. I am using Todoist now and the combination of filters + Carl's time sector system is really clicking with me. At the end of the day is not about the tool, but finding a workflow that adjusts well with the nature of your work. Thank you for the great content Francesco :)
@@Carl_Pullein Fantastic :) REALLY enjoying the Time Sector Methodology and how flawlessly it flows regardless of any app. Thank you for the great content Carl.
I think you've applied Occam's Razor to your productivity system, namely: "What is the simplest system that will deliver my productivity requirements?" By simple, I mean maximising outputs to input i.e. the most productive system. When I say inputs, I mean: (1) the number of tools you use and (2) the level of effort required to... (a) learn the tool and (b) use the tool. The answer to "What tool(s) are most productive?" will vary from individual to individual because A's requirements differ from B's. I recommend starting with the following hierarchy and stop with the first tool which meets the requirements e.g. personal task management and storage: 1. Can I meet my requirements with a paper-based system (which as a bonus would even keep my content safe in the event of an EMP). This certainly wouldn't work for digital storage but could work for personal task management (but not for significant task management). 2. Can I meet my requirements with a simple electronic notebook? Again rubbish for storage but viable for task management (and great in the unfortunate event of an EMP). Focused individuals like Warren Buffet still operate off a paper system. 3. Can I meet my requirements with a more sophisticated "paper" notebook like Evernote or OneNote? These work for both personal task management and most storage requirements. The caveat is that you need a consistent underlying taxonomy or ontology to make them work. And they wouldn't work for significant project management. 4. Can I meet my requirements with a preformatted database like Todoist? Great for personal tasks if you don't have a taxonomy, but weak on storage. 5. Can I meet my requirements with a database tool like Notion? For most people, Notion is overkill for personal task management; that is, it is less productive (as defined in the beginning) than most of the preceding tools for personal task management in terms of learning curve and time to input (and it's outputs are fairly inflexible too e.g. try indenting tasks). It's also not great for storage. But it's great for significant project management (providing you have a taxonomy) and anytime you need a database. 6. Can I meet my requirements with a formal project management tool like Asana, Microsoft Project, etc? If you have significant projects and don't have a taxonomy, these are great. I think you dived into Notion (like all of us) enthused by the database - but soon discovered (like many of us) that sophisticated third normal form databases are not productive for personal task management. Perhaps you could even have got away with paper but that would have meant splitting your personal task management and storage across multiple apps. So you did the next best thing: Use Evernote a bit like paper for personal task management, and exploit its storage capabilities.
Great overview. Wondering if Notion works best as a second brain to just store articles, thoughts and information tidbits, while something like Apple Notes and Reminders or Evernote for storage?
@@pressrepeat2000 Many thanks. I think Notion works well as a database for everything, including storage for articles, thoughts and tidbits. In other words, build it like a huge dictionary with various keyword entry points etc. Where Notion is less good (at least for me) is as a "do" system". In other words, apps like Todoist for "doing" and apps like Notion for "storing".
I had stopped using Evernote because it had become slow and bloated. I also had to reconsider why I began using it in the first place. Back in 2008, hard drives weren't very large. EN promised unlimited storage and to remember everything. Now, I can get 2 TB from iCloud, or something similar from Dropbox, Google, etc. . . Over the years, Moleskines and Evernote served my needs. I found myself wondering if there was anything better. I think I'm recommitting to notebooks and Evernote, although for different reasons than I did at the start. Notebooks are great for easy, offline capture. I can easily capture those notes into EN much easier now than back in the day. Scanning has become so much better. Also, there is something to be said for having one location for storing all your information. Cloud drives can do the same. However, EN has the advantage for being cross-platform. It is less of a pain switching from PC to Mac to iOS to Android to Chrome OS. EN seems a bit faster now. Although I could be imagining it.
Thanks for this, Francesco. I dither back and forth between Notion and Evernote (which I have used for many years). At the moment I tend to use Evernote as my filing cabinet and document storage, as well as for website captures. For some of my projects I use Notion as a project manager because of its database facility, something that Evernote really doesn't do. I'm finding the latest version of Evernote rather slow to load on my iMac and even on my mobile devices. However, I won't give it up because it has many good features. At the same time, I find myself in the situation of using too many tools and sometimes forgetting which one I have used for what purpose. What are your thoughts about Nimbus Note? It seems quicker off the mark than Evernote and it has some features similar to Notion. I'd be interested to know if Nimbus figures in your thinking.
I've never been a big notion fan. It seems to be too much to have to set up all the time. I agree if the tool is already there if there are certain aspects it might be just better just to try to work with it then try to go to a whole overblown system like notion. I'm still a believer in Google. You got your calendar, you have Google drive, and you have Google keep. I believe that's all you need to have a productive system. What I have liked from Evernote are the templates for the different types of documents.
I'm glad to recently discover the power of Notion. As a data analyst, I can imagine all the SQL queries happening in the back end as I use it. I'm still learning Notion and will probably stick with Microsoft OneNote for note taking and with Google for my business needs. I think it's good to diversify the supply chain of business service providers and to always have multiple points of failure if a content service provider goes down in some obscure corner of the internet. Great content on your channel to help me get organized and become more productive with my data analytics consulting business Quantuity Analytics Inc.. Select Subbed=Yes, Liked=👍, Notified=All from Keep Productive;
Hey man, appreciate your honesty. They’re just tools for organizing knowledge work, not personal identities. I’m still trying out Amplenote, apple notes, notion,, Workflowy, AND Obsidian lol.
Thanks again for introducing notion to me. Their approach to databases and the ability to integrate those into pages is still... just right for me. I'll still be keeping an eye on other apps of course, mostly through your channel. cheers
Let me break it down the real reason: Notion isnt privacy secured. He is secretly trying Obsidian. That's it. Rest is just over complicated explanations.
Love your objectivity Francesco. As you point out, it’s best to use the app that works best for the individual, and also it’s ok to use more than one product. Each can serve a different purpose or preference. I personally use 3 different notes apps, each bringing its own strengths to my workflow. Keep up the great videos.
@@CameronFlint07 sure, Evernote as my primary notes app because of its search capability and archiving strength. Apple notes for its lockable encryption features on sensitive info. Notion for it project strength, creativity and flow, and its ability to see the big picture more clearly. I link all the notes to one task manager, Todoist. Todoist is my hub so to speak and has a clickable link to the relevant notes app. I also use one calendar app (google/Calendars 5) with the same clickable link feature. Gmail is my last app which also has direct links to Evernote or Todoist. That’s a bit more than you asked, but just in case you were interested. I got all this from Francesco and Carl Pullein. Their content is awesome.
@@jimthow7393 Thanks for the reply! That’s a well-thought-out system. I like how it leverages the strengths of each without over-using any of the three. Linking from Todoist to the other apps is also a good trick... would like to incorporate that more into my workflow. Cheers!
He still likes Notion and uses it for work. He also doesn't think it is bad for personal use. Personally, for him it is just better to use Evernote as he doesn't really need the extra options Notions provides. These extra options can be helpful for other people, they do for me.
Your video was timely with the start of a New Year. I, too, had just decided to move all my notes and project information, but not to Evernote... to OneNote. I've used many different note and task solutions over the years and I do feel the need to consolidate. I'm moving all relevant information from Google Keep, Evernote, Drafts, Apple Notes, Samsung Notes, etc to OneNote. I plan to use that solution along with DayOne (Personal Journal) and TickTick (Combined work/personal task manager), for most notes, tasks, reminders, and information storage (webpages, articles, etc). I've used OneNote for many years. The product has come a long way, is accessible across different platforms, and since I pay for an annual subscription from Microsoft for storage and Office 365, it seems like an application that I will continue to use. It will be a relief to only have one place to enter and search for information.
Very well said. OneNote has been a great bridge for me being in an enterprise and forced to use windows (yuk). That said, this year I am going to stick with it and Smartsheet for work and OneNote and Things 3 for personal. With Tiago’s tips on setting up “areas” as part of the PARA method, my hope is separating work from home with two task managers will help keep things cleaner.
