I have tried numerous productivity and planning tools over the years. They have great features and benefits, but I expect them to do better when it comes to personalization. That’s the first shortcoming I noticed in the popular choices. On a bigger scale, these commercial productivity tools have many other downsides. They collect data that might be used to exploit or make a profit from you. Many features are only available if you are willing to pay more, and the apps can sometimes be difficult to customize.
After trying a few alternatives, I found a free and easy-to-host option dubbed Perfice. After using it for a short while, it’s become one of the best decisions I have made about tracking what contributes to better productivity in various aspects of my life.
Perfice, a free tool for better productivity
The goal tracker that works
Perfice is an easy-to-use tool that simplifies productivity without making you feel like someone is trying to make huge profits off your data. With other popular tools, you can often experience that feeling through over-complicated features (which require much help to understand), notifications to subscribe to paid plans, or too many details that don’t serve you.
My favorite part of Perfice.dev is the ability to set multiple goals at a time. Then, over time, you can compare the relationships between one goal and the other. Let’s say you create a goal of going to bed early and another of exercising before bed. You can track the relationship between these two inside the tool. For instance, does your mood become better when you wake up in the morning? Does your day become more productive as a result? Perfice makes you understand these connections.
How Perfice improved my workflow and focus
The right tool at the right time
As my priorities expanded, I found I needed to track multiple areas of my life more intentionally. While other tools were available, what they offered didn’t match up with monitoring those areas of my life. That’s why Perfice stands out for me.
Its trackable feature allows me to split my goals into lifestyle, general, and mental categories. I input my plans for each and even created subcategories for three months. You know that feeling when you envision where you want to be, but you can’t understand why you didn’t get it. With this feature, I can review the trackables and identify the parts I filled in and the ones I didn’t. All I need to do for the next couple of months is work on the part I didn’t fill out in the previous month. It’s even better because, with the same app, I can write my report in the form of a journal. I loved the experience so much. This has greatly improved my productivity, and I now have a clearer sense of direction about what I can do and achieve.
Setting things up for tracking
How Perfice works
The homepage is where your productivity experience begins. There are Android and desktop versions, which is nice because most self-hosted tools often miss a mobile option. You can explore the tools on the homepage by clicking on any icon or button. Explore each of them to gain a sense of what it can do. After that, focus on the left-side bar. There are two setting buttons; scroll down to the one at the bottom left and click the last button in that section. It displays a new prompt that asks you to log in or sign up. Now you’re on your journey toward productivity.
You can start with any features, but Goal is a good place to start. Click on the icon that looks like a round target, the fourth icon on the left green bar. You will see suggested templates that you can use, and you can click the ‘Create New’ button on the right side.
The other features are great, too. In fact, I took a note immediately and started using it to see how it felt to take notes. Now I can quickly reach for the tool and put down a line or two about things I want to work on or build later.
The bigger advantage is the simplification of setting goals and taking notes. The user experience is significantly better than many popular productivity tools I have tried. But at first, the whole tool and pages might look too simplistic. I thought so at first, but after using the tracking for a while, it made more sense.
Perfice might not serve your team
If you need a tool that can be used across a team, Perfice might not serve you well. The tool is meant for personal goal tracking and productivity. It’s your go-to tool when you wake up in the morning and want to track what you want to achieve for the day. If you aim to build better habits and take control of your daily routine, Perfice could be the right tool for you.