What is Motion?
In physics, motion is defined as the change in position of an object over time relative to a reference point. It’s a fundamental concept that underpins our understanding of the universe, from the movement of planets to the flow of liquids to the vibrations of atoms.
Motion is a comprehensive, AI-powered task management and calendar tool that allows users to optimize their day. Motion’s AI will automatically schedule tasks based on priority and time available on your calendar, as well as automatically reschedule tasks as your daily commitments change. Both individual and team plans are available on a monthly or annual basis and all plans come with a seven-day free trial.
Motion uses AI-technology to help with time and task management, helping you get more things done without the headache. Motion states, “Our features are built to simplify the goal-setting process, making every step more intuitive and actionable. With progress tracking, direct communication channels, schedule optimization, and recurring tasks, your team can stay aligned, motivated, and always on track to meeting its objectives.”1
The AI within Motion acts as a personal assistant for users with ADHD. Your AI assistant customizes task management by prioritizing and scheduling tasks while tailoring recommendations to individual patterns and behaviors. Like most AI-tools, the more often it is used, the more customized and personalized it becomes. This is particularly helpful for individuals with ADHD as structure can be hard to create independently, and AI helps optimize your schedule and provide personalized task management strategies.
Motion requires you to complete the initial setup through a web browser but does have mobile, tablet, and desktop versions available. The mobile and tablet versions are only good for seeing your daily calendar and making quick tasks; otherwise, there are many limitations when comparing their desktop app’s features to their mobile and tablet versions.
Motion supports individuals with ADHD by addressing challenges related to time blindness and executive function. Motion helps users manage their time by creating structured schedules and assists in task prioritization. It also encourages goal setting and progress tracking to break down long-term objectives into manageable steps. Motion really helps to alleviate the pressure of task prioritization and rearranging when plans change throughout a day or week.
How much does Motion Cost?
Motion costs range from $34-$20 monthly or $144-$228 annually, depending on if you sign up as an individual or a team. All plans come with a seven-day free trial.
The “cost” of motion depends on what you’re referring to by “motion.” Here are two possibilities:
1. Motion App:
If you’re asking about the “Motion” app, a productivity platform with AI-powered features like auto-scheduling and project management, then the cost varies depending on the plan you choose:
- Individual: $19 per month billed annually ($228 per year), or $34 billed monthly.
- Team: $12 per user per month billed annually ($144 per year), or $20 billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for custom pricing for teams with 100+ users.
There is also a free 7-day trial available.
2. Physical Motion:
If you’re asking about the cost of physical motion in a more general sense, like the energy expended while exercising or running, then it’s difficult to quantify with a single price tag. The “cost” in this case is more about the effort and resources your body uses, which can vary depending on factors like:
- Type of activity: High-intensity exercise burns more calories and uses more energy than low-intensity activities.
- Duration and intensity: The longer and more intense the activity, the more energy it will require.
- Individual factors: Your age, fitness level, and metabolism all play a role in how much energy your body will use for a given activity.
For example, running a marathon will significantly “cost” your body more in terms of energy expenditure compared to taking a leisurely walk.
How to Sign Up for Motion
There are two possibilities for what you might mean by “Motion” when you ask about signing up:
- Motion App: If you’re interested in signing up for the Motion productivity app, here’s how:
- Visit the Motion website: https://www.usemotion.com/
- Click on the “Sign Up” button in the top right corner.
- Choose the plan that best suits your needs:
- Individual: $19 per month billed annually ($228 per year), or $34 billed monthly. Ideal for solo users.
- Team: $12 per user per month billed annually ($144 per year), or $20 billed monthly. Good for small teams and groups.
- Enterprise: Contact sales for custom pricing for teams with 100+ users. For larger organizations.
- Enter your email address and create a password.
- Fill out the rest of the registration form with your personal information.
- Click on the “Create Account” button.
- You will receive a confirmation email. Click on the link in the email to verify your account.
- You can now download the Motion app and start using it!
- Motion Capture Services: If you’re interested in signing up for motion capture services from a company like DeepMotion, the process will vary depending on the specific company and service you choose. However, some general steps may include:
- Visit the company’s website and browse their motion capture services.
- Choose the service that best meets your needs. Some companies offer different levels of service, such as basic markerless motion capture, advanced suit-based capture, and facial capture.
- Contact the company to inquire about pricing and availability.
- Once you have chosen a service, you will likely need to create an account on the company’s website.
- You may need to provide some additional information, such as your project details and budget.
- Once the company has approved your request, you will be able to schedule your motion capture session.
Motion’s Key Features & Detailed
Motion’s key features are automated functions for daily planning, task prioritization and rescheduling, and deadline reminders. Motion is a great tool to help combine your calendar, project management, and booking tools into one tool.
- AI-driven task management: Motion employs advanced AI technologies to automatically update your tasks and calendar based on your work progress. It also allows you to set parameters for your tasks, making it easier to manage your work and meetings.