It's very brave of you to make this video. Even I feel pressured to use Notion just because of the the features it had. But honestly... I did love taking notes on Evernote. It was more simpler and the mobile app was not overwhelming as Notion becomes..
Agreed. The more I use Notion, the less I use it. Or in a more dialed in way. I use for specific things as it just doesn't lend itself well to a majority of scenarios. Plus, it's concerning to put a bunch of information into a system without quality backup options.
I literally put a reminder in my to-do list yesterday that said "start learning how to use Notion using "Keep Productives" videos". I was just about to start :D
With notion you have many more tools. You can deal with your personal goal as big projects (timeline views, boards and etc). Evernote is just a simple note taker (that gets really messier if you try to complicate it [cmon, filters sucks]) - evernote is only great to archive stuff (bills and etc)
Agreed by all means play with it, however I suggest giving yourself a time limit and a use case to drive your learning. Without those to guide you, it can be like a candy store to get lost in one related table at a time, which for some personalities. (Cough..me..cough) works against productivity. Remember these tools are like boxes of Legos. You can build what you want as long as you know what you want.
I love this video because I totally get it! Sometimes, we just need to change things up. I've done that a couple of times with Notion vs. Clickup! I absolutely love both products, but depending on my frame of mind, I tend to go back and forth on which I like better. I still use both, and if asked which I like better, I'd say "it depends on the week." Cheers, Francesco...and Happy New Year to you and all who watch KP.
Kinda weird to apologize for using what's more productive for yourself. Just do what works right now. TBH, the idea of sticking with a tool for several years before reconsidering seems cumbersome. If something stops working for a few months, that's already too long. Informative video, though.
I never really get into Evernote yet. I was always having problems with the editor. I used Notion and was excited about it. I used databases and made Dashboards, I like how they embed stuff as well. But I heavily get stressed on the structure of my notes. It is not easy to capture and ask time to organise all of those. For the files I agree but I tends to use google drive anyway. I got quite interested by obsidian but the lack of IOS app slow me down. Right now I am testing craft but I miss the embedded stuff... Still looking for what is the most important for me. Thanks for sharing
I have thousands of notes in Evernote. That is why I remain an Evernote subscriber. I have tried Notion but have settled on Bear for future projects. Why? The two big reasons are the elegance of the tagging system, which makes it easy to reorganize tag trees by renaming the current tags and the ability to adjust font size and line and paragraph spacing, really important for those of us with aging eyes. If I were younger and obsessed with the idea of controlling every aspect of my life or business from one app and nerd enough to find hacking “my way” solutions to familiar problems, Notion would be appealing. But that:s not aging curmudgeon me. Why should I do what I can easily afford to pay for others to do for me? And do it much better than I can?
Never really got into Notion myself, as I couldn't really see what their core use case was, as they seemed to be a jack of all trades app... which breaks the Unix philosophy of apps doing one thing and doing it well. I'm now mostly going to use it as my main collaboration tool, for when I'm working with others (especially clients). Currently looking at Nimbus, for my personal/general note-taking needs! As for task managing, taking a serious look at ClickUp, for that.
I'm using the same tools... ClickUp for most things and Nimbus as my eFile Cabinet. I have been using dashboards and docs in ClickUp and to my surprise, there is enough functionality for me to dump Notion. Yes, ClickUp & Nimbus are not as sexy as Notion, but they are tools that work for me.
Yeah, I believe applications are very much a personal fit and feel. Sounds kindy corny, but it is for me. You gotta use and sit and stare at the thing for a long time, so the said application has to fit, feel and be visual appealing. The whole productivity issue is also personal, no one-size fits all. How you manage YOUR GTD is really up to you, it's your baby, and as long as your achieving your goals with whatever application/s you use, then a BIG SALUTE to you. You drive your own self-happiness with whatever tools you use in your tool bag. Thanks for sharing! I'm always willing to listen and learn and progress forward by listening and watching to stories like yours. Live the dream buddy! You Rock
I have been using Evernote since 2009. However, I am looking to leave because I want to leave on my own terms because Evernote does not have a way to get your data out easily. It only exports in Evernote’s proprietary file. Right now my top option is Bear. Bear does all the same basics as Evernote, and it gives you a way to get your data out in a standard format. The added benefit also, is that it is only $15 per year as opposed to Evernote’s ridiculously high subscription cost. So far, the only downside to Bear, is that it doesn’t have a Windows version, which is ok for me as I have been using macOS & iOS as my primary compute platforms for the last 9 years.
As a student, Evernote - without a student price scheme (like offered from Notion) is out of my budget, and their constant reminder to join, drove me crazy - it’s just not on my cards for... the next several years... and without catching me in their web during these formative years, they likely never will. Notion is perfectly adequate as a brain dump and productivity manager for my studies and hobbies, but tbh, Microsoft applications remain to be my filing cabinet and daily drivers. Great video, it shows that we must remain open to change, according to our current needs. Agree with streamlining and digital minimalism.
Evernote should restore the frigging 'Sync' button. The redesign has been 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I value my data integrity over better looking UI.
Many thanks for today’s video...Great insight. I’m a heavy Notion user for my consultancy and video production but I haven’t migrated any personal tasks over as well. I found there are other tools that can track my personal productivity tasks better (Teux Deux, Freshbook to manage house todo lists, workout progress, accounting etc). Appreciate the honesty.
I think the reason you're leaving notion is 100% reasonable. Many people are using too many productivity tools. The reason I chose Notion over Roam and TIckTick is that it was the answer to the question: "How can I simplify and unify all these tools?". Great Video Francesco
I love notion! In fact it changes My life, But right now I think there is too many tools that i'm bot using right now... I'll keep using notion as well to manage projects... But for My personal management i'll give a try to Evernote.
Notion setups aren't that helpful for me anyway. All the data is burried too deep inside a folder structure. Might as well try out Evernote. For the sake of simplicity/ smoothness.
@@itsmelahi It's too complicated though and can't I just use the search function in evernote? Like search for Aristotle in my notes and Evernote will show me a snippet of all notes I ever created that mention Aristotle. Where as in Roam I have to create entities more or less manually. Appreciate your thoughts about this.
I think this could be a good move for you from a channel perspective Before you went to Notion your videos seemed more neutral but once you jumped on the Notion bandwagon you seemed to compare things to Notion. It was quite obvious you had a preference for the app. As a productivity app it is more helpful if presenting the features w/o a bias to a specific app Either way wish you the best of luck
It is very normal to compare other productivity software to the Very one that sets the bar. Notion is feature rich until the point that you can probably combine the core functionality of trello, todoist and Evernote. So it makes sense from a personal perspective to centralize functions and thus reduce the amount of tools used. Btw I never understood the perspective of "too many features" since you literally can choose not to use unneeded features.
Never expected to see this video, honestly. However I share your opinion and I am on the same route. I moved to Notion a year ago, tired of waiting EN to make any meaningful progress. I had been premium user for years. Moved all in Notion and used it exclusively for a year. However... I badly miss things I was used in EN: OCR, integration with other services, beter working off line, performance, handling PDFs and other files, snappy/powerful search function. Also the export capabilities of Notion suck, whereas in EN I feel I am free to leave whenever i want. Therefore, I am (slowly) moving back my notes to EN. Notion has helped me however in better understanding how to organize my stuff. It has been a nice year but I don’t feel it’s there yet for most people.
I use Coda instead of Notion but only for one specific area where Coda is really good: as an alternative to a spreadsheet. For budget planning but also for summarising project data. As a personal wiki but also for task planning, I find both Notion and Coda too confusing. I tried it and was more busy tinkering around for hours than getting any productive use out of it. For ideas, but also in the beginning for rough planning of larger projects, Evernote or Nimbus work pretty well. For task planning, you should use a special app like ClickUp, Asana or Todoist anyway. In the end, I only use 2 apps continuously: Nimbus and ClickUp (and of course Google Calendar).
