Recently, I realized that my reliance on multiple note-taking apps was complicating my workflow and consuming too much of my time. After spending countless hours testing various apps, transferring notes from one to another, converting them to different formats, and backing everything up in multiple places, I decided it was time to streamline my approach and embrace digital minimalism.
My go-to app was Standard Notes. It is a secure, open-source note-taking application designed to prioritize privacy and simplicity. While it met all my note-taking needs, it quickly became just another app to manage—another account to create, another password to store in Bitwarden, and another subscription to track. I wanted to free myself from this digital clutter. Often, these apps come with too many features for my daily use; I just want plaintext.
While I still use Standard Notes for work due to its ability to handle detailed notes and serve as a personal wiki for code snippets and project information, I realized it was more than I needed for daily personal use. The level of organization and depth required for work simply didn’t translate to my personal notes.
In my pursuit of simplicity, I found an unexpected solution: the Note to Self feature in Signal, my primary communication app to stay in touch with friends and family. With Signal, I can quickly jot down thoughts, tasks, and ideas without the hassle of managing another account or subscription. Notes sync seamlessly between my desktop and phone. Plus, it’s nice waking up in the morning and being able to check my to-do list and messages in the same app.
For sensitive notes, my workflow still involves adding them to Bitwarden, my password manager. This is useful for long-term data that I don’t need to check or update often, such as my car’s VIN number, creating a clear distinction between my long-term and short-term notes.
Consider evaluating the tools you use on a daily basis, you may be surprised by how much digital clutter can complicate your daily tasks. Do you really need multiple note-taking apps, or can a simpler solution meet your needs?
There was a time when I took pride in hosting my own Standard Notes instance on a securely encrypted home server. It was accessible only via VPN, setup with a custom theme, and enhanced by tens of plugins.
Today, my goal is to simplify my workflow and find the most straightforward solutions that still meet my needs. Sometimes, less truly is more.