The Tools that Keep Me Running

As a contract worker, one of the perks of the gig is being able to choose my tech stack. There are no corporate restrictions, and I don’t need to run anything up the flagpole. If I like it, if it increases my productivity, and if the Stoic ProjectWorks budget can afford it, I can use it.

This kind of freedom, however, has its drawbacks. Apps and subscriptions are expensive, especially when you start collecting them like they’re comic books. You can also use too many. When that happens, managing your tech stack can become as complicated as trying to remember what streaming service your favorite shows are on: Netflix? Amazon? HBO?

Microsoft? Google? Apple?

When you’re working across multiple projects, simplicity is often the best approach.

I recently reviewed Stoic’s tech stack, and that review led me to ask myself the following: If I had to start over, what apps and subscriptions would I keep?  What tools have been the most helpful?

My answers are below. And please know that none of these shout-outs are sponsored. They don’t come with affiliate links. These are just the tools that regularly show up in my workflow, the ones I would recommend to other contractors. Simply stated, here’s what I’m using, and why.

Apple Macbook Pro

I’ve been on a Mac for as long as I can remember. Why? Macs don’t come pre-loaded with bloatware, and they don’t demand attention for frequent updates. My current Mac, which is more than five years old, just works, consistently, day after day.

Microsoft Office Suite

I don’t have much to say about Office other than it’s ubiquitous. I can’t think of a company I’ve worked with that hasn’t used Word as its primary word processor, Excel as its primary spreadsheet tool, or PowerPoint as its primary presentation tool. Having it available and knowing how to get the most out of it is a must.

ClickUp

ClickUp is my primary project management tool. It can handle small projects or incredibly large ones. Projects with a handful of deliverables or hundreds. I can build dashboards that immediately show project health, assign tasks to myself and others, track schedules, and I can tailor ClickUp to unique project requirements. It’s not perfect, but the views, ease of use, and customization options keep me coming back.

Todoist

ClickUp handles project-level work. Todist is where my personal task list lives. It’s where I keep my to-dos for Stoic and things that don’t belong with a client. The interface is clean, and I can add or check off a task in seconds. It’s just simple.

Otter

I can remember being in meetings where someone had to volunteer to be the “scribe” – the poor individual responsible for taking all the notes – and I’m not sure if I ever saw someone volunteer for it without showing a bit of disgruntlement. I know I wasn’t ever a huge fan: I found myself either fully present in a conversation, at which point I completely forgot to take the notes, or I was busy capturing everything everyone else said while staying on the sidelines as a non-participant.

Otter transcribes meetings in real time, which means I can stay in the conversation instead of furiously scribbling. I use the transcripts to verify action items and key decisions, and I can use the transcript as the basis for meeting minutes. It’s not flawless with names, and if you didn’t pay attention to the conversation, the notes probably won’t capture everything, but it’s accurate enough for me to depend on.

Session + Endel + Portal

These three apps are the least obvious tools in this list, but they work so well together.

Session is a Pomodoro-based focus timer. It starts with a simple concept: Work in focused blocks, take short breaks, repeat. If you struggle with sustained focus, it’s worth a look.

Endel generates personalized soundscapes that support focus and relaxation. Some of the soundscapes are dreamy, and others push to the techno side of things, and I think I’ve listened to the whole gamut. Some days the calming music works, and other days the louder steady rhythms keep me motivated.

Portal is an Apple-specific application that works on Macs, iPads, and iPhones. It delivers scenescapes from gorgeous natural locations around the world. The scenes feature animation and audio, so you can truly immerse yourself in the environment. I work in our basement, so I’ll set up my iPad beneath my monitor and call up an Icelandic fjord. Every once in a while, I’ll peer down at the iPad, and I’ll feel my heart rate slow, and my stress lessen. It’s just nice.

Together, these three apps are a focus dream.

So that’s the Stack

The tools listed above aren’t magic (though the Session + Endel + Portal combination is pretty damn close). They don’t run projects on their own or replace the judgment, communication, and care that I put into my work every day. They do, however, reduce friction, protect focus, and give me more mental bandwidth.

What’s in your stack? I’m always curious what other people are using.