Totally agree on systems before tools. This is true on many levels as I have found in my 20+ years in I.t projectmanagement. This is one reason why I’ve stayed with Evernote since the start. In my view it is a great information management tool that you can build out, with some heavy tweaking sometimes, in to other use cases such as projectmanagement or GTD type system. I just did my Annual Review in it using the Chris Guillebeau system of Annual Review.
This is a « logical » video... Notion is more a database tool than a note taking one... I love and use both for what they are good at. I don’t ask Notion to manage my notes and I don’t ask Evernote to manage my databases...
Well this was a surprising video to end 2020 😳 but always love that you are open to what works best for you rather than sticking with something cause it’s the latest thing. I haven’t checked out Evernote for at least 3 years since I moved away, but good to hear they are improving some things.
I’m using Evernote for 10+ years and I loved it to the extent that I fell in that same trap with it. Evernote is outdated in many aspects, and I don’t feel that they move in the right direction. I use Notion mostly for management and some other things, but my content is still stuck in Evernote. Notion still miss some features that are in Evernote. But its flexibility and customizability is incredible. It enabled me endless possibilities in my workflow, especially in Agile planning. Its editor is simple and easier than Evernote’s. Still this comes to a price of some complexity, and the lack of some critical features makes some use cases harder. I’m considering looking for a companion tool for content, but it won’t be Evernote. Still researching and not sure.
I’m using using Notion completely right now. I may miss some features with it, like adding notes via email, but I have the full power all for free. Plus, its highly customizable organizational features make it very flexible, and allow me to structure it as I want. Still I have a lot of stuff to move from Evernote. The importing API is very clunky and slow. But for many months I did not need to open Evernote except for very few times to get some archived info from it.
I have switched back from Notion to Evernote last EN10 update. I somewhat stopped using notion because for me, Evernote is still the best filing cabinet as of the moment. However, the Mac App is really buggy. Hope they can really be resilient regarding their current issues. I have hopes for Evernote
Maybe the API will change how files are managed. I hope it changes how the webclipping works. I want to see Notion become a bit more like evernote for sure but I am not interested in using two tools.
I also don’t like the way Notion save files, but Dashboard in Notion is really great for cooperating with others. Can you share the way you organise notes in Evernote? I have using it for years and found that I just put everything in Evernote but not so organised, thanks.
I think what I really want is a local database tool other than Notion. But I could not find a substitution, especially for personal bookkeeping. Excel is OK. But, well, I need something more BEAUTIFUL. So, I'm still waiting for notion to have off-line functionality (and losing patience day by day of course)
I don't understand/like this idea of force yourself to use less tools. Both Evernote and Notion are very good for their purposes - that are different. I find much easier to use 2-3 tools than to try to adapt one to do 2-3 different things.
Great vid as always Francesco - I'm moving away from Evernote for some things, tasks I find are unusuable there, daily / weekly agendas. but it is better for screenshots and rough notes on windows pc than onenote, onenote still freezing on a powerful pc. Loving Coda also, using both - one for personal knowledge, one for team docs and client displays. Nice notes on 'too many tools', great to note
Thank you for posting this video. Your sincerity is very touching. You have tons of videos about Notion, and Evernote is a tool everyone seems to be ditching, so it’s lovely and courageous when someone says: ok, I don’t need Notion for my personal use; I’ll come back to Evernote instead. I never used Evernote. For personal and professional use, I prefer Airtable as my database app, and I’m using Notion for just two purposes: Readwise integration (done beautifully) and saving links. I use Pocket for articles I liked and want to save but, Notion is my tool of choice for just saving links I need to use later. I think I’m one of those persons who use specific apps for specific purposes. And that’s the reason why I found Clickup, Tick Tick, Coda, and Notion somewhat overwhelming.
I use Notion for one single project. But for that particular project, it's amazing. For notes, I'm leaving Evernote and porting most stuff to Obsidian, which is a far better tool for my brain that folders and tags in Evernote. Tasks are still in Omnifocus - which hands down drives circles around the rest of the todo-apps. For me.
I went in the opposite direction, the moment I discovered Notion I used Evernote less and less, but I agree that the way Notion incorporate files it's not the best, I hope they will improve it soon... It's frustrating that I'm not able to consolidate all these tools, I have things scattered in different apps and that's counter-productive but I haven't found the right one for all the type of content that I need to save!
The latest version of Evernote is slow and clumsy and buggy. I’m not using it much anymore, but have not found a good alternative yet. Whatever app I replace Evernote it must have an excellent web clipper.
Literally just moved my personal task management and notes, such as my journal, out of Notion and into Things and Bear, respectively. I'll still be using it for work with my team as well though. Notion comes with some real cognitive load these days with how bloated and slow it is.
I wanted to do the same but Bear (as beautiful as it is) did disappoint me with their web clipper. Tested a bunch of them and Evernote's seems to be one of the best still.
I think it makes sense to separate a filing cabinet with important things, from a second brain storage system used for articles or whatnot to help with memory and read later. As if one puts everything in one system, search often doesn’t work well and the important stuff you’re looking for such as a receipt gets lost because there’s just too much information in one place. Does anyone have any idea of the best system for each use case?
Just started using it and it seems buggy.. all comments i added disappeared all of sudden, and the background color stopped working... has anyone else experienced the same?
I truly believe Notion will become a productivity/drive/database social media in the future. It will transcend the barrier these note-taking apps get stuck at, believe me, i've created a productivity app myself.
A side effect of 'Building A Second Brain' course...... Everybody is moving to Evernote & Things 3 after watching Tiago Forte's support to those tools.
I am also leaving Notion because of the inability to export all my notes... As well as Notion is a champion of the slowest implementation of new useful features (no tags, date search, bad mobile apps , horrible rollup where is impossible to find anything, etc..)
I love Notion, but I don’t love it as a note taker. I think it’s great to manage projects specifically with tracking things being worked on, done , etc. storing files , videos etc. all in one place. I plan to use it for my RUclips channel as well as tracking interview stuff for software engineering but I can’t seem to take notes in it. It’s just too clunky and way too much for notes. I want to be able to write notes, draw in the note, upload videos and stuff to it and be easily allowed to export. This is why I use craft
Notion is architecturally impressive, but functionally inefficient. It usually causes people to endlessly configure and collect. Process driving apps are superior to object driving apps. I had a couple of teams switch, one to Asana, the other to ClickUp. Both teams experienced a huge leap in productivity immediately after getting past the adjustment phase. Project management applications provide people with the three main things modern culture makes most difficult to secure: 1. Context 2. A sense of direction 3. A sense of time Notion and Evernote are great if collecting and categorizing are your main focus. Students might find this to be true for them more than people in different modes, but for doing work and attaining objective goals, Project & task management apps are the way to go.
Hey.... whatever works best for you; I still been using EVERNOTE before NOTION also using MStodo, Google keep & Google Calendar and ofcourse we cant forget my TRELLO. But think I agree with you on too many tools lol, I love learning new productivity tools.. thanks for sharing. And Is the new update for Evernote FREE? Is it limited on space lets hope not. have a great day. Keep productive
I totally want that badass hot red ride in the window. :) I found myself not using the tables in Notion and not needing the extras in Todoist. I’ve been using Fantastical, Obsidian and playing with a simple little app called North Notes. It’s less work to keep track of my work.
*Would love to hear your opinions and whether others have done something like this*
Hopefully folks, the lessons helped in improving your thinking and process for choosing applications.
Francesco 🙌🏼
Good decision 👏 I also moved to evernote
I have been an Evernote subscriber all along but just cancelled it because the new Windows app is atrocious. It keeps notifying me several times a day that I am running the latest version (completely unnecessary and irritating - just let me know if there is a new version) and the last straw was that they took away the settings/preferences box - there is no excuse for this even if it is temporary.
I had plans to use Notion until I realised it doesn't work offline which for me when things go back to normal is not doable. Then I almost opened a free account with Asana but no offline either, am tearing my hair apart :). Do you have a video on offline (free) project management tools?