- Contextual task capturing: The app provides more context to each task, enabling you to prioritize tasks more effectively.
- Calendar integration and automatic schedule adjustment: Motion integrates with your calendar and automatically adjusts your schedule based on your progress and upcoming tasks.
- Kanban view for project management: You can create projects and organize tasks using a Kanban view, which is particularly useful for team projects.
- Task organization and structuring capabilities: Motion helps you determine urgency, set deadlines, and outline the best time to complete tasks, making it ideal for those who need help prioritizing their time and tasks.
Automated Daily Planner
One of the biggest draws to Motion is its automated daily planning. Motion says it best, “get a plan for each day — without planning.”2 This feature helps reduce decision fatigue for everyone, especially those with ADHD. The automated daily planner automatically allows Motion to determine which team members should do what each day, optimizing productivity.
Automated Task Prioritization and Rescheduling
Motion automates task prioritization by considering your priorities, deadlines, dependencies, work hours, and more. This will help you use your time as efficiently as possible. While our plans may not always stay the same, the automated rescheduling feature will automatically reshuffle your entire day or week without you having to do it manually.
Automated Deadline Reminders
Motion tells you when you are unlikely to meet deadlines because you have too many things going on, and helps you re-prioritize your work. This was particularly helpful for someone like me, who has ADHD and underestimates how long certain projects or tasks may take to complete.
Who is Motion Right For?
Motion is especially useful for people with ADHD who experience symptoms of time blindness and executive dysfunction. Additionally, Motion is helpful for professionals and students, and teams responsible for collaborative projects.
People with ADHD
Motion can help people with ADHD that experience challenges such as: time management, task completion, and focus. Motion is particularly helpful in improving symptoms of executive dysfunction and time blindness. The AI-powered tools will auto-schedule tasks based on the information you provide while considering your daily patterns and behaviors. Professionals & Students
Professionals and students are often expected to juggle a lot at once. Motion can help you stay organized, reduce procrastination, and, as a result, increase motivation and productivity. Having tasks auto-scheduled and rescheduled helps you keep yourself accountable and prevents tasks from falling by the wayside.
Teams and Collaborative Projects
Motion supports team collaboration by simultaneously managing and viewing multiple calendars, projects, or tasks. There is the ability to comment on features of tasks, which helps streamline tasks more effectively. Team motivation, communication, and productivity can improve when tasks are clearly outlined and delegated, and people are held accountable for their tasks.
Who May Want an Alternative to Motion?
There are several reasons why someone might want an alternative to Motion, the AI-powered productivity app. Here are some of the most common reasons:
- Cost: Motion’s individual plan starts at $19 per month, which can be pricey for some users. There are many free and cheaper alternatives available, such as Todoist, Trello, and Asana.
- Features: While Motion has some unique features like AI-powered scheduling and automatic time tracking, some users might find that other apps offer a wider range of features that better suit their needs. For example, Asana is great for project management, while Trello is excellent for visual task management.
- Complexity: Motion’s interface can be a bit complex for some users, especially those who are looking for a simple and straightforward task management app. There are many more user-friendly alternatives available, such as Google Tasks or Microsoft To Do.
- Lack of customization: Motion offers limited customization options, which might not be ideal for users who want to personalize their workflow. Some alternatives, such as Notion, allow for much more customization.
- Privacy concerns: Some users might be concerned about the privacy of their data with Motion, as it uses AI to manage their tasks and schedule. There are many open-source and privacy-focused alternatives available, such as TickTick.
What Are Users Saying About Motion?
User feedback on Motion, the AI-powered productivity app, fairly mixed. Here’s a breakdown of the key points users highlight:
Positives:
- AI-powered scheduling: Many users love the auto-scheduling feature, which uses AI to learn your preferences and automatically fit tasks into your calendar, saving them time and effort.
- Focus on time management: Motion’s features like time tracking and focus sessions help users stay on top of their time and avoid distractions, boosting productivity.
- Clean and intuitive interface: The desktop version of Motion generally praised for its clean and user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and manage tasks.
- Advanced features for teams: Teams appreciate features like project management tools and team calendar, facilitating collaboration and communication.
Negatives:
- Steep learning curve: Some users find the initial setup and onboarding process to be a bit complex, requiring time and effort to understand the app’s full potential.
- Mobile app needs improvement: Compared to the desktop version, the mobile app receives criticism for being less functional and lacking crucial features.
- Limited free trial: The 7-day free trial considered too short for some users to fully experience and evaluate the app before committing to a paid subscription.
- Pricing might be a barrier: The individual plan starts at $19 per month, which some users find expensive compared to cheaper alternatives with similar features.
- Privacy concerns: A few users express concerns about the amount of data Motion collects. How it’s used, though the company assures adherence to strict privacy regulations.
While Motion has its ardent fans who swear by its AI-powered features and time-saving benefits, it’s not for everyone. The learning curve, limited mobile app, and pricing can be dealbreakers for some. If you’re looking for a powerful and AI-driven productivity tool and willing to invest time and money, Motion might be worth trying. However, if you prefer simpler apps, are on a budget, or prioritize mobile functionality, there are plenty of excellent alternatives available.
