We all know the little yellow papers that stick to things and tend to cluster around our monitors. The Sticky must be one of the most clever inventions of our times.

We carry a powerful computer in our pockets. Access to knowledge has never been easier. I also think of my phone – as I am sure many people do – as a note-taking device. To me, there are three sticky notes levels, short term, medium term, long term. I use three apps to help me stay organized. (I am not affiliated with any of them.)

Simply Sticky: light weight, no frills, app. It works as a widget. I use it for daily tasks and things I need to remember for a few days. The beauty of this app is that your notes have a limited screen space and they cannot be saved. This forces me to clear the tasks asap to make room for other tasks.

Google Keep: short-term notes. Thoughts can be stored categorically and organized in groups. I use this for grocery lists, book reviews which then go to my permanent storage location, anything that needs collaboration as notes can be shared, etc. This is a medium-term storage and notes get deleted when they are filed.

OneNote: my projects, lessons I learnt, daily journals, advanced notes, goals, long term goals, things that need to be tracked, and basically anything that does not fall in the above two, will end up here.

Why three apps and not just one? The three act as independent idea environments. The act of moving the idea through the stages helps evolve and solidify it.

I must mention that nothing will replace old fashioned pen/paper. All ideas start here. The apps just complement this and make it easier to stay organized.

Hope this helps others. Feedback and suggestions are welcome.