Introduction
Whenever I discover a new tool that might be useful for work or personal use, I like to try it. If something catches my attention, I often touch it at least once. At the same time, I am quite careful about whether I actually bring it into my main working environment.
When I try a new tool, there is often a moment when I think, “This might make my work easier.” But at the same time, I also start thinking about how to manage it, how to organize its usage, and whether it can really fit into my existing workflow. Because of that, I often use a tool briefly and then end up leaving it alone.
In the past, I sometimes felt that this meant I was not using tools well enough, or that I was being too conservative.
- I tried something, but did not continue using it.
- I created an account, used it a little, and then stopped.
Those small unfinished feelings sometimes stayed with me.
Learning the Term “Tool Sprawl”
Recently, I learned the term tool sprawl.
Simply put, it refers to a state where tools increase in an uncontrolled or disorganized way. Each tool may look useful on its own, but before you know it, you may have several tools with similar purposes, and it becomes unclear which one should be used for what.
For example, you may have multiple places to write notes. You may have several task management tools. Even with AI tools, there are now many options such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Of course, having more options is not bad in itself. By trying new tools, you may find something that fits you well. In fact, I also enjoy trying new tools.
However, I think the real issue is not simply the number of tools. The issue is that you have to keep thinking about how to use them properly.
- Which tool did I write this in?
- Which tool should I use for this task?
- Among similar tools, which one should I continue using?
- What should I do with the tools I am not using?
Each of these decisions may look small. But when they pile up, they take up more mental space than expected.
This is where the idea of _cognitive load_ becomes relevant.
Cognitive load, simply put, is the idea that there is a limit to how much information the brain can process at one time. It is a concept often used in educational psychology, and it is related to Cognitive Load Theory, which became widely known through John Sweller’s 1988 paper and related work.
Human working memory cannot process that many things at the same time. When information such as tool usage, storage locations, notifications, and workflow rules keeps increasing, the attention available for the actual work gradually decreases.
For example:
- Time spent wondering, “Where did I write this?”
- The mental cost of switching context every time you move between apps
- Noise from notifications coming from multiple places
- A vague anxiety like, “Am I using this tool properly?”
These are not the work itself. But they still consume mental resources.
Tools are supposed to make work easier. But at some point, managing the tools themselves can become part of the work.
That was the part that made the most sense to me when I learned the term tool sprawl.
I Am Not Seriously Struggling with It
To be honest, I do not feel that I am seriously struggling with tool sprawl.
Rather, I think I am the type of person who likes trying new tools, but is careful about making them part of my main workflow. For example, I used ChatGPT for a long time, but even after trying Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, I did not immediately bring them into the center of my workflow.
Recently, as I wrote in another article, I started using Claude more seriously in addition to my almost ChatGPT-only workflow. But that was not an impulsive switch. It was a decision I made after thinking about it quite carefully.
I used to see this cautious tendency as a somewhat passive attitude. Maybe I should use more tools properly. Maybe I am falling behind new technology. I sometimes felt that way.
But after learning the term tool sprawl, my perspective changed a little.
Trying and Adopting Are Different Things
Trying a new tool and adopting it into your main environment are two different decisions.
Trying itself is not a bad thing. In fact, there are many things you cannot know unless you try them. So I think it is good to stay aware of new tools and try things that seem potentially useful, as long as it does not become too much.
However, if you try to “properly use” every tool you test, the burden starts to increase.
In that sense, briefly trying a tool and then leaving it alone is not necessarily a failure. If there is little harm, it may simply mean that you naturally filtered out something that did not fit you.
Also, even if you do not use a tool as your main tool right away, touching it once still has value. When you actually try it, you develop an impression or feeling about that tool. Even if you do not use it now, you may later face a different problem and remember, “Maybe that tool could help.”
In other words, trying a tool is not only about adopting it immediately. It can also be a way of keeping a future option somewhere in your mind.
I have written several articles on Dev.to about how I use tools in my daily workflow, including tips and hacks around tools such as Logseq, Obsidian, Notion, ChatGPT, and Claude.
But looking back, there was a lot of trial and error before those tools became part of my workflow. In some cases, I compared one tool with another, used it for a while, and gradually integrated only the ones that remained useful.
In other words, I have not continued using every tool I tried. Actually, there are many tools that I touched once but never really adopted.
Maybe the danger is not increasing the number of tools itself. The danger may be trying to integrate every tool you try into your work and life.
Conclusion
The reason I wrote this article was that I learned the concept of tool sprawl.
It felt like a vague feeling I had never fully put into words finally had a name. I like trying new tools, but I become careful when deciding whether to bring them into my main workflow. That caution may not simply be conservatism. It may be a natural response to avoid increasing cognitive load too much.
I think my own way of thinking is probably part of it too. I often wonder, “Is there a better tool?” or “Is my current way of working inefficient?” or “Should I try another tool?”
Of course, looking for better options is not a bad thing. But if I keep questioning my current environment every time, my attention may shift from using tools to constantly choosing tools.
So the next time I try a new tool, I want to first touch it lightly. Then, instead of judging it too quickly, I want to later ask myself, “Is this worth bringing into my main workflow?”
Trying something and adopting it.
Just separating those two decisions may make my relationship with tools a little easier.
Thank you for reading!
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