Evernote, rly!? O would consider moving out from Notion to a better software, but not to that LAME evernote... cmon
@@froufou100 you won't get what you want but checkout clickup, they're constantly improving their product and they've got a lot of funding. ClickUp is so much better than Asana but abusing Notion for task management worse.
People who judge notion users for liking the aesthetics, who hurt you? Not everyone’s brain responds well to a plain stack of notes. Personally, I’ve been looking for something like notion for 10 years. The website + dynamic database functionality is exactly how my brain operates. Did I spend a full week designing my setup with custom images for pages nested inside gallery blocks? Yup. Am I proud of how it looks? Absolutely. But has it completely changed my life and given me a way to finally feel in control despite multiple mental illnesses? Yes! The aesthetics make me want to use the app, plain and simple. It’s not for everyone, but don’t assume that just because it’s fun and pretty that it’s not also functional.
Appreciate comment.😎
Yesss.
Exactly! I just discovered Notion and i legit had a HUGE smile on my face as i was discovering its capabilities. Notion to me is exactly the answer to what Evernote & OneNote is missing. It's a productivity EVERYTHING builder not just a note taking app. It's exactly how my brain works too, reminds me of playing with Legos as a kid.
Oh I agree. I have spent endless amounts of money on planners & diaries, all of which don’t fit my way of work. I just don’t pick up the books & I find writing out/bullet journaling an absolute chore. I never end up using the pre-designed sections either. Notion gives me the ability to design anything in the way I see fit. If I want a page about my Frank ocean obsession or a table of all my current assignments & their due dates I can make it. As someone who keeps everything in their head, its much more inviting than physical planners & I am excited to open my notion everyday. I feel 100% more organised, thoughtful & productive.
Im glad its helping u
As a student, I love notion. I use it as a ‘filing cabinet’ as well as for planning etc. and I think it’s amazing because my workflow changes so much, and Notion is so flexible so I can change my workflow without having to change productivity apps. The only thing that puts me off is the lack of security, I’m hoping they do something about that!
Wait it ain't secure? Is my data in danger and if so, are there other secure and encrypted alternatives?
Forrest this video explains it quite well: ruclips.net/video/HhWUjp5pD0g/видео.html , for what i use notion for, the security thing isn’t really a problem. i guess it just depends on how much you trust these kind of companies with your data.
you like remnote or notion?
I use Evernote also to find physical "stuff" at home.
Therefore have several boxes or storagespaces (e.g. bags on a cabinet or under a bed).
So what I did is, I created a nested stack of Notebooks with the name of these places.
Now , when i put something into such a place, I also create/put a note in Evernote with the name of this object in that Notebook.
Or I put several objects/Things on a longer Note (the Note has the name of the place (e.g. big red Box on the basement self) and put it into the Header Notebookstack.
Now whenever I surge physical for something, i just look into Evernote, surge there for name of the object. ... Boom, it appears in the Notebook or in the Note with the name of place.
Now I know exactly where in my Home this object is.
good idea
excellent idea, sounds like a personal archive retrieval system
Smartass!
This is the reality. We don't put our values first, we put the tools first and then we try to shoehorn our values. What Francesco is doing is the right thing. Notion has become the Instagram of productivity. It's not their fault. Their users created stunning overviews of their lives that were functionally vapid. I applauded Francesco! He's aware, brave and consdierate.
Notion users are prone to share their intricate views but they are not the most annoying fans; that trophy goes to Roam Research fans. They are so eager to show they`re cool and smart, that is unnerving. Hahahahha!
You're all just salty the crazy aesthetic bullet journalling fans has invaded Notion lmao! (Just like the scrapbookers invaded bujo back then).
But seriously, notion is bad for sensitive info. Good stuff for brainstorming, studying and note taking though, looks better than evernote and doesnt cost an arm and leg.
@@seraby7151 I'm just looking into a notetaking app to schedule my professional classes. Am I sensing that Notion is open to public view? Or what are trying to say? Thanks
@@pattyeyler2909 No, the public can't see your content unless you share it. I'm not sure what he's ranting on about... Evernote to me is the overhyped app. It's great for dumping documents but that's it. If you want to feel in control of your own projects, docs, life, etc... Notion and apps like it (Coda, Clickup, Airtables, the brand new Microsoft Loop) are where it's at imo.
Frencesco, we need to talk 🙂
And I’d like to see it as a YT live...
@@greenapple6 Me too.
I'd like to see it also ;)
I'll hold him, you can spank him, er, speak to him. : ))))))
the Terminator is here! ✊🏻
You and Thomas Frank were basically the reason I started using Notion, been using it for college for a couple years and I'm close to graduation. Thank you for showing me this tool and helping me get the most out of it, I hope your productivity adventures go far and beyond in 2021!
Just watch August Bradley Videos, Problem Solved!
Seriously this. His PPV system is a game-changer for me.
Who? Investigating now.
As a novice user of a lot of the popular, commonly used productivity apps in the world today, I appreciate your insights 😊. I’m glad you addressed the FOMO. Definitely relevant here. Moreover, the advice ”do what is best for you” is a good reminder for many of us and should never be overlooked.
I just did the same thing. I actually switched out from Evernote to Notion but just cannot comprehend the unnecessary complexity of Notion.
... and I did too lol
I am currently trying Notion, yes it is crazy complex. Love the simplicity of Evernote and they have pulled up their socks. BUT.... there are a couple of things they need to add. . .
@@do7425 I know the feeling - also been an Evernote premium subscriber for years. What keeps me in on top of simplicity is the sheer speed that it can retrieve notes from searches. Very reassuring. I've succumbed now just to listing my forward looking plans as a note as like you the complexity of Notion is another boundary and it's just a tad slower at retrieving information (plus can't work offline).
freedom is complex
Credit to you Francesco, for stepping back on a regular basis and asking yourself if your tools, systems, and processes still support your current thinking and life position. Things change and this is healthy. As I once heard someone say in a forum, it's about the habits and the doing, not the tools or the software.
Lets keep in mind that productivity systems are his business so doing this helps generate content and new ideas. For most people that have as system that works, changing theirs could be unhealthy and a waste of time. As you note, periodically reassessing your habits and actions (as well as priorities) will be more useful than any app.
@@NickSiekierski RECAP4ME
YT: ruclips.net/video/xdErW9b7WGc/видео.html
I'm gobsmacked how badly you all are discussing App selection.
You all need to approach product evaluation properly, holistically and pragmatically.
To benefit yourself and benefit the community (looking into each tool for pros & cons, benefits & drawbacks).
Start with requirements.
1. What dependencies are there for your App?
Is connectivity a real issue (mobile offline Vs mobile always on).
Is need for local storage a real issue?
2. What is an App?
3. What features does the App have?
4. Integration to other Apps.
5. Does your App need any specific integral functionality (Basic Operations Vs Advanced Operations. Eg lookup Vs Artificial Intelligence).
Application Dependencies :
...Given Apps are mobile ... a loss of connectivity is a real risk (of happening)
....so the question is "is App AVAILABILITY critical to you or not (offline Vs online)"
...if it is not critical. Solution is simple. Just wait till connectivity is restored.
...if it is critical. Solution is more complex. Start with add a simple backup connection or insist on full blown backup storage requirement to local device.
Suggest : you KISS, You don't make an issue for yourself
...assume your always on ie connected to internet. This is easonable...in today's world of 4G & 5G you can have both a primary & back connection easily.
...assume you have no need for local storage (I see comments which say it is a need...no it isn't !). Very little in life now needs offline storage. A backup connection will remove need for local storage by App.
Application identification :
...What is the target Application you have in mind ?
Visualise An application as being a set of FUNCTIONAL AND NON FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS that collectively you need or want.
Hence NOTION would be the tool to implement.
