Pick a tool, and stick with it
Stop chasing the perfect tool—embrace the one that works well enough, use it for long enough, and focus on mastering it
People seem to be constantly looking for the "perfect" tool. But they're just looking for an illusion. The perfect tool doesn't exist. Let's discuss this a bit further, and let me share a few pieces of advice.
Why the search for the ultimate tool is vain
Technology is transient. The only constant is change. Technology evolves, and tools follow along. What was great yesterday will often be replaced tomorrow. With every new technology wave, there's an almost endless number of tools to choose from. Each of those waves is accompanied by a hype cycle and a technology adoption life cycle:
First, the innovators, invest time into the new thing, long before it even gets validated by the market and reaches maturity. They're always on the lookout for the new and shiny. They don't mind the flaws and shortcomings.
Some of them tell their friends or audiences, and help the technology and associated tools gain in popularity.
Then, additional early adopters join in. They sense the potential before most people. By doing so, they get a chance to become experts before the majority even joins. Usually, they're also technology enthusiasts. Some of them tell their friends, generate the hype, and more and more people get convinced to adopt the technology.
At some point, the majority of people join. By that time, the technology has gained in maturity, which is a must, because the majority is risk-averse, and is much less patient.
And so it goes, reaching more and more people.
It's important to realize that those waves just never stop. There will always be something new and shiny. And the ideal solution of today will most certainly be replaced in a short period of time. This is true in most markets.
It only makes sense to keep looking at new technology and tools if:
- you're really in pain, lacking a real solution to your needs
- you're a technology enthusiast, looking to stay up to date, and willing to leverage newly created opportunities
- you just want to have fun
If you don't recognize yourself in that list, then you're just wasting your time if you keep testing or switching to new tools and technology. And it doesn't make much sense.
Which tool should I use?
When you're getting started with something new, just don't overthink your choice. Take an hour of your time, list your MUST HAVE list of features, do some research, list five tools that seem to be popular in the market, quickly compare those, and pick one.
Don't spend hours or days to make that choice, it's totally useless, and will lead you nowhere. Just accept the fact that whatever you choose will have flaws.
I created a free database containing hundreds of Knowledge Management tools, but I wouldn't recommend anyone to try all of those. It's just a waste of time. When people ask me, I just recommend Obsidian, the tool I have chosen, and have used for the past years. How did I pick it? After giving a try to 3 tools, no more, no less. It checked the boxes I cared about, and I gave it enough time.
The real key is using the tool you pick for long enough to be confident enough about it. If you use something for 20 minutes, you should quickly get a sense of what it can do for you, and that's enough.
One more point to consider, is vendor lock-in. Often, market leaders lock you in. Once you're using their tools and platforms, it's not easy to switch. You're free to do so, but it'll cost you. I strongly recommend avoiding vendor lock-in whenever possible. That's one of the reasons why I chose to use Obsidian, even though it's not open source. It stores files locally, and uses a open data format. In practice, this means that I can use other tools with my data. In the future, I hope that more tools will work this way, keeping app and data separate enough, putting more power in the hands of the users. I mention knowledge management tools because that's what I focus on here, but it applies to all (digital) tools.
When should I switch to a different tool?
Once you've picked a tool, you need to stick with it for long enough. For me, that's at least a month. When you do that, you'll surely feel friction, pain points, flaws, and shortcomings. And that's fine too.
What matters is understanding how those impact you. If you realize that it kills your productivity or really does not match your needs, then you can reassess your choice. Oftentimes though, you'll realize that you can work around the limitations. And those workarounds may be "good enough".
Moreover, by spending enough time with one tool, you'll get to learn more about it. I won't say "master it" right away, but you'll gain enough experience with it to know if you're against a wall, or just facing small hindrances.
Also, remember what I said about technology waves. Chances are that the tool you are using will keep improving. Maybe the friction you feel today and that pushes you to consider switching will disappear tomorrow, when the product evolves.
If you're in front of a wall that you can't get over, then it may be reasonable to spend some time with the next tool on your list (notice that I didn't mention looking at the new ones that may be all the rage now).
Then, you need to repeat the process, until you finally find one that works well enough for you.
But in any case, think twice before you decide to switch, and do consider the cost of switching. Your time is your most valuable asset.
If nothing works for me, what should I do?
If you reach the end of your short list and realize it's still not working for you, then you need to reassess your wish list, and/or your expectations. Maybe you're just looking for the silver bullet. If so, you should stop. Everything is flawed in some way. Also, you might need to rethink your approach. Maybe the problem is not the tool, but the way you use it, or your own way of working.
The tool is rarely the real problem: Problem Exists Between Computer and Chair (PEBCAC)
That's where reaching out to experts, and asking for help makes sense. I've been coaching people to better use knowledge management tools for quite some time. And many times, I've faced people who found the right tools, but failed to use those properly. Sometimes because of preconceived ideas, lack of experience, or bad choices. With my help, most have made the changes and progress they were after. Yes they had to pay, but they actually saved money, because without that guidance, they could've continued to waste their precious time for a lot longer. So, if you're stuck and don't know how to make progress, then consider hiring an expert.
The other, sometimes complementary approach, is to buy a solution to your problem. Consider that others have or are facing the same issues as you, and that solutions might exist out there. When I created the Obsidian Starter Kit based on my own approach, there wasn't much out there, but I knew that others would want/need it, because I needed it myself. Now, hundreds of people are happily using the system I've built, and spend their time on what really matters: getting value out of the tool, instead of fiddling with the system itself!
Conclusion
In this short article, I wanted to help you rethink your approach to choosing tools. If you recognize yourself, then you're not alone.
There are countless people wasting their time looking for the silver bullet. Don't be one of them! Just pick a tool, and stick with it for long enough.
Aside another point I've made a while ago: use fewer tools.
