apps i ACTUALLY use to be productive as med student & content creator 2024

A dental student and content creator lays out a practical, four-part productivity setup—tracking, planning, projects, and studying—built from a long trial-and-error process across “hundreds” of apps. The core takeaway is less about chasing the newest tools and more about using a small set of apps that work reliably across daily routines, workouts, money management, and school deadlines.

For tracking, the system prioritizes habit, health, and finances. In fitness, Heavy stands out as the workout tracker: ad-free, simple to use, and capable of logging routines, reps, and weight for progressive overload—so well that the creator stopped looking for alternatives. For running, Strava is positioned as the go-to option, combining easy timer-based tracking with route visualization after each run, plus access to many pre-made routes in local areas. Money tracking is handled by Money Manager, chosen specifically for offline use and spreadsheet export when needed, avoiding more complex apps that require live connections to banking or investing platforms.

Planning centers on an all-in-one calendar-and-task workflow anchored by Akiflow. The setup integrates with Google Calendar and other tools (including Notion, Google Calendar, TickTick, and Microsoft To Do) so tasks can be tagged, prioritized using an Eisenhower Matrix inside the calendar, and dragged onto the schedule. Akiflow also supports goal setting and a “weekly ritual” approach—planning the week instead of only the next day—then rating how the day went at the end. Google Calendar remains in the mix for event tracking that the creator prefers to manage directly, such as birthdays, with a deliberate choice to store meaningful people rather than rely on Facebook notifications.

For projects and organization, Notion is described as the “second brain” that ties the system together. It’s used for university tracking and for building templates, with the creator emphasizing how quickly it becomes intuitive once the initial learning curve is passed. For visual planning, Milanote is treated as a complementary tool: more enjoyable than strictly functional, useful for mood boards and branding-style goal visualization, even if it doesn’t replace the broader planning steps required to actually finish projects.

Overall, the setup reflects a clear philosophy: pick tools that reduce friction (offline access, simple UI, integrations), then structure work around repeatable categories—habits, deadlines, project organization, and visual planning—so productivity doesn’t depend on constantly switching apps.