This Is The Productivity App Every iPad User Needs. Here's Why.
This app changed my life. Really.
Over the course of winter break, I am:
taking an online course on blockchain development
taking on online course on frontend website development
hanging out with at least one friend a day
exercising for at least an hour (if not more) each day
spending time with my grandparents
facetiming my girlfriend
brainstorming startup ideas
working at an internship
working with a startup to set up an internship
writing a blog
and watching a couple TV shows
And it's all because of Todoist.
Todoist makes me 10x more productive every day. Here's how:
The Pre-Todoist Era ☹️
Before I used Todoist, I was a mess.
I was the type to constantly stress about forgetting assignments, not studying for tests, or missing important meetings.
In all of high school, there was only one assignment I ever forgot about.
I was always stressed out. And even if I didn't forget assignments, there were a few I didn't remember until the last minute (think 1 hour before they were due).
Me Now 📈
I lied before—Todoist doesn't make me 10x more productive. In reality, it's maybe 1.5x.
Instead of making me 10x more productive, Todoist made my life 10x less stressful.
Whenever I have a task, I dump it in Todoist. And that's it.
At some point, I know I'll get the task done—I check future tasks in the morning and in the evening. No more "do I have anything due today" anxiety.
That explains why to-do lists are useful.
Here are 6 reasons why Todoist in particular is incredible.
It's Fast. And Smart. 🏎️ + 🧠.
If I start from the home screen, It takes me 2.177 seconds to add a new task and create a due date (source: I timed it).
This comes down to two things:
Todoist is fast. Like Red Bull F1 fast.
Todoist is smart. Like Terence Tao smart. You can type "project in a week" and it'll automatically create a "project" task due in a week from today.
A snappy UI combined with smart scheduling makes it quick and easy to add tasks. No more trying to navigate a confusing app.
Widgets 🗒️
Todoist has awesome widgets.
Just look at this:
With a glance, I can see everything.
These widgets are even cooler with iPadOS 17. With interactive widgets, you can check off tasks directly from the home screen.
You don't have to open the Todoist app. All you gotta do is tap.
That's pretty cool.
Labels 🏷️
Labels help you organize tasks.
I use them to organize homework by classes.
For instance, I might have a task called "Homework 5". From the name, I have no idea what class it's for.
I use labels to solve this problem. I just type @DSC20 and I'm done.
That way, I don't have to give the task a long name ("DSC 20: Programming and Basic Data Structures for Data Science — Homework 5" is a bit much).
Sub-Tasks 📋
Got any big projects? Sub-tasks are super helpful.
Having one big task scares me. It puts pressure on me to get everything done at once.
I might need to do that in some cases. But that's only around 3% of the time. The other 97% of the time, having one big task is intimidating.
Instead, I love having a bunch of small tasks. That way, I can see the progress I'm making.
That alone makes me 10x more motivated to get things done.
Descriptions 💬
Descriptions are a cool way to keep notes on your tasks.
Maybe a professor says something about a midterm project. I can write it inside my task description in a couple seconds.
This saves me a ton of time.
Instead of waiting for my friends to respond to my texts or re-watching lectures to remember what the prof said, I can just check Todoist.
This is useful in a ton of scenarios:
TA dropped a hint for a homework assignment? I can write it in the description
Manager gave me directions for my project? I can write it in the description
Mom told me to get green bananas from the grocery store? I can write it in the description
You probably get how useful the description is, so let's move on.
Pricing 🤑
Todoist is AWESOME for free users.
Finding a great app with a great free plan is like finding a working McDonald's ice cream machine: next to impossible.
But Todoist is the exception. They've found the perfect balance between free and paid.
Their free plan gives you everything you need. There are no stupid ads and they haven't paywalled any basic feature.
Their paid plan is targeted towards teams, genuine pro users, and people who wanna support Todoist. Even though the free plan is awesome, the paid plan is still pretty cool (and priced at just $4.99/month).
But if you just want something free, Todoist is perfect.
I've used the free plan for years. It's been incredible. And it's more than enough for you.
Concepts 💭
Concepts is an "unlimited canvas" note-taking app I've used for years (if you don't believe me, check my post history). I use it to take notes, brainstorm article ideas, and come up with startup ideas.
It's one of the few apps I highly recommend for every iPad user out there. And I genuinely believe this (again, check my post history if you wanna verify this claim).
Concepts has been kind enough to offer a free 30-day trial. And no, you don't have to enter your credit card info.
Show Concepts some love ❤️—they're amazing sponsors.
Final Thoughts 🧠
"Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before"—Franz Kafka
Thanks for reading!
Adi