My 8 Favorite Productivity Tools
I’m a huge fan of productivity tools. Life can often get busy and when it inevitably does, productivity tools can be an immense help.
Over the years I’ve tried dozens of different ones and decided to compile a list of some of my favorites.
You likely often come across articles that seem interesting but you just don’t have the time to read right there and then.
With desktop and mobile apps, a browser plugin, and syncing across devices, Pocket makes it easy to save articles so that you can come back and read them later.
In fact, it even allows you to read them offline for those times when you don’t have a reliable internet connection (such as on a train during your morning commute or on a plane).
Deliveries
Online shopping is super convenient, but obsessing over where exactly your package currently is and when it will be delivered can be a huge waste of time. This is where Deliveries comes in.
The app (available on both desktop and mobile) makes it easy to add packages you’re expecting and to keep track of them as they make their way across the country. All you have to do is add the tracking number and the app will automatically keep track of the package for you.
Bonus: for many popular websites, such as Amazon, you can add your order number even before the item ships and Deliveries will track it.
Momentum
Momentum is a Chrome plugin that serves as your personal dashboard whenever you open a new tab.
With beautiful daily images and inspirational quotes, weather at-a-glance, the ability to add a to-do list, a links panel, and a gorgeous design, the app serves as a fantastic “home base.”
Clear
Clear is my go-to app whenever I need to create a simple to-do list. Whether it’s a list of groceries or a set of tasks that I need to complete today, Clear works great for me.
I especially love the minimalist design, the fact that it syncs across devices, and the satisfying vibration that you get after completing a task.
MeisterTask
For a more comprehensive task manager, I recently started using and became a big fan of MeisterTask. It’s great both for keeping track of your personal tasks and projects, as well as for collaborating with a team. MeisterTask is available on mobile, tablet, desktop, and in a standard web browser.
You can have multiple projects and within each one you have panels (fully customizable) to indicate the different stages that tasks are currently at. For example, for my team we use the panels: Open, In Progress, Done, Ideas, and Discuss.
Highly customizable, extensive features, the ability to collaborate with multiple people, and a gorgeous design. What’s not to love! Oh, and did I mention that it’s free?
TV Show Tracker
I have a few TV shows that I watch regularly. However, keeping track of when exactly new episodes come out and which ones I have yet to watch can be a pain.
To make life easier I use an app that notifies me whenever a new episode comes out and allows me to easily keep track of the ones I have and haven’t seen.
SelfControl
We all occasionally have those moments where it can be difficult to focus on the task at hand and we need a little push to help us stay productive.
SelfControl is an app that blocks a pre-set list of websites for a certain period of time. Until this time elapses there is no way to disable the app (so no more procrastinating by browsing your Facebook feed or reading the New York Times).
The list of sites can be modified, although the app gives you a list of some popular ones to help you get started.
I prefer this standalone app over some of the browser plugins out there because SelfControl blocks all traffic between your computer and the websites’ servers. So, for example, regardless of if you try to access Twitter via your web browser or the standalone application, it won’t let you.
f.lux
Research shows that blue light from our computer screens can be harmful to our sleep quality.
When most of us are already not getting enough sleep, this can be a massive issue.
f.lux is a desktop app that aims to address this problem by limiting the amount of blue light emitted by your screen near bedtime. In practice what this means is that later in the day, when the sun sets, the app will give your screen a slight yellow tint.
I hope you found this post useful and that the tools I listed will help improve your productivity just like they have mine!
Do you have any favorite productivity tools that I missed? Let me know as I would love to try them!
