Plain Text Productivity

Over the past few years, people have increasingly rediscovered the power of simple tools. Across apps, workflows, and problem-solving, simple approaches tend to come out on top. Plain text, lightweight tools, and minimal maintenance aren’t just effective, they make life easier. It’s no surprise, then, that more and more articles like "I Tried Every Todo App and Ended Up With a .txt File" keep appearing. When you stop and think about it, the approach makes sense.

Recently, I’ve returned to a simple text file for both notes and to-dos. I still rely on my framework for plain text notes, but I also jot down tasks in a straightforward format like "- todo item | notes on the item". As I work on building the infrastructure at my company, these notes are where I spend most of my time. The task lists can get quite complex, but not having to think about managing them, and instead just writing down what needs to be done, doing it, and marking it complete, makes everything easier. On top of that, I can share these notes and to-dos easily across devices and operating systems, and anyone can open them instantly. Sharing is easy. Storage is easy. Backup is easy. It is simply easy.

A friend and coworker has a similar plain text notes method, but his is designed for busy executives. Like mine, he uses symbols and short notes to make tasks immediately actionable. Others are using plain text to create daily planners, journal using plain text, and more.

Like I wrote: technology changes quickly, and a lot of older files are now stuck in formats no one can open anymore. But plain text still works, even decades later. That means your backups are future-proof.

Plain text is a simple choice that saves time, stress, and future headaches. Plain text is clear, dependable, and under my control. My data stays with me, not locked inside someone else’s app.

Simple.