Roam is the first note taking tool I might use forever

 / 

Confession time. I’m a toolaholic. I get sucked in by their promises to change my life and solve all my problems.

But let’s be honest. No tool magically makes us less lazy or more focused. Our biggest productivity challenges are inside our heads.

That’s why I’m starting to fall in love with Roam. It feels like the note taking tool that will get better the longer I stick with it.

I mostly write about work life and leadership. But I occasionally indulge my inner geek and dive into something a bit more technical. Today is that kind of day.

I’ve tried millions of productivity tools. From task management to note taking and beyond. They all promise to change your life and have something that lures you in.

But let’s be honest. Eventually we realize no tool magically makes us less lazy or more focused. Most tools are just fine. Our biggest productivity challenges are inside our heads.

That doesn’t mean all tools are equal. I’ve definitely discovered some gems. In fact, about a month ago I started using something that’s very different from anything I’ve used before.

It’s a web based tool called Roam. The sales pitch is that it’s the note-taking tool for networked thought that will help you stay organized for the long haul.

roamresearch.com

It’s got one game changing feature. Say I have a page for a project. Now say I mention it in the notes I make in a meeting. Roam let’s me link to the project from the meeting notes! And it’s bi-directional. So it also links from the project to every meeting where I mentioned it.

I won’t lie, Roam has a steep learning curve and it’s not for everyone. But I guess you won’t know unless you try.