Shiny New App Syndrome

Hello, fellow organization lovers!

Well, life has a funny way of throwing curveballs, doesn't it? Recently, I found myself with an unexpected abundance of something I hadn't quite bargained for: time. Yes, the land of unemployment has temporarily become my new stomping ground. And while the initial wave of "what now?" was very real, a little voice soon piped up, "Hey, this is your chance to finally learn all the things you always wanted to learn and have hobbies and organize all your notes."

You know the feeling, right? That sudden urge to Marie Kondo not just your closet, but your entire existence. With days stretching before me, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to build some solid routines, tackle those long-forgotten personal projects, and transform into a productivity guru.

But long before digital sirens began their call, I was—and still am—a devoted stationery enthusiast. I freaking love stationeries. My latest obsession? Ring organizers. Naturally, like any “non-crazy” stationery lover would, I bought a whole bunch of them. Their aesthetic appeal is undeniable, and the possibilities for customization are endless. I've since lost countless blissful hours designing dashboards and crafting personalized inserts, meticulously tracking everything from daily habits to my literary adventures (a necessity, as I was devouring books at an alarming rate!). And as if that weren't enough, my current fixation has drifted towards the elegant world of fountain pens 🖋️, adding another layer to my analog devotion.

After I exhausted myself with all the customization of rings and I started to think “Hey why not give a makeover to my Notion (which I do every new year btw) and restart the Daily Notes in my Capacities”. It was around this time, while decluttering my inbox, that I stumbled upon an old edition of Anne-Laure Le Cunff's 'Maker Mind' newsletter. This particular issue featured an interview with the creator of Dendron, a local-first personal knowledge management (PKM) tool that functions as a VS Code extension. So naturally I got curious and installed the extension. I watched a few youtube videos on this. I think I am a sucker for any knowledge management that utilizes the Graph View, it is so satisfying to look at all the connections in your knowledge/notes.

This was the beginning of the end lol. That initial curiosity quickly snowballed. My YouTube feed seemed to sense my interest, unleashing a deluge of recommendations for every productivity app in existence, particularly those supercharged with AI. So far I have played around with Xtiles, Napkin, Recall, Kosmik and ClickUp. The sheer number of other impressive-looking tools out there, especially with their advanced AI functions, is insane. I'm making a conscious effort not to get completely sucked into this whirlwind of shiny new tech, but it's a constant battle!

The irony, of course, started to dawn on me like a slowly loading webpage. And of course it gave me a lot of anxiety and overwhelming feeling. I was learning new systems, comparing features, and meticulously organizing my intentions to be productive. The actual doing of the things? Well, that was getting slightly overshadowed by the sheer effort of managing the tools designed to help me do the things. And the second order irony is that I already knew this, but still fell into the rabbit hole.

So, here I am, a little wiser, and my apps folder a little more crowded. I'm still searching for that ideal balance, a way to integrate my preference for tactile stationery with the efficiency of digital tools. Ultimately, I've realized that even the best app can't complete a task for you.

Anyone else fall down this rabbit hole? What's your app of the moment, and more importantly, are you actually getting anything done with it?

Until next time, may your to-do lists be short and your app-switching infrequent (or at least, entertaining!).

Love,

Rebika ♥️