How I Use Workflowy

I’ve mentioned Workflowy in a few posts before, and I finally decided to write about how I actually use it. After years of bouncing between todo apps and note-taking apps (Things, Trello, Notion…), I realized I was splitting my thinking across too many tools. Workflowy changed that, it’s the one place where everything lives.

Why an outliner works for me

Workflowy is an outliner at its core, and that perfectly matches how I think and write. I don’t think in documents or databases, I think in hierarchies and relationships. An outline lets me start broad and drill down into details, or zoom into a single task and see everything connected to it. It’s flexible in a way that feels natural.

But what really sold me was the ability to change views. A single list can be displayed as bullet points, checkboxes, a dashboard, or a kanban board. This means I don’t have to maintain separate systems for different contexts, the same information adapts to what I need in the moment.

My setup

Here’s how I’ve structured everything in Workflowy:

Task management with kanban boards

I run two kanban boards: one for personal tasks, and one for work. Each uses the classic agile-inspired columns Backlog, Focus, and Done.

For work tasks, I don’t just track what needs to get done. Each task links to related folders where I keep context: project documentation, research notes, meeting summaries, and personal evaluations. This makes it easy to jump from a task to all the background information without hunting through files or folders.

I also use Zapier to automatically import assigned Azure DevOps items directly into my work backlog, which saves me from manually syncing between systems.

Work organization

Beyond the kanban board, I maintain separate folders for:

• Projects: Long-term initiatives with their own sub-structures
• Meetings: Notes organized by date and topic (automatically imported from Google Meet via Zapier)
• Work performance: Career goals, feedback, and reflections

Everything connects back to the tasks on my board through links, so context is always one click away.

Reading and bookmarks

I have a dedicated list for website bookmarks that populates automatically via Instapaper and a Zapier integration. Whenever I save something in Instapaper, it shows up in Workflowy. This keeps my reading queue and references in the same place as everything else.

Knowledge repository

One of my favorite sections is my UX knowledge repository. This is where I capture principles, patterns, research findings, and lessons learned. It’s not a formal wiki, just an evolving outline that grows as I learn.

I also keep a folder for inspiration and ideas I find online: design work, interesting approaches, things that make me think differently.

Everything else

A few other folders round out my setup:

• Kids learning: Homeschool curriculum, activities, progress tracking
• Habit tracker: Simple daily checkboxes for things I want to build consistency around
• Meal planner: Weekly menus and grocery lists
• Archive: Completed projects and old notes I might need to reference

One more thing: Siri integration

The Shortcuts integration is a game-changer. I can dictate ideas and thoughts to Siri, and they land directly in Workflowy. Whether I’m driving, walking, or just away from my desk, I can capture things the moment they hit me. It removes all friction from getting thoughts out of my head.

Why it works

The beauty of Workflowy is that it doesn’t force me to think about where something should go or how it should be formatted. Everything is just an outline. I can reorganize, link, zoom in, zoom out, and switch views depending on what I need. It scales from quick task lists to deep knowledge work without feeling bloated or complicated.

If you’re tired of juggling multiple apps and systems, give an outliner a shot. It might just be the simplest productivity system you’ve ever used.

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