As 2024 starts, I look at the apps that I used and seeing what stays, what goes and what can be improved. Though I have been making posts like this for a few years — this year, I am taking the time to look at the apps and how they serve me. It was a post by Renée De Four of the same name that was the inspiration for the title.

Techno Kaigi ‘loosely translated in Japanese, it is a journaling or planner meeting that you have (with yourself) where you reflect on what you’ve been using and whether you want to continue that into the next year.’

Though I have a mainly digital system, as a writer I carry a notebook and pen with me as well. Last year, I finally found a notebook that suits me. I am also including it because the best entries of my notebooks end up in my digital system anyway.

Just like Renee, my core stack are the apps I rely on daily, while the accessory apps are the ones that provide supporting roles. It is not a complete list of all the apps I use, these are primarily for journaling and writing.

CORE STACK

While some people like an all-in-one app, I am someone that would rather dedicated apps that do the job well than an over-bloated system. I also am someone that is 95% digital user. Because of my disability, I cannot write for long periods of time. Though I have an analog system, that is for when I am out and away from my laptop or when I am just at home and have shut down my laptop for the day.

DIGITAL

TickTick

• Tasks
• Project Management
• Habits

Out of all the task management apps I have still not found the perfect app — though I am aware one doesn’t exist — TickTick is the best suited to me. A common theme over 2023 for me was cutting down my systems. By that I mean instead of creating big and extravagant setups that constantly need tweaking, simple is better for my brain. I will talk more about this with my writing apps.

Google Calendar

• Scheduling
• Events
• Timetable

I have one rule: anything that is scheduled time to happen goes in the calendar. As someone whose brain loves colour categorisation, I lean into this with my calendar set up. I have separate calendars for appointments, events, perpetual events, content, finances, RMIT and NDIS. The content and finances calendar are just reminders of when I get paid and when I put content out. RMIT is my university calendar where I put all my classes that I need to attend. Finally, NDIS is so I can keep track of all the appointments I have in relation to disability supports that I have.

Logseq

• Zettelkasten
• Journal
• Notes

I was bouncing in and out of Obsidian for years, trying to find the set up that suited me. When I found Logseq something just clicked. I have been using it for 545 days (as of 1 January 2024) to some extent of recording my day. During this time I have changed what I record and how I record it.

When I first set up my zettelkasten I had a very complicated set up including a numbering system and a sort order. I was worried that I wasn’t doing zettelkasten right. What I needed was to pair back my system to do what suited me. It was in fact a zettelkasten but one that suited my brain. Once I changed my thinking to that — I feel more at peace with my system.

Scrivener

• Article Writing
• Novel Writing

This is the biggest change to my system. For those of you not aware I am going into my second year of an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University. Over the year I have been jumping between different writing apps trying to find one that served its purpose. I am one of those writers that likes to count words and also post dates, for example. I moved articles from Google Docs to Anytype because of the ability to add properties.

I also have a big nonfiction project that I am working on which lives in Scrivener. Finally, last month I realised that once more I was making things more complicated than they needed to be. I had purchased Scrivener and it was being under used. I transferred all my writing into Scrivener (where I am writing this one) and once more pairing stuff back. Another plus is not having to pay for another syncing service because it is all done through Dropbox.

Dropbox

• Storage

Though I used Google Drive for 2023, primarily because I was using Dropbox for my Scrivener files, and also my Otter.AI recordings — I switched over. As I was only doing month-to-month with Google Drive, I did not loose any money. Though I will switch to a yearly plan, I am uaing my student discount. Also the better syncing system is a plus.

Though my calendar and email are with Google — having more control over syncing and sharing far outweighs having it all under one roof.

ANALOG

Midori — MD Notebook Slim B6

Lamy — Safari Deelite 2023 Special Edition Ballpoint Pen (Blue)

Part of being a writer is having a pen and book with me when I am out. It isn’t until recently that I found the notebook that suits me. I needed one that was small enough for my bag but big enough that I can write with the use of one side of my body. After doing a bit of research I thought I was getting a Molskine small. I went into Milligram and the Midori’s caught my eye, when I saw the B6 slim it was love at first sight. Since buying it has lived in my handbag, I have scribbled more in the last 2 months than I had the entire year carrying around a Rhodia notepad.

Also, because I want to make it an intentional thing — I purposefully brought a pen just to use with this notebook. Even when I am home, I will use that pen.

ACCESSORY STACK

Raindrop

• Bookmarks

Readwise/Readwise Reader

• Highlights and Read It Later

Snipd

• Podcast highlights

Paperpile

• Citations

Otter.AI

• Transcribing/Recording

Google Notes

• Notes on the fly or when I am in bed and do it through Google Nest