In the last weeks of 2021, I finally found ClickUp, the most suitable project management app for my work. I know I’m going to need this app most in 2022. I’ve been trying to work with it, and so far, I like it.
Featured images by: Bich Tran and Jess Bailey Designs
After reviewing my 2021 work process, I’ve come to the conclusion that I suck at time management—big time. Therefore, my 2022 goals include finding an app that is right for me; visually pleasing, has all the features I need, and is free. The worst-case scenario is that I have to pay a small amount to access the premium features. Okay, maybe not the best for everyone, but the best for me. I should have used the word suitable rather than the best. I wasn’t trying to mislead anyone with the title.
I realised that commencing this journey finding the right app at precisely the end of the year is probably silly and a wee bit late. But I figured it’s something I must do before 2022 starts and let the stupid mistakes repeat.
What Am I looking for exactly?
I’m looking for an app that covers all my needs:
- I need it to input tasks as they come into my inbox, set their due dates, and little details such as client names, duration, accent, etc.
- I also want it to be visually pleasing while not losing its primary functionality and easy to navigate.
- It also needs to have a function to add custom fields for monthly and annual analytic purposes.
Why don’t I use Excel, I hear you say. I did; I still do. But I don’t want my calendar to be on Excel. I only use Excel for raw log data entry in which I calculate everything.
So, I weathered the vast ocean of Google search results and came across hundreds of articles about The Best Time Management Apps for Freelancer or Remote Worker or something along that line. As I read those articles, I knew it would be a long journey. I cast my eyes upon five apps: Asana, Monday, Todoist, Any Do, and Google Calendar. Apart from Google Calendar, which is embedded in my Google account, I signed up for all the other four. I even tried the premium versions of them for a bit.
From all four, Asana seemed to be the one I really liked. But it’s effin’ expensive; for real, expensive. Monday and Todoist didn’t fall into the category of “my liking” simply based on preference. Yes, I’m very picky about this.
And then I found ClickUp.
ClickUp ticks all of my preference boxes, and I’m also happy that it came with dark mode as any apps nowadays. What made me even happier is that this is suitable for solo working and not shoving down “team” mode down my throat every time I add a task.
It’s been a week now I’m using ClickUp, adding in upcoming tasks for January AND February 2022. I must say that I’m satisfied with everything it has to offer. It’s a very straightforward app. Although, I did spend quite some time figuring out how the hierarchy works and which hierarchy model is suitable for my needs.
Now I can add, delete, modify, and monitor my tasks in a visually pleasing way. Best of all: I don’t need to pay for it. Why?
What I need is all covered by the free version of ClickUp. Now, I might want to do some analytical stuff later, but I don’t need to pay for the Unlimited version because I do this stuff with Excel anyway. So, the free version is enough. As of this writing, I am using the desktop version of ClickUp. You can also access your dashboard from the web platform. But I prefer to have it on my desktop.
This is all written from my experience using ClickUp and trying the five other apps. By no means I am saying that it’s suitable for everyone. Depending on the necessities, I would recommend ClickUp for solopreneurs or solo freelancers who aren’t a part of a team. This tool is fantastic; it’s like Google Calendar on steroids.
Although it is relieving that I found a new task management tool, the next challenge would be to stick to it. I can’t wait to tick off the DONE boxes and build up new log data for 2022. I’ll be updating if, in the end, I change my mind about ClickUp. But so far, it’s all good.
