Hey Paperliker,
Vacations are over, routines are back, and if your January goals feel a little dusty, you’re not alone. 🫣
September is a great time to check in, swap out the ones that no longer fit, and refocus on what still matters. Staying motivated shouldn’t feel like homework; it should feel good.
Let’s make sure it does.
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App-ventures in notetaking: What’s new and noteworthy
Notetaking apps never sit still for long, and honestly, that’s part of the fun. Every month, there’s something new to explore, whether it’s a fresh feature, a redesign, or a whole new way to use your favorite tools.
Here’s what caught our eye this month:
- Nebo is now MyScript Notes. Nebo got a rebrand! It’s now called MyScript Notes, which ties it to MyScript’s other apps, like MyScript Math. If you’ve unlocked the full version, you’ll love this update: it now works across all your devices and platforms when you sign in with your MyScript account. One purchase, endless flexibility.
- Goodnotes Deep Dive. Goodnotes shared a behind-the-scenes look at how they’re building AI into the app. Their goal? Not just an assistant, but a true collaborator that helps you brainstorm, draft, and refine. Worth reading into if you’re curious about where notetaking is headed.
- Notability News. Notability just launched its own cloud service! Now you can sync your notes more easily and keep everything in one place, no matter which device you’re using. Plus, they’ve got some new features to enhance your notes. Read about them on Notability's blog.
- MarginNote 4 Updates. MarginNote 4 rolled out a few powerful upgrades:
- A smoother pop-up menu allows you to add, sort, and delete tool favorites faster.
- Enhanced custom highlight colors with numeric codes, making filtering and consistency easier across devices.
No matter which app you’re using, it’s exciting to see how these tools keep evolving. More ways to organize, create, and collaborate are always a win for notetakers like us.
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This month: Staying motivated shouldn’t be a chore
It’s one thing to set goals when you’re feeling fresh and optimistic. It’s another to keep chasing them after summer break, when life piles back up and your motivation runs thin.
Here are a few reads to help you reset and keep moving forward in a way that feels fun, not forced:
The takeaway? Motivation isn’t about pushing harder; it’s about making the process lighter. Check in with your goals, adjust what doesn’t fit, and remind yourself that progress counts more than perfection.
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Image: Todoist on the Apple App Store. |
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Lindsay’s productivity spotlight: Todoist
Last year, I dove headfirst into testing out different productivity methods. And honestly? I think I’ve tried them all, or at least all the most popular ones.
This year, I’m shifting gears. Instead of focusing on methods, I’ll explore the tools, apps, and software that can help boost productivity. The best part? I’ll tie them back to the methods we tested last year to show how they can work together.
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About Todoist
When I tried SMART goals last year, I loved how they gave me clarity and structure. While writing them out on paper was helpful, I struggled to actually keep them front and center in my daily routine. That’s why I wanted to revisit them this year using Todoist.
Todoist is a task management app built to help you organize projects, track progress, and stay accountable. You can create tasks, add due dates, set priorities, and break big goals into smaller steps. It also syncs across devices, so your goals are always with you.
The concept: Turn SMART goals into actionable tasks I can track and complete.
The goal: Use Todoist to keep my goals visible, measurable, and achievable, without losing momentum.
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My Todoist project for novel writing: chapter drafts, outlines, and revisions all broken into manageable steps. (Todoist / Screenshot by Lindsay Armstrong / Paperlike) |
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Todoist made my goals SMARTer
This time around, I put Todoist to work on one of my biggest long-term goals: finishing my novel. Writing a book is the definition of overwhelming if you look at it as one giant task. 🫠
So I broke it down into SMART pieces.
First up, Specific. Instead of “work on my novel,” I set a clear target: “Write 1 chapter draft each week.”
For Measurable, I broke it down into subtasks. Every chapter had smaller checkpoints — outline, first draft, and revisions. Watching the checkmarks pile up gave me the same little dopamine rush as crossing things off a paper list.
Achievable meant keeping the pace realistic. A whole book in a month? Not happening. One chapter a week? Doable. Todoist’s recurring task feature made it easy to reset each Monday, so I always had a fresh start.
For Relevant, I tied the goal back to my bigger picture: building consistent writing habits. I used priority flags to make sure “novel draft” didn’t get buried under admin tasks or email replies.
And of course, Time-bound. Deadlines were the real game-changer. Setting end-of-week due dates for each chapter draft kept the pressure on just enough to keep me moving forward.
I’ll admit, there were challenges, like when overdue tasks turned the whole project a little red when I fell behind, and I had to resist the urge to over-plan every tiny step instead of actually writing.
But the wins outweighed the struggles: recurring reminders kept me consistent, and the satisfaction of checking off each milestone made the whole process feel more manageable.
The result? Todoist turned a big, scary creative project into a series of manageable wins. I wasn’t just “working on a novel” anymore. I was hitting concrete milestones, one chapter at a time.
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ICYMI: Fresh starts & sneak peeks
If you missed it, here’s what we’ve been up to lately:
Something new is coming…
We can’t give away too much yet, but trust us, it’s worth the wait. 👀
Back-to-school, Paperlike style.It’s that season again. Even if you’re not the one cracking open textbooks, chances are someone in your life is. Our 10 Ways to Study: a Paperlike Guide to Learning Anything is packed with strategies for learning smarter, not harder. It’s a handy resource to share with students in your orbit, and you might even find a few tricks worth trying yourself. Grab our ebook for free as an EPUB or PDF.
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That’s a wrap!
Thanks for hanging out with us for another issue. We hope these tools, tips, and tricks spark some fresh motivation and help you keep your goals fun and doable.
Until next time!
Lindsay
Productivity & Notetaking Writer
Paperlike |
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