Motion: Daily Planner Management | Full Review (2022)

Introduction

Welcome back to the Keep Productive blog! Today, we’re diving deep into Motion, a to-do list-style calendar application that is revolutionizing task management. Dubbed a sort of “superhuman” for organizing tasks, Motion has garnered attention for its sophisticated approach to daily planning. In this review, we’ll explore the core features, pricing, and my initial impressions as I use it.

Overview

Motion positions itself as an alternative to traditional to-do list applications, suggesting that these conventional tools are losing their effectiveness. Instead, Motion offers a more interactive and intuitive planner experience, designed to guide you through your day with a structured approach to managing both tasks and calendar events.

Developed as a project backed by Y Combinator, Motion has been in operation for about two years. It is regarded as one of the pricier options in the task management space. In this review, I’ll walk you through using the application, highlighting its main features and functionalities.

To start with, Motion’s three core features include:

• Calendar: A visual representation of your schedule.
• Tasks: A dynamic to-do list that interacts with your calendar.
• Assistant: A smart helper for scheduling tasks and meetings.

Getting Started with Motion

Upon entering the application, users are greeted with a clean and straightforward landing page. This displays upcoming calendar events and scheduled tasks—once they’re added. The dashboard adopts a unique task allocation system, optimizing your schedule based on the tasks at hand and available time throughout the day.

Motion employs intelligent task calendar capabilities. When adding a task and an event scheduled at the same time, the application attempts to realign your tasks dynamically based on your availability. For example, when you input a task that overlaps with an existing event, the application nudges it to a more suitable time, which is a feature that stands out in comparison to traditional to-do list applications.

Calendar Features

The calendar interface allows for a variety of views, including daily and weekly agendas. By simply dragging tasks onto the calendar, users can create events as needed. This intuitive design facilitates swift task assignment and scheduling.

One notable aspect is the time-chunking feature, which divides larger tasks into manageable 45-minute segments. This aids in preventing overwhelm and ensures you can keep your tasks progressing without losing focus. Additionally, users can assign priority levels to tasks, ranging from urgent (ASAP) to deferred (“someday”), enabling a tailored approach to task completion.

Task Management

The task management experience in Motion is robust, providing various organizational views. You can categorize tasks by urgency, past due status, or upcoming deadlines. The drag-and-drop functionality allows users to efficiently reschedule and allocate tasks into projects.

Moreover, the project management feature—including a backlog option—provides an organized approach to handling ongoing projects, which enhances overall productivity. Recurring tasks can be set up easily, helping build habits without overloading the user.

Booking Assistant

Motion also boasts a scheduling tool allowing users to arrange meetings seamlessly. This feature syncs with Google Calendar, displaying available slots based on your existing commitments, greatly simplifying the process of finding mutual meeting times. Flexible meetings can adapt according to both your schedule and your team’s availability.

The focus time option further enhances productivity by allowing the user to set aside specific blocks in their calendar dedicated solely to project work.

Pricing Structure

Pricing is a key consideration when choosing Motion. The application offers a pro plan priced at $ 19 per month when billed annually. This breaks down to approximately $ 13 in the UK (roughly £156 per year). A monthly billing cycle is also available, priced at $ 23, leading to a total annual cost exceeding $ 270—a considerable investment compared to the lower monthly rate.

Watching for free trial days is recommended as Motion only offers a limited five-day trial—it’s shorter than the typical fourteen-day trials seen with other applications. Though this may be seen as a drawback, it’s certainly enough time to evaluate usability.

Conclusion

Overall, Motion is a promising application in the realm of daily planners. Its blend of task management, calendar integration, and automation makes it a practical choice for those in need of structured planning. While some initial bugs and performance issues have been noted, particularly on the Safari version, it demonstrates significant potential, especially when used in its optimized Chrome version.

As I continue to use the application over the next week, I will provide further insights and a comprehensive review of my personal experiences.

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Keywords

• Motion
• Task Management
• Calendar Integration
• Daily Planner
• Pricing
• Y Combinator
• Task Allocation
• Focus Time
• Meeting Scheduler

FAQ

1. What is Motion?
Motion is a to-do list-style calendar application designed to manage daily tasks efficiently while integrating seamlessly with your calendar.

2. How much does Motion cost?
Motion's pro plan is priced at $ 19 per month when billed annually, and $ 23 for monthly billing options.

3. Is there a free trial available?
Yes, Motion offers a five-day free trial for new users, allowing them to explore its features before committing to a paid plan.

4. What are the main features of Motion?
The main features include a calendar view, task management system, split task option, priority assignment, and a booking assistant for scheduling meetings.

5. Does Motion work better on certain browsers?
Initial impressions suggest that Motion works optimally with the Chrome browser, and users on Safari may encounter minor performance issues.