At one point in my younger days, I had the idea that I should become an efficiency expert. I loved the idea of being organized and getting things done in the most efficient way possible.
I didn’t follow through on that career path, and even though I’ve become less process-oriented, I am still drawn to things that promise “efficiency.”
The problem, alas, is that not everything that works to improve someone else’s life works for me. So I often find myself testing habits, routines, patterns, tools, software, planners, to-do lists, note-taking apps, reminders, organizational systems, and anything-anything-anything-at-all-that-might-make-me-more-efficient.
Sometimes, I swear I’ve tried everything to build the perfect system to organize my days and my life. But then some new idea pops up in my Medium feed or I stumble across a new app that someone recommends.
Productivity hacks? I’m in! A beautiful calendaring tool? Absolutely!
The problem is that nothing works exactly the way my brain works, so I end up trying to fit my square-peg brain into a round hole. Needless to say, this doesn’t really work.
What I need is something that allows me to completely customize the platform to be exactly what I need.
(To be clear: I know that part of this quest comes down to a form of procrastination — that I’m trying to find the perfect way to be efficient by being supremely ineffective at getting anything real done.)
Here’s what would be my ideal solution — in case you’re feeling inclined to design that for me. :)
A dashboard for my Macbook that allows drag and drop functionality of various apps onto a home page that would be my jumping-off point for everything I need for the day. Full functionality for me to drop into my calendar, one click to open my Kindle reader to where I’d left off, a way to start music, and quick links to my email accounts. An easy to-do-list, a note-taking feature, a direct link to my Medium writing page, and maybe something to shut out all the distractions when I’m trying to focus. Some days, I might think teeny little boxes at the bottom for my social media feeds.
That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Oh, and it has to be pretty. Not frou-frou pretty, but aesthetically pleasing. Clean, but not boring, and easily changeable.
The idea of being an efficiency expert may be long gone, but the urge to be organized and efficient lives on. Even though I know it wouldn’t change my life, a “perfect” efficiency tool sure seems like it could brighten my day.
If you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them!
