IMPORTANT ADVICE: there aren’t any affiliate marketing links, and I don’t receive anything at all from companies or people I mention in this article.

Almost 2 months ago, I decided to change all my software productivity system.

It was a crucial decision and, today, I have to say I’m delighted with it.

My productivity has grown a lot, but the most important thing is that I’m experiencing security, calm, feeling everything’s under control, feeling comfortable within my daily tasks, being sure I’m doing what I should to achieve my big goals in life.

All this hasn’t been easy. I’m fact, I’ve been pursuing this goal for more than 25 years.

Now, I can say I did it. I’ve arrived at that place. It’s not the end of the road because life is an endless one, but right now, I’m in the position that I’ve always pursued, talking about productivity and growth sensation.

This makes me feel good because my brain can focus on the most critical task in life: DOING.

This mindset is fantastic too, because it gives you the opportunity of becoming an amazing performer.

Whenever you’re relaxed, calm, with everything crystal clear, you perform at your best.

You get into the productivity loop, that one in which you don’t stop doing tasks, checking them as done, and keep on going at a pace in which you don’t stress out, and outcomes become a part of your daily life.

I know it sounds incredible because it was almost impossible for me until a couple of months ago.

I thought I had too many tasks, too many open projects, too many things in my life, and I should feel in that state of uncertainty, insecure, thinking I was reacting to things instead of deciding what I should be doing each time. They were just excuses.

The main change for me, talking about software, was moving from an “Evernote+Omnifocus” environment to just “Notion”.

This brings us my headline’s question: ¿Evernote or Notion?

And here comes the answer: Why do you need to choose?

Here I share with you this interesting YouTube video in which these 2 phenomenons, Tiago Forte and Ali Abdaal, have a fascinating conversation (almost 2 hours!).

I totally agree with both in all the things they say because I’ve experienced themselves by myself (and I’m a decade older than Tiago…).

As human beings, we love to choose between black or white, think about opposite things, a life based on 0s and 1s. It seems simpler to us.

Much more easy than trying to find out the grey lines, those that are not well defined, those you just meet as you are getting older. That’s how life goes.

I’ve been working using Evernote as my main “second brain” software for a decade. I’ve been working using Notion for just a couple of months.

Which one would I choose? My answer is crystal clear: both.

As usually happens in life, each one has pros and cons, and why you can’t get the most of both?

That would be the rational answer. The one that will take you to a better place.

It sounds stupid not taking advantage of something software can give it to you just because you “bet your life” on some other software.

Now “my life” is based on Notion, but I still use Evernote. It’s a piece of software I love, and now I just changed its functionality.

Notion is my “big system”, but Evernote is another one that helps me a lot. A secondary one that I couldn’t live without it.

As Tiago and Ali say, today you have a software toolbox with you, like a handyman, a mechanic, or a doctor, and you can use each tool for the things they do their best.

It’s taking advantage of the fantastic software offering we have nowadays. That means being smart.

What do I use Notion for?

The excellent point about Notion is that you can set up a system that perfectly fits your needs.

Notion is not a note-taking app. Notion is a platform to develop your own system without coding.

You can create databases, dashboards, your own processes’ flows to develop a system 100% yours. That’s the amazing part of it!

With Notion I can:

• Define my existential principles.
• Create my high-level and low-level goals.
• Create all the tasks to achieve those goals.
• Insert those tasks into projects, in case needed.
• Schedule everything.
• Organize and plan everything.
• Align everything because you don’t need the planets to do so.
• Create my second brain to store everything: articles, books, highlights, YouTube videos, quotes, ideas…
• Journaling.
• Store data from contacts, clients…
• Manage all my content creation pipeline.
• Make my weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly review.
• …

As you can see, all my life: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

As I said before, life-changing.

What do I use Evernote for?

I use it as a giant bucket for all the things I consider I don’t need on a short-medium time basis.

We can call Evernote my “long term second brain”.

I love its graphical user interface. It’s a delightful experience whenever I write on it (it sounds “stupid”, but it’s true).

I have everything perfectly organized inside my piles, notebooks, and notes.

I can attach files: images, pdfs… and search inside them.

Having it gives me security, control, and a perfect vibe.

Takeaways

So, why do we always have to choose between the red pill and the blue one?

We can take both and enjoy them at the same time.

Each software has its strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s take advantage of the strengths and look for other software solutions that cover those weaknesses. It’s the way we, as clients, can have our perfect solution. That one that covers all our needs, all we need to perform at our highest level.

We can’t think everything can be done for just one software because it’s impossible. It’s like trying to build a house with just one tool.

Your life is your most important house. Use a whole bunch of the best tools to take care of it. Be sure it’s worth it!

Photo at the top courtesy of Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.