Thread by @TomAdams

Here are 10 apps and tools I use every day that help make my life better. As a business owner, executive coach, podcaster, online trainer and more, I have to have great tools to support me.

Rather than just provide a list, I want to share how I use each of them.

#1 @amplenote - This is my daily notes and to-do list app. Everything starts for me here. It is always open on my desktop and easy access to phone app. I start with "jots" each day - basically random daily notes and thoughts. If I need to focus those jots, I'll create a "note."

In jots or notes, it's a simple keystroke to create a "Task" item that can be adjusted to importance, urgency and deadline. This process really fits my daily workflow as the central hub of everything I do. Everything else flows from here.

#2 @coda_hq - I tried Notion but struggled to really love it. It was too techie for me. But when I moved to Coda, it felt more natural for me to work in and a better fit. It's like a document but with powerful automation capabilities built into the back-end.

It's my preferred tool for sharing complex documents with team and clients. I can allow only viewing or can also provide full edit or comment sharing.

#3 @GoodNotesApp - I'm a hack typer, so when I am in meetings, I prefer handwritten notes over typing. So during coaching calls and meetings, all my handwritten notes are written using Apple Pencil in GoodNotes app on my iPad.

This has reduced the sheer volume of paper notebooks dramatically. I have a notebook per client. It has OCR so my handwriting becomes searchable. I can synch to my various computers so I can review my notes before and after calls.

#4 @otter_ai - I'm not quite sure where I would be without this amazing tool. While I find my handwritten notes helpful to process meetings and the big points, the transcript of those meetings is what allows me to review meetings and clarify points.

I can review the transcript with audio playing, so it allows me to review quickly and easily. My Zoom calls get automatically transcribed. One other quick benefit is the AI Summary (still weak), but allows me to quickly find where things were said.

#5 @loom Video Messaging - As noted above, I'm a hack typer. So, typing is a challenge for me. I find I can screenshare and talk infinitely faster than I can type. Since I found Loom, I've become a power user.

I send a ton of Loom videos to my team and clients. I love that it transcribes my audio, and allows me to do simple edits on the video. Even better, I can get video or text responses to my video.

#6 @pocketcasts - I listen to a ton of podcasts and this is by far the best podcast app I've used. Along with the ability to speed up audio, it allows me to choose that by podcast. I can also skip average first number of minutes when ads play.

I also love that it has desktop app that is fully synched with mobile app, so if I sit down at my desk, I can pick up where I left off or go back and review something from earlier.

#7 @readwise - This phone app has the ability to take a photo of the paragraph I want to remember in a book I am reading. Snap the picture, highlight the words, note the page, assign to the book & add to the database. I love that I can DM Twitter threads to it as well.

The really cool thing it does is every so often reminds me of specific quotes or threads as part of a daily reminder of what I've saved - a benefit of repetition. All the quotes and more are in the recently launched Reader app, which allows me to review all the things saved.

#8 @libib - This is my personal library database tool. My physical books are really important to me and this tool helps me know what books I have and where they are.

When I get a new book, it's a quick scan of the barcode and in it goes into the database with all the related information about the book. I've had paid tools before, but this freebie works just as well as them. Thanks @kevin2kelly for recommendation.

#9 @AnyListApp - I love grocery shopping. My family might say I'm a little bit obsessive about it. But I love the challenge of being as efficient as possible in traversing multiple grocery stores. My goal is to make my list follow the exact path I take in the store.

Of all the grocery list apps, AnyList is the only one I've paid for 2 years in a row. Why? It remembers where the item came off the list. When the shopping list is empty and I start a new one, the items returns to the exact same place. And that matters a lot to me.

#10 @Authy - While this one is not sexy, it's my daily use 2-factor authentication tool. I've tried Google and Microsoft's versions, but Authy allows me to have it on multiple devices & have a backup too.

Bonus! @canva - This is the most powerful design tool. I started using it to edit videos last week. What an amazing tool to replace Adobe suite. This one keeps getting better and better.

Hope this list helps.