History of Motion
Harry Qi, Omid Rooholfada, and Ethan Yu started Motion to get the web browser moving again.3 Motion is a Chrome extension that helps you be more productive as you work. The San Francisco-based startup was a part of Y Combinator’s accelerator program, with the Motion becoming available in late 2020.
In more recent years, Motion has not had many updates to its user experience. However, according to Qi’s LinkedIn, a new Head of Product, Luis Carrasco, was announced three months ago.4 Hopefully, a better mobile app will be released in the next year or two. As there have already been updates on the task list interface and UX the week of writing this article.
Pros & Cons of Motion
Motion is an AI-powered productivity app that promises to streamline your workflow and boost your efficiency. But is it all that it claims to be? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of Motion to help you decide if it’s the right tool for you.
Pros:
- AI-powered scheduling: Motion’s standout feature is its AI assistant that analyzes your calendar, tasks, and preferences to automatically schedule your day. This can save you a ton of time and help you avoid overbooking.
- Focus on time management: Motion includes features like time tracking, focus sessions, and Do Not Disturb mode to help you stay on top of your time and avoid distractions. This can be especially helpful for people who struggle with procrastination.
- Clean and intuitive interface: The desktop version of Motion praised for its clean and user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and manage your tasks.
- Advanced features for teams: Teams appreciate features like project management tools, team calendars, and shared task lists, which facilitate collaboration and communication.
- Free trial: You can try Motion for free for 7 days to see if it’s a good fit for you before committing to a paid subscription.
Cons:
- Steep learning curve: Motion can be a bit complex to set up and use, especially for those who are not familiar with AI-powered productivity tools. The initial onboarding process can be time-consuming.
- Mobile app needs improvement: Compared to the desktop version. The mobile app receives criticism for being less functional and lacking some key features.
- Limited free trial: Some users find the 7-day free trial too short to fully experience and evaluate the app before subscribing.
- Pricing might be a barrier: The individual plan starts at $19 per month. Which some users find expensive compared to cheaper alternatives with similar features.
- Privacy concerns: While Motion assures users of their commitment to data privacy. Some users may still concerned about the amount of data the app collects and how it’s used.
Motion is a powerful productivity tool with some unique and helpful features, especially its AI-powered scheduling. However, it also has its drawbacks, such as the steep learning curve, limited mobile app, and higher price point. If you’re looking for a simple and affordable to-do list app, Motion might not the best fit. But if you’re willing to invest time and money in a tool that can truly revolutionize your workflow, Motion is definitely worth considering.
Final Thought
I want to begin by saying I am a fan of AI technology and firmly believe that artificial intelligence helps bring equity to the neurodivergent community when used ethically and responsibly. This helps bring a sense of productivity and ease to individuals living with ADHD. That being said, I needed more time to set up Motion the way it would work best for my lifestyle and the number of tasks that needed to be done. There are many moving parts in my day-to-day life that I truly don’t always know what. They are, so I feel Motion has fallen a bit short for me.
I also felt the mobile version of Motion was incomplete and the lack of functionality with reminders made the app easy to forget about. Despite this rough start, I do truly think Motion has amazing potential. I plan to continue using Motion over the next couple of months to see if it improves my organizational skills. If it helps me become more efficient with my time and energy.
FAQS
How Do I Cancel My Motion Plan?
Cancelling your Motion plan done through the app or website you used to subscribe to the service. Steps to cancel will vary based on the platform you’re using. Users should log into their account, go to their settings, and then look for the “Billing” or “Subscription” section. You should be able to find an option to manage or cancel your subscription. For further assistance, you can contact support@usemotion.com.
Is the Motion App Good for ADHD?
Motion is great for adults with ADHD and addresses some of the common challenges and symptoms of ADHD. Motion provides structured task management to help individuals overcome difficulties such as: creating and completing to-do lists, enhancing focus and productivity, and offering strategies to fight time blindness. With personalized goal setting and progress tracking. Motion helps users break down long-term objectives into smaller, more manageable steps. Promoting a sense of accomplishment and increasing overall motivation.
Is the Motion App Worth It?
Motion may be worth the cost for busy professionals or students but may not be ideal for an average consumer. If you are a business owner looking to minimize the amount of tools and apps. You are using while also trying to improve your productivity, Motion may be worth it. It is important to note that there is a steep learning curve to using Motion. Some major improvements needed on their mobile and tablet apps.
Does Motion Offer Refunds?
Motion may grant you a refund if you cancel your subscription no later than thirty (30) days after your first subscription term starts. You may request a refund by contacting support@usemotion.com.
Is the Motion App Secure?
Motion admits to possibly allowing third-party apps to advertise. However, I did not experience any ads on their desktop app. Please visit Motion Terms of Service and Motion Privacy Policy for more information or email privacy@usemotion.com.