TASK MANAGER would be the Application. CRUD tasks (CREATE-REMOVE-UPDATE-DELETE) are functional requirements (most important),
TASK COLOR CODING could be Non-functional requirement (less important).
Do you see how your beginning to draw a picture of what you want.
I list the basic categories of Application types I've identified from the videos about NOTION & comments here.
1. SIMPLE NOTE TAKING Application
(basic text, sequential notes, no attachments)
2. COMPLEX NOTE TAKING Applications
(anything more than "simple note taking")
3. TASK MANAGEMENT Applications / To-do list style Applications
4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Applications
5. DATABASE APPLICATIONS (dependency is on storage retrieval & integrations central to App function)
6. Something otyer...new yet to be identified.
Application features :
...Then ask for what exact features of each Application.
...Start with basic USE CASES you NEED to implement
...Then consider other USE CASES to you WANT to implement.
Be clear on need Vs want.
Don't run ahead to want...it will only over complicate your process. If you do just invest in application function that imports functionality.
More...TBC
This is a great surprise since the newest version of Evernote has actually less tools on macOS and made me want to leave it after 10+ years...
You can download the Evernote Legacy app which is basically Evernote before they ruined it. You can find it somewhere in the Evernote website.
As he himself said: His use cases are pretty basic. They're not hyperautomated, hyperintegrated Zapier-y, Applescript-y monstrosities. If you just need a page you can put things into, the old giants of OneNote and Evernote are straight up some of the best in business. No one does offline support and rich content like the old giants. Evernote's still great for writing pages with lists and capturing thoughts.
“Why I’m leaving notion” - “but I will still be using it for work projects...” 🙂
Maybe I’ll tweak the title a little
@@toolfinderhq A little bit? Just +10 min of BS!??
Thank you, you've just saved me 10 minutes
@@toolfinderhq but maybe you didn't
I’ve gone back to pencil and paper - the ultimate productivity tool.
So much truth in that. So thankful to have the bullet journal method as my daily anchor while playing with all these tools.
I have remarkable wish is the closest to pen and paper
@@levantateyora9317 you have a Remarkable? Version one or two? How do you like it?
@@Rez-N-8 i have one and i love it, it really feels like paper the good thigs is that you don't have to buy a notebook again.. I love pen and paper but this device have help me to write digital now with the same feelig..I also use remnote.io for making a brain is free and remarkable for taking notes
@@levantateyora9317 I'd say that an iPad it's better than Remarkable, Remarkable is really expensive for what it does and and iPad w/ Apple Pencil and a matte protector is way useful.
How to always make videos:
Im moving to notion
Im moving to Evernote
Im moving to notion
Im moving to Evernote
Bradley does sound like a dick doesn't he.
Create good content not click bait
I already use Notion for work especially for projects, tasks, and organization. Todoist for personal use, lists and stuff, small personal tasks. One Note as my filing cabinet for everything.
I feel similarly. I use notion to run both my businesses, but it really doesn’t work for me for note taking. Using Rome for notes and notion for project management has worked much better.
Imagine if Ali Abdaal uploaded this lmao
He doesn't have the guts to do that.
@@raphaelstanzani Abdaal and Thomas Frank use the app to its full potential so they don't have reason to leave it.
Abdaal has literally sold his soul to gadgets and the medical world behind... smh
It would be the end of days
I now use only Obsidian. I want to really own my data. And the bidirectional links are life changing.
Same here. Because it’s not slow as fuck and I can use it offline properly.
There’s too much friction to using Notion on the daily.
Is it possible to use Obsidian in Android? I've not find how
@@CarolinaBury mobile apps are on their roadmap
Hope it happen fast, because I really want to try
@@russelllapua4904 they have said that over a year.
I agree this is an odd video for sure. After camping in this productivity space for sometime I’m beginning to wonder how much of productivity on RUclips is about tools for tools sake and not a focus of their greater use. It’s like going into my garage and doing a ten minute video on the color and feel of 3 different hammers vs doing a video of how to build a deck and which hammer was preferred for that job and why. It’s clearly the end of the year and time for me to reread GTD again with even more appreciation of why it’s purposely tool agnostic. As an IT professional in a dual OS environment with both analog and digital commitments hitting reset will help get me get on with business at hand not just busyness. Nothing personal Francesco, just felt a need to vent some of my personal shortcomings of how little actual progress I have made in the past 6 months after watching so many different videos about productivity online. This video seemed to be the catalyst. Thanks? LOL. Clearly the challenge is on my side. Have a great New Year.
The cow is milked... the cooperation ended just 😏
I loved this video. Yesterday I stopped using ROAM Research, Craft, Agenda, and Bear and moved all pertinent information to Evernote because anything I did with those other programs I can do in Evernote. I was worried about this decision but after your video I feel much better.
Thanks, and Happy New Year,
PJ
I have never used evernote. Does it do the backlinking and filtering? That's mainly what keeps me in roam.
@@richaprasad6737 it does not easily backlink and you filter with tags. What I realized was that all the info I needed I could find with search. I did not need the “fancy stuff”
Thanks for your honesty, and for confirming what many of us have known all along---Evernote FTW. Happy New Year!
I have just moved to Notion from Evernote. In my opinion there is no competition. Notion is much more advanced and thought-out piece of software. It killed my usual Asana+Evernote combo.
I definitely favor compartmentalization over simplification. I am the sort of person who makes a separate RUclips channel or email address to track each personal interest. It was really interesting to hear the other perspective.
It started happening to me, I hopped on the train of wanting to use everything everyone else would be using & quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of features Notion has & I require simplicity. Needed to understand my brain first instead of just wanting to hog every tool, some just aren't build for you & it's okay
Can't wait to see Carl Pullein's response when you do the Todoist video :)
I did OmniFocus for 4 years, used Things 3 for ~ 6 months and found that it needed too much maintenance from my part. I am using Todoist now and the combination of filters + Carl's time sector system is really clicking with me.
At the end of the day is not about the tool, but finding a workflow that adjusts well with the nature of your work. Thank you for the great content Francesco :)
I'm not moving, Hugo. I've found tools I like, know and that fit my workflows. So, I won't be doing any "goodbye" videos anytime soon :-)
@@Carl_Pullein Fantastic :) REALLY enjoying the Time Sector Methodology and how flawlessly it flows regardless of any app. Thank you for the great content Carl.
Man, I first heard about Notion was from you
I first heard of it from him...today 😅
@@xenobreak1160 Same Here...
I think you've applied Occam's Razor to your productivity system, namely:
"What is the simplest system that will deliver my productivity requirements?"
By simple, I mean maximising outputs to input i.e. the most productive system.
When I say inputs, I mean:
(1) the number of tools you use and
(2) the level of effort required to...
(a) learn the tool and
(b) use the tool.
The answer to "What tool(s) are most productive?" will vary from individual to individual because A's requirements differ from B's.
I recommend starting with the following hierarchy and stop with the first tool which meets the requirements e.g. personal task management and storage:
1. Can I meet my requirements with a paper-based system (which as a bonus would even keep my content safe in the event of an EMP). This certainly wouldn't work for digital storage but could work for personal task management (but not for significant task management).
2. Can I meet my requirements with a simple electronic notebook? Again rubbish for storage but viable for task management (and great in the unfortunate event of an EMP). Focused individuals like Warren Buffet still operate off a paper system.
3. Can I meet my requirements with a more sophisticated "paper" notebook like Evernote or OneNote? These work for both personal task management and most storage requirements. The caveat is that you need a consistent underlying taxonomy or ontology to make them work. And they wouldn't work for significant project management.
4. Can I meet my requirements with a preformatted database like Todoist? Great for personal tasks if you don't have a taxonomy, but weak on storage.
5. Can I meet my requirements with a database tool like Notion? For most people, Notion is overkill for personal task management; that is, it is less productive (as defined in the beginning) than most of the preceding tools for personal task management in terms of learning curve and time to input (and it's outputs are fairly inflexible too e.g. try indenting tasks). It's also not great for storage. But it's great for significant project management (providing you have a taxonomy) and anytime you need a database.
