Review: Ugmonk Analog Starter Kit

Many years ago, I asked my most accomplished, successful friend what his secret to success was. His answer was simple, but it also changed my life. He said, “I make a list of all the stuff I need to do, then I do it.” He happened to use 3x5 index cards for his lists, so I copied the idea.

Over time, I took his simple system and worked it into my life, and decades on, I still start most days by pulling out an index card and working on whatever it says I need to do. At the end of the day, I glance at a longer list of projects (not on an index card) and a list of more strategic goals, along with my calendar, and decide what to put on the index card for tomorrow.

I talked about this system in our Best Paper Planners guide, and a WIRED reader emailed me to ask whether I had ever heard of Analog, an index-card-based system similar to mine (but better looking). I contacted Jeff Sheldon, founder of Ugmonk, the company that makes Analog, and he sent over an Analog Starter Kit. I’ve been using Analog for a couple of months now, and I’m happy to say it’s an excellent way to organize your day and get things done. It’s simple, elegant, beautifully made, and, well, analog. I wouldn’t say it replaced my decades-old system, but it sure makes it look a whole lot nicer.

Getting Things Done

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

There’s a slogan on the Analog site that reads, “Analog doesn’t replace your digital tools, it works alongside them by helping you focus.” I think that’s important to keep in mind. While I use and have almost always used a paper-based system, you don’t have to go completely paper-based to get something out of Analog. And really, even I don’t. I keep track of appointments on a digital calendar.

Still, when planning my days and making lists of what I want to accomplish now, I have always been a fan of paper. The tactile, mechanical process of writing things down etches them in my brain in ways that nothing screen-based ever does. That’s where Analog comes in.

Analog consists of a cleverly designed, beautifully made wooden box (available in either walnut or maple), custom-printed cards, and a metal divider/lid that keeps everything tidy. It’s designed to sit on your desk, show you what you need to do, and look good doing it.

There are three card colors: white cards for what you need to do today, cream-colored cards for items you won't get to until later, and darker cards for those someday/maybe tasks you haven't committed to doing but are interested in. The cards are 100-pound smooth, uncoated paper that’s sturdy enough to stand up in the provided slot so you can see your tasks for the day at a glance. The back of all the cards have a very faint dot grid pattern printed onto them, which makes them handy for jotting notes.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

It helps if you’re familiar with David Allen’s method of organization when you start using Analog. It’s not necessary, and not everything in David Allen’s Getting Things Done can be done with Analog, but if you are familiar with Allen’s concepts like next-action lists and someday/maybe lists, you’ll hit the ground running. If not, don’t worry: Several videos on the Analog site explain how the system works, and how you can use it to get things done.

Over time, you can bend Analog to work like you do. After experimenting for a while, I turned it into what I needed. A few years ago I started time-blocking my days, which Analog doesn’t cover, but I’ve put my time block schedules on the back of my daily cards. If I wanted to get fancier with my time block scheduling, there is the Analog Weekly kit, which has a preprinted card that would allow me to plot my entire week on similarly high-quality paper, with a matching wood holder. As nice as the weekly kit is, I found it quite convenient to have my schedule on my daily card.

The Analog Starter Kit I tested includes three Analog card packs, each of which includes 50 index cards (35 Today cards, 10 Next cards, and 5 Someday cards). If you subscribe, you can get refill three-packs for $30 sent out every three months. Otherwise, you can buy refill three-packs for $39.

You can also use plain index cards if you like. However, good quality and heavy index cards aren’t much cheaper than buying the refill from Analog. I keep a good stock of nice index cards around for note-taking, and I used those in the Analog holder without issue. That said, I plan on buying refills because I like the rounded corners and dot grid backs of Analog's cards.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

This gets to the heart of what makes Analog great: It’s a highly ceremonial way of organizing something very ordinary. Do you need Analog? No. You can get index cards at a fraction of the price and accomplish the same thing. Will you, though? Maybe. I did years ago. Would I today if the habit weren’t already ingrained? I’m not sure.

I might try some apps and disappear into the rabbit hole of productivity suggestions online. I might reread David Allen's books and try to program a completely custom system that’s perfect and then never use it (guilty). Sure, there are other ways of tracking what you need to do, but Analog is elegant and doesn’t involve looking at your phone, which is always a time suck.

Analog works because of its ceremonial aspect. It sits there, looking good on your desk, with an inviting quality that says, “Hey, you should use me.” Because what jumped out at you when I told the story of my friend? If you’re like me, it was the bit about index cards. But you know which part matters? The part where he said, “Then I do it.” All the lists in the world will do you no good if you don’t do the things on them. If creating a ceremony around that process helps you to get those things done, then by all means do it, and spare no expense.

Analog is confident enough in its system that you can get a pack of cards for free; you just have to pay the shipping. Try it. If it works, the full Analog system is worth every penny.