On the hunt for the best productivity tools out there to get more work done? Learn how to prioritize, eliminate distractions, make the best use of your time and more with these top productivity tools.
1. 1-3-5 List
1-3-5 List is a cross-platform application that helps you utilize the 1-3-5 Method. Using the 1-3-5 Method, each day consists of a different kind of to-do list than you might be used to. Instead of simply listing out what you need to get done, you list only your priorities, but it goes even deeper than that.
You choose one large task, three medium tasks and five small tasks to be completed each day. This way, you are better able to focus on the tasks that matter the most. You will not be overwhelmed with large chunks of work that can more easily be broken down into smaller tasks. Prioritizing in this way will help you be more productive than you have ever been before.
2. Writeroom
Writeroom is the perfect app for those who are easily distracted. It works across iOS devices as a plain text editor, which means you can do one thing and one thing only with it: write. Whether you are working on a personal project or typing up a proposal that could make or break your career, the last thing you need when trying to get something done, and done well, are distractions.
You will have to do all your formatting later, since you cannot bold or italicize text within the app, but it’s a great tool if you are someone who focuses on how your documents looks before you have even written the entirety of its content. Write first, make things look pretty later. Once you have great content, the rest follows much more efficiently.
Don’t use iOS software? Here are a few Writeroom alternatives.
3. Toggl
Toggl is a time keeping app that helps primarily teams, but can assist productivity improvement seeking individuals as well, keep track of how long it takes to complete specific tasks. This not only allows for a much more efficient way to bill hourly work, but can also help you keep tabs on how long it takes to complete specific kinds of projects.
With Toggl, you can begin to evaluate whether you are making the best possible use of your time. Keeping a timer going in the background will make you much less likely to stop working on one task in favor of another, making sure you do your best to focus on only one important task at a time.
4. Google Drive
File sharing and easier access to documents is something you need if you want to be more productive. It is free to use, and there is more storage space than you will know what to do with.
Using Google Drive, you can completely eliminate the use of email attachments. Files will no longer get lost on your hard drive. You can access, edit and share documents no matter where you are, so you won’t have to carry a flash drive around in the bottom of your bag, either. Having everything in one place, accessible from anywhere, saves more time than you knew you were wasting.
5. SaneBox
Managing emails is hard. We spend a lot more time dreading and sifting through mountains of email than we ideally should, which is why SaneBox is such a brilliant tool. It was built to help you more productively manage your email inboxes. It helps you prioritize and organize your inbox in a simple, straightforward design.
One key feature its website promotes is its SaneBlackHole, a built-in feature that lets you drag an email from a specific sender into a special folder. What makes this folder so special? Once you drop in an email, you will never receive another one from that same sender. No more time wasted trying to navigate how to unsubscribe to emails you swear you never signed up for. And that’s just one of many features the app offers.
6. Doodle
If you have ever sent out an email asking a group of people to give you their availabilities so you can schedule a meeting, you know how much of a nightmare trying to coordinate other people’s schedules can be. This process becomes a lot easier when you start using tools like Doodle.
With Doodle scheduling, you can choose a few set meeting dates and times and allow multiple users to go in and select which ones they can and cannot attend without having to send you their availabilities individually. No more back and forth trying to coordinate. You can spend less time being frustrated and more time actually planning out the meeting agenda.
7. StayFocused
Have you ever logged onto your web browser, fully intending to look something up to continue progress on a project, and somehow found yourself deep into the Tumblr vortex not even five minutes later? Whatever happened to being productive? You did not originally sit down to reblog memes, did you?
We have all been there. StayFocused will make sure you never go there again. It’s an extension for your web browser that allows you to block your access to certain websites for specific periods of time. You can now completely block yourself from using the internet after midnight, if you want to, if late-night cat video watching is hindering your early morning productivity.
8. Brewster
No matter your career, you will always have to remain in constant contact with other people. Even running your own business requires communicating with clients, employees and potential partners. These days, it isn’t uncommon to have multiple email inboxes and mobile contact lists. After awhile, it all becomes too much to keep track of.
The more time you spend trying to find someone’s contact information, the less time you spend getting things done. Brewster is an app that allows you to access all of your contacts from a single dashboard. Using Brewster means you will never again have to wonder where you saved so-and-so’s email address: it’s right there in the app for you.
Technology isn’t just for fun. It can also make our lives easier, and more productive, every single day.