6. Can I meet my requirements with a formal project management tool like Asana, Microsoft Project, etc? If you have significant projects and don't have a taxonomy, these are great.
I think you dived into Notion (like all of us) enthused by the database - but soon discovered (like many of us) that sophisticated third normal form databases are not productive for personal task management. Perhaps you could even have got away with paper but that would have meant splitting your personal task management and storage across multiple apps. So you did the next best thing: Use Evernote a bit like paper for personal task management, and exploit its storage capabilities.
Great overview. Wondering if Notion works best as a second brain to just store articles, thoughts and information tidbits, while something like Apple Notes and Reminders or Evernote for storage?
@@pressrepeat2000 Many thanks. I think Notion works well as a database for everything, including storage for articles, thoughts and tidbits. In other words, build it like a huge dictionary with various keyword entry points etc.
Where Notion is less good (at least for me) is as a "do" system". In other words, apps like Todoist for "doing" and apps like Notion for "storing".
I had stopped using Evernote because it had become slow and bloated. I also had to reconsider why I began using it in the first place. Back in 2008, hard drives weren't very large. EN promised unlimited storage and to remember everything. Now, I can get 2 TB from iCloud, or something similar from Dropbox, Google, etc. . . Over the years, Moleskines and Evernote served my needs. I found myself wondering if there was anything better.
I think I'm recommitting to notebooks and Evernote, although for different reasons than I did at the start. Notebooks are great for easy, offline capture. I can easily capture those notes into EN much easier now than back in the day. Scanning has become so much better. Also, there is something to be said for having one location for storing all your information. Cloud drives can do the same. However, EN has the advantage for being cross-platform. It is less of a pain switching from PC to Mac to iOS to Android to Chrome OS.
EN seems a bit faster now. Although I could be imagining it.
Thanks for this, Francesco. I dither back and forth between Notion and Evernote (which I have used for many years). At the moment I tend to use Evernote as my filing cabinet and document storage, as well as for website captures. For some of my projects I use Notion as a project manager because of its database facility, something that Evernote really doesn't do. I'm finding the latest version of Evernote rather slow to load on my iMac and even on my mobile devices. However, I won't give it up because it has many good features. At the same time, I find myself in the situation of using too many tools and sometimes forgetting which one I have used for what purpose. What are your thoughts about Nimbus Note? It seems quicker off the mark than Evernote and it has some features similar to Notion. I'd be interested to know if Nimbus figures in your thinking.
I've never been a big notion fan. It seems to be too much to have to set up all the time. I agree if the tool is already there if there are certain aspects it might be just better just to try to work with it then try to go to a whole overblown system like notion. I'm still a believer in Google. You got your calendar, you have Google drive, and you have Google keep. I believe that's all you need to have a productive system.
What I have liked from Evernote are the templates for the different types of documents.
I'm glad to recently discover the power of Notion. As a data analyst, I can imagine all the SQL queries happening in the back end as I use it. I'm still learning Notion and will probably stick with Microsoft OneNote for note taking and with Google for my business needs. I think it's good to diversify the supply chain of business service providers and to always have multiple points of failure if a content service provider goes down in some obscure corner of the internet.
Great content on your channel to help me get organized and become more productive with my data analytics consulting business Quantuity Analytics Inc..
Select Subbed=Yes, Liked=👍, Notified=All from Keep Productive;
Hey man, appreciate your honesty. They’re just tools for organizing knowledge work, not personal identities. I’m still trying out Amplenote, apple notes, notion,, Workflowy, AND Obsidian lol.
Thanks again for introducing notion to me.
Their approach to databases and the ability to integrate those into pages is still... just right for me.
I'll still be keeping an eye on other apps of course, mostly through your channel.
cheers
Let me break it down the real reason:
Notion isnt privacy secured. He is secretly trying Obsidian. That's it. Rest is just over complicated explanations.
Based
Love your objectivity Francesco. As you point out, it’s best to use the app that works best for the individual, and also it’s ok to use more than one product. Each can serve a different purpose or preference. I personally use 3 different notes apps, each bringing its own strengths to my workflow. Keep up the great videos.
Can I ask which three note-taking apps you use, and how they each fit into your workflow?
@@CameronFlint07 sure,
Evernote as my primary notes app because of its search capability and archiving strength.
Apple notes for its lockable encryption features on sensitive info.
Notion for it project strength, creativity and flow, and its ability to see the big picture more clearly.
I link all the notes to one task manager, Todoist. Todoist is my hub so to speak and has a clickable link to the relevant notes app.
I also use one calendar app (google/Calendars 5) with the same clickable link feature.
Gmail is my last app which also has direct links to Evernote or Todoist.
That’s a bit more than you asked, but just in case you were interested.
I got all this from Francesco and Carl Pullein. Their content is awesome.
@@jimthow7393 Thanks for the reply! That’s a well-thought-out system. I like how it leverages the strengths of each without over-using any of the three. Linking from Todoist to the other apps is also a good trick... would like to incorporate that more into my workflow. Cheers!
I appreciate your honesty and I too am hooked on Evernote . . .
Just when i started to believe in notion!
lol
He is still respecting the notion community
He still likes Notion and uses it for work. He also doesn't think it is bad for personal use. Personally, for him it is just better to use Evernote as he doesn't really need the extra options Notions provides. These extra options can be helpful for other people, they do for me.
While customising any tool/ system: **"Just because something can be done, dosen't mean it has to be done"**
Hi Francesco. Thanks for this video. I love the intro music to your video! Where did you find that? Is it on Envato? Best wishes
He actually stopped using it in new videos
Your video was timely with the start of a New Year. I, too, had just decided to move all my notes and project information, but not to Evernote... to OneNote. I've used many different note and task solutions over the years and I do feel the need to consolidate. I'm moving all relevant information from Google Keep, Evernote, Drafts, Apple Notes, Samsung Notes, etc to OneNote. I plan to use that solution along with DayOne (Personal Journal) and TickTick (Combined work/personal task manager), for most notes, tasks, reminders, and information storage (webpages, articles, etc). I've used OneNote for many years. The product has come a long way, is accessible across different platforms, and since I pay for an annual subscription from Microsoft for storage and Office 365, it seems like an application that I will continue to use. It will be a relief to only have one place to enter and search for information.
Very well said. OneNote has been a great bridge for me being in an enterprise and forced to use windows (yuk). That said, this year I am going to stick with it and Smartsheet for work and OneNote and Things 3 for personal. With Tiago’s tips on setting up “areas” as part of the PARA method, my hope is separating work from home with two task managers will help keep things cleaner.
It's very brave of you to make this video. Even I feel pressured to use Notion just because of the the features it had. But honestly... I did love taking notes on Evernote. It was more simpler and the mobile app was not overwhelming as Notion becomes..
Agreed. The more I use Notion, the less I use it. Or in a more dialed in way. I use for specific things as it just doesn't lend itself well to a majority of scenarios. Plus, it's concerning to put a bunch of information into a system without quality backup options.
I literally put a reminder in my to-do list yesterday that said "start learning how to use Notion using "Keep Productives" videos". I was just about to start :D
You should not be deterred, Notion is a fantastic resource and you're more than welcome to use our resources and the others on RUclips :) Lennard :)
With notion you have many more tools. You can deal with your personal goal as big projects (timeline views, boards and etc). Evernote is just a simple note taker (that gets really messier if you try to complicate it [cmon, filters sucks]) - evernote is only great to archive stuff (bills and etc)
Agreed by all means play with it, however I suggest giving yourself a time limit and a use case to drive your learning. Without those to guide you, it can be like a candy store to get lost in one related table at a time, which for some personalities. (Cough..me..cough) works against productivity. Remember these tools are like boxes of Legos. You can build what you want as long as you know what you want.
