Like many people who rely on their phones to stay organized, I typically jot down ideas using a mix of apps. I use Obsidian for structured notes, TickTick for tasks, and a notebook for journaling.
However, I wanted to see what would happen if I stepped away from the keyboard and relied solely on voice notes on my phone to capture ideas, tasks, and thoughts for a week.
I still had to type for deadlines, but whenever inspiration struck, or I needed to work something out mentally, I reached for my voice recorder instead of opening a notes app or doc.
Here’s how that experiment went.
Why I decided to make voice notes
An experiment in capturing my thoughts
All my notes, drafts, and outlines start as text. But I noticed that I was capturing fewer offhand ideas throughout the day.
I’d think of something while walking or making coffee, but I’d forget about it by the time I got back to my desk.
I’d also get stuck trying to write things perfectly the first time, editing as I typed, which made some creative tasks feel more complicated than they needed to be.
That’s when I wondered: What if I made voice notes instead?
The idea wasn’t to replace writing altogether, but to test whether speaking ideas aloud could help me think more fluidly and capture fleeting thoughts faster.
Maybe I’d even get out of my head a bit.
It felt awkward at first, but I figured I’d give it a week and see what came of it.
How my voice recording setup looks
Simple tools to capture my voice notes
Before the experiment began, I chose two tools: Easy Voice recorder for voice memos and Otter.ai for longer recordings and meetings.
Otter.ai syncs to the cloud, transcribes in real time, and lets you search through past recordings.
To keep track of my voice notes, I organized them into folders.
I also pinned the Easy Voice Recorder and Otter widgets to my home screen, making it more convenient to start a recording.
Every time I reached for my phone to write something down, I tapped the widget and spoke instead.
What made voice notes sustainable for me was using the Otter.ai app. The automatic transcription meant I had searchable text.
I used highlights to mark important phrases and added comments to elaborate on points for future writing.
Having my voice notes in a readable, editable format made them feel like a natural part of my workflow.
The early discomfort of switching from typing to talking
Recording voice notes felt awkward initially
Talking out loud to myself didn’t come naturally. Even in private, I found myself hesitating and softening my voice as if I were dictating to a stranger.
I stammered, rambled, and second-guessed whether what I was saying was even worth recording.
However, by the end of the day, I found myself getting more comfortable recording my voice. I captured fleeting ideas that I might have ignored if I’d had to type them.
Talking it out is faster than typing
But organizing voice notes is a pain
In theory, recording a voice note is the fastest way to capture an idea.
I did not have to find the correct folder or type anything. I just opened my voice recorder, tapped the mic icon, and started talking.
In practice, it felt like a time-saver, at least when recording. I expressed my thoughts in greater detail without trying to condense them.
The convenience of voice notes allowed me to record ideas that I might have otherwise overlooked.
However, that speed came at a cost. Voice was fast now, but slower later, especially when it came to reviewing and organizing.
The disadvantages of voice notes
Voice anxiety is real
The limitations of voice notes became clearer toward the end of the week.
In calm and private environments, voice notes are a great way to capture your thoughts. But in a crowded café, walking through traffic, or in a meeting? Not so much.
I found myself reverting to mental notes or writing things down on paper when I was in public.
There was also the issue of search. While reviewing my transcripts was helpful, skimming through voice notes is far slower than reading a bulleted list.
Voice is also not ideal for precision. I was unable to highlight key ideas or quickly rephrase a sentence.
I also cannot share a note with a collaborator without first editing the transcript into readable text.
Where voice notes really shine
My ideas had more context
After I got past the initial awkwardness of speaking my thoughts aloud, I began to see where voice notes excel.
There is something freeing about pressing the record button and talking through an idea without worrying about sentence structure, grammar, or punctuation.
I could capture raw thoughts in real time, while walking, reading, or even pacing around the room.
Voice notes were also excellent for brainstorming and outlining. Instead of agonizing over the perfect opening line or structure, I just said what I was thinking. That meant I captured more ideas before they slipped away.
It was also beneficial for logging fleeting insights. Voice was the perfect tool for non-linear thinking, since I was not stuck trying to format thoughts or arrange them immediately.
What I learned from a week of speaking my thoughts aloud
Using voice notes for a week made me more aware of my thought process. Speaking my thoughts aloud helped me process ideas more fluidly, especially in the early stages when clarity isn’t the goal.
I also rediscovered how beneficial tone, pace, and inflection can be for understanding what matters to you.
However, voice notes alone don’t cut it as a system for long-term organization. I still rely on writing for structure and polish.
Now, voice is a regular part of my idea-capturing toolkit, especially when I need to get unstuck or think things through without the pressure of a blank page. But when I’m back at a keyboard, I copy the transcripts into Obsidian or TickTick.