I love this video because I totally get it! Sometimes, we just need to change things up. I've done that a couple of times with Notion vs. Clickup! I absolutely love both products, but depending on my frame of mind, I tend to go back and forth on which I like better. I still use both, and if asked which I like better, I'd say "it depends on the week." Cheers, Francesco...and Happy New Year to you and all who watch KP.
You almost had me convinced to go for the N. Glad you're coming back to EN. Excited to see what you're going to do with it!
Kinda weird to apologize for using what's more productive for yourself. Just do what works right now. TBH, the idea of sticking with a tool for several years before reconsidering seems cumbersome. If something stops working for a few months, that's already too long. Informative video, though.
I never really get into Evernote yet. I was always having problems with the editor.
I used Notion and was excited about it. I used databases and made Dashboards, I like how they embed stuff as well. But I heavily get stressed on the structure of my notes. It is not easy to capture and ask time to organise all of those. For the files I agree but I tends to use google drive anyway.
I got quite interested by obsidian but the lack of IOS app slow me down.
Right now I am testing craft but I miss the embedded stuff...
Still looking for what is the most important for me.
Thanks for sharing
I have thousands of notes in Evernote. That is why I remain an Evernote subscriber. I have tried Notion but have settled on Bear for future projects. Why? The two big reasons are the elegance of the tagging system, which makes it easy to reorganize tag trees by renaming the current tags and the ability to adjust font size and line and paragraph spacing, really important for those of us with aging eyes. If I were younger and obsessed with the idea of controlling every aspect of my life or business from one app and nerd enough to find hacking “my way” solutions to familiar problems, Notion would be appealing. But that:s not aging curmudgeon me. Why should I do what I can easily afford to pay for others to do for me? And do it much better than I can?
I’ve made the exact same decision over the holidays, Evernote and todoist does exactly what I need
Never really got into Notion myself, as I couldn't really see what their core use case was, as they seemed to be a jack of all trades app... which breaks the Unix philosophy of apps doing one thing and doing it well. I'm now mostly going to use it as my main collaboration tool, for when I'm working with others (especially clients).
Currently looking at Nimbus, for my personal/general note-taking needs!
As for task managing, taking a serious look at ClickUp, for that.
I'm using the same tools... ClickUp for most things and Nimbus as my eFile Cabinet. I have been using dashboards and docs in ClickUp and to my surprise, there is enough functionality for me to dump Notion. Yes, ClickUp & Nimbus are not as sexy as Notion, but they are tools that work for me.
I want to start using nimbus but do you think they're as sustainable as Evernote? I mean Evernote have been around for so many years now.
Yeah, I believe applications are very much a personal fit and feel. Sounds kindy corny, but it is for me. You gotta use and sit and stare at the thing for a long time, so the said application has to fit, feel and be visual appealing. The whole productivity issue is also personal, no one-size fits all. How you manage YOUR GTD is really up to you, it's your baby, and as long as your achieving your goals with whatever application/s you use, then a BIG SALUTE to you. You drive your own self-happiness with whatever tools you use in your tool bag. Thanks for sharing! I'm always willing to listen and learn and progress forward by listening and watching to stories like yours. Live the dream buddy! You Rock
I have been using Evernote since 2009. However, I am looking to leave because I want to leave on my own terms because Evernote does not have a way to get your data out easily. It only exports in Evernote’s proprietary file. Right now my top option is Bear. Bear does all the same basics as Evernote, and it gives you a way to get your data out in a standard format. The added benefit also, is that it is only $15 per year as opposed to Evernote’s ridiculously high subscription cost. So far, the only downside to Bear, is that it doesn’t have a Windows version, which is ok for me as I have been using macOS & iOS as my primary compute platforms for the last 9 years.
If Bear's web clipper was as powerful as Evernote's I would move over as well.
As a student, Evernote - without a student price scheme (like offered from Notion) is out of my budget, and their constant reminder to join, drove me crazy - it’s just not on my cards for... the next several years... and without catching me in their web during these formative years, they likely never will. Notion is perfectly adequate as a brain dump and productivity manager for my studies and hobbies, but tbh, Microsoft applications remain to be my filing cabinet and daily drivers.
Great video, it shows that we must remain open to change, according to our current needs. Agree with streamlining and digital minimalism.
Evernote should restore the frigging 'Sync' button. The redesign has been 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I value my data integrity over better looking UI.
Shaking that Mic like a maraca, going to remix that to music. Thanks for the great content.
Many thanks for today’s video...Great insight.
I’m a heavy Notion user for my consultancy and video production but I haven’t migrated any personal tasks over as well. I found there are other tools that can track my personal productivity tasks better (Teux Deux, Freshbook to manage house todo lists, workout progress, accounting etc).
Appreciate the honesty.
I think the reason you're leaving notion is 100% reasonable. Many people are using too many productivity tools. The reason I chose Notion over Roam and TIckTick is that it was the answer to the question: "How can I simplify and unify all these tools?". Great Video Francesco
I love notion! In fact it changes My life, But right now I think there is too many tools that i'm bot using right now... I'll keep using notion as well to manage projects... But for My personal management i'll give a try to Evernote.
Notion setups aren't that helpful for me anyway. All the data is burried too deep inside a folder structure. Might as well try out Evernote. For the sake of simplicity/ smoothness.
Try roamresearch
@@itsmelahi It's too complicated though and can't I just use the search function in evernote? Like search for Aristotle in my notes and Evernote will show me a snippet of all notes I ever created that mention Aristotle. Where as in Roam I have to create entities more or less manually. Appreciate your thoughts about this.
@@itsmelahi I'll go for obsidian
I think this could be a good move for you from a channel perspective
Before you went to Notion your videos seemed more neutral but once you jumped on the Notion bandwagon you seemed to compare things to Notion. It was quite obvious you had a preference for the app. As a productivity app it is more helpful if presenting the features w/o a bias to a specific app
Either way wish you the best of luck
It is very normal to compare other productivity software to the Very one that sets the bar. Notion is feature rich until the point that you can probably combine the core functionality of trello, todoist and Evernote. So it makes sense from a personal perspective to centralize functions and thus reduce the amount of tools used.
Btw I never understood the perspective of "too many features" since you literally can choose not to use unneeded features.
Never expected to see this video, honestly. However I share your opinion and I am on the same route. I moved to Notion a year ago, tired of waiting EN to make any meaningful progress. I had been premium user for years. Moved all in Notion and used it exclusively for a year. However... I badly miss things I was used in EN: OCR, integration with other services, beter working off line, performance, handling PDFs and other files, snappy/powerful search function. Also the export capabilities of Notion suck, whereas in EN I feel I am free to leave whenever i want. Therefore, I am (slowly) moving back my notes to EN. Notion has helped me however in better understanding how to organize my stuff. It has been a nice year but I don’t feel it’s there yet for most people.
I use Coda instead of Notion but only for one specific area where Coda is really good: as an alternative to a spreadsheet. For budget planning but also for summarising project data. As a personal wiki but also for task planning, I find both Notion and Coda too confusing. I tried it and was more busy tinkering around for hours than getting any productive use out of it.
For ideas, but also in the beginning for rough planning of larger projects, Evernote or Nimbus work pretty well. For task planning, you should use a special app like ClickUp, Asana or Todoist anyway.
In the end, I only use 2 apps continuously: Nimbus and ClickUp (and of course Google Calendar).
Evernote has gotten much better this year.
Totally agree on systems before tools. This is true on many levels as I have found in my 20+ years in I.t projectmanagement. This is one reason why I’ve stayed with Evernote since the start. In my view it is a great information management tool that you can build out, with some heavy tweaking sometimes, in to other use cases such as projectmanagement or GTD type system. I just did my Annual Review in it using the Chris Guillebeau system of Annual Review.
This is a « logical » video... Notion is more a database tool than a note taking one... I love and use both for what they are good at. I don’t ask Notion to manage my notes and I don’t ask Evernote to manage my databases...
Well this was a surprising video to end 2020 😳 but always love that you are open to what works best for you rather than sticking with something cause it’s the latest thing. I haven’t checked out Evernote for at least 3 years since I moved away, but good to hear they are improving some things.
I’m using Evernote for 10+ years and I loved it to the extent that I fell in that same trap with it. Evernote is outdated in many aspects, and I don’t feel that they move in the right direction. I use Notion mostly for management and some other things, but my content is still stuck in Evernote. Notion still miss some features that are in Evernote. But its flexibility and customizability is incredible. It enabled me endless possibilities in my workflow, especially in Agile planning. Its editor is simple and easier than Evernote’s. Still this comes to a price of some complexity, and the lack of some critical features makes some use cases harder. I’m considering looking for a companion tool for content, but it won’t be Evernote. Still researching and not sure.
What did you go with?
I Wonder
I’m using using Notion completely right now. I may miss some features with it, like adding notes via email, but I have the full power all for free. Plus, its highly customizable organizational features make it very flexible, and allow me to structure it as I want.
Still I have a lot of stuff to move from Evernote. The importing API is very clunky and slow. But for many months I did not need to open Evernote except for very few times to get some archived info from it.
I have switched back from Notion to Evernote last EN10 update. I somewhat stopped using notion because for me, Evernote is still the best filing cabinet as of the moment. However, the Mac App is really buggy. Hope they can really be resilient regarding their current issues. I have hopes for Evernote
Maybe the API will change how files are managed. I hope it changes how the webclipping works.
I want to see Notion become a bit more like evernote for sure but I am not interested in using two tools.
I also don’t like the way Notion save files, but Dashboard in Notion is really great for cooperating with others.
Can you share the way you organise notes in Evernote? I have using it for years and found that I just put everything in Evernote but not so organised, thanks.
2020 continues to surprise me. 2020 what have you done! 😞
I think what I really want is a local database tool other than Notion. But I could not find a substitution, especially for personal bookkeeping. Excel is OK. But, well, I need something more BEAUTIFUL. So, I'm still waiting for notion to have off-line functionality (and losing patience day by day of course)
But you don’t explain in detail with examples why. 🙁
I don't understand/like this idea of force yourself to use less tools. Both Evernote and Notion are very good for their purposes - that are different.
I find much easier to use 2-3 tools than to try to adapt one to do 2-3 different things.
4:17 the strangest B-roll ever :-D
Great vid as always Francesco - I'm moving away from Evernote for some things, tasks I find are unusuable there, daily / weekly agendas. but it is better for screenshots and rough notes on windows pc than onenote, onenote still freezing on a powerful pc. Loving Coda also, using both - one for personal knowledge, one for team docs and client displays. Nice notes on 'too many tools', great to note
I'll keep planning on Notion and taking notes in obsidian, that's how i'm doing it in 2021
Me too, just started doing that
Thank you for posting this video. Your sincerity is very touching. You have tons of videos about Notion, and Evernote is a tool everyone seems to be ditching, so it’s lovely and courageous when someone says: ok, I don’t need Notion for my personal use; I’ll come back to Evernote instead. I never used Evernote. For personal and professional use, I prefer Airtable as my database app, and I’m using Notion for just two purposes: Readwise integration (done beautifully) and saving links. I use Pocket for articles I liked and want to save but, Notion is my tool of choice for just saving links I need to use later. I think I’m one of those persons who use specific apps for specific purposes. And that’s the reason why I found Clickup, Tick Tick, Coda, and Notion somewhat overwhelming.
I use Notion for one single project. But for that particular project, it's amazing. For notes, I'm leaving Evernote and porting most stuff to Obsidian, which is a far better tool for my brain that folders and tags in Evernote. Tasks are still in Omnifocus - which hands down drives circles around the rest of the todo-apps. For me.
I went in the opposite direction, the moment I discovered Notion I used Evernote less and less, but I agree that the way Notion incorporate files it's not the best, I hope they will improve it soon...
It's frustrating that I'm not able to consolidate all these tools, I have things scattered in different apps and that's counter-productive but I haven't found the right one for all the type of content that I need to save!
The latest version of Evernote is slow and clumsy and buggy. I’m not using it much anymore, but have not found a good alternative yet. Whatever app I replace Evernote it must have an excellent web clipper.
Literally just moved my personal task management and notes, such as my journal, out of Notion and into Things and Bear, respectively. I'll still be using it for work with my team as well though. Notion comes with some real cognitive load these days with how bloated and slow it is.
I wanted to do the same but Bear (as beautiful as it is) did disappoint me with their web clipper. Tested a bunch of them and Evernote's seems to be one of the best still.
Thanks for your honesty, Francesco! Much appreciated!
Hey that's me at 4:17. So glad we connected in SF Francesco!
Was lovely to meet Sumo 🍻 I’m sure again in the future 😀😀
Evernote is always my tool of choice. However, the new update appears to have done away with exporting notes and this affects my workflows.
Love that you’re approaching your tools with the right mindset! ✌️
So are you moving to Craft app 9:51?
I think it makes sense to separate a filing cabinet with important things, from a second brain storage system used for articles or whatnot to help with memory and read later. As if one puts everything in one system, search often doesn’t work well and the important stuff you’re looking for such as a receipt gets lost because there’s just too much information in one place. Does anyone have any idea of the best system for each use case?
Just started using it and it seems buggy.. all comments i added disappeared all of sudden, and the background color stopped working... has anyone else experienced the same?
This is an outstanding video. I love that I can mouse over the scrubber to see the content. I love the video editing.
I truly believe Notion will become a productivity/drive/database social media in the future. It will transcend the barrier these note-taking apps get stuck at, believe me, i've created a productivity app myself.
Could you explain this a litle further?
A side effect of 'Building A Second Brain' course......
Everybody is moving to Evernote & Things 3 after watching Tiago Forte's support to those tools.
I am also leaving Notion because of the inability to export all my notes... As well as Notion is a champion of the slowest implementation of new useful features (no tags, date search, bad mobile apps , horrible rollup where is impossible to find anything, etc..)
Really? Ireally like the export option of notion, so simple... pdf or html!
@@heitorcornelius Pdf export is available only on Enterprise subsription (20$ per month) or you can`t export subpages
@@andypassion5787 oh yeah, you right about that. [I use subpages with html and export only for backup purposes, PDF only used with single pages]
I love Notion, but I don’t love it as a note taker. I think it’s great to manage projects specifically with tracking things being worked on, done , etc. storing files , videos etc. all in one place. I plan to use it for my RUclips channel as well as tracking interview stuff for software engineering but I can’t seem to take notes in it. It’s just too clunky and way too much for notes. I want to be able to write notes, draw in the note, upload videos and stuff to it and be easily allowed to export. This is why I use craft
Notion is architecturally impressive, but functionally inefficient. It usually causes people to endlessly configure and collect. Process driving apps are superior to object driving apps.
I had a couple of teams switch, one to Asana, the other to ClickUp. Both teams experienced a huge leap in productivity immediately after getting past the adjustment phase. Project management applications provide people with the three main things modern culture makes most difficult to secure:
1. Context
2. A sense of direction
3. A sense of time
Notion and Evernote are great if collecting and categorizing are your main focus. Students might find this to be true for them more than people in different modes, but for doing work and attaining objective goals, Project & task management apps are the way to go.
Nice heartfelt peace. I'm feeling the same. Notion is also moving too slowly
Hey.... whatever works best for you; I still been using EVERNOTE before NOTION also using MStodo, Google keep & Google Calendar and ofcourse we cant forget my TRELLO. But think I agree with you on too many tools lol, I love learning new productivity tools.. thanks for sharing. And Is the new update for Evernote FREE? Is it limited on space lets hope not. have a great day. Keep productive
Finally you come to sense. Taking digital security seriously.
🔥🔥🔥
And
HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎉🎉🎉
I totally want that badass hot red ride in the window. :)
I found myself not using the tables in Notion and not needing the extras in Todoist. I’ve been using Fantastical, Obsidian and playing with a simple little app called North Notes. It’s less work to keep track of my work.
Great Video mate! Always value your POV!