These days, there is a great number of productivity applications out there but as this number increases, we get more confused about which of these apps to use. Thus, we end up being totally unproductive because of searching in confusion.
I get asked a lot about how I keep track of my tasks. It is pretty hard to keep track of everything when you have several choices of applications on each system. Therefore, I wanted to list those applications that increased my productivity during my education and daily life. The applications listed below are not only accessible from your computer as a desktop app or from the browsers but also from your phone as an iOS or Android app.
Wunderlist is a simple application consisting of tick-off lists but it is designed so well that it keeps you synchronized wherever you go. What is great about this application is that it allows you to create folders for the lists that belong to the same subject, and add tags and due dates for each item. You can also create collaborative lists and comment on each item to keep track of the progress you made.
If you are in need for an application to take quick notes and reach those notes wherever and whenever you can, then Google Keep is the one! You can create a checklist for the items that you should remember or take notes of the links that your friend suggested you to take a look at with the help of this application. It puts all the notes taken in boxes on a board so that you can easily remember them. Totally recommended!
When I met Trello, it totally changed my life. What makes it so different is that it allows you to see all the tasks you have in a much more clear fashion. In Trello, you have a board for a project, lists for each part of this project and cards to manage each of the tasks. You can add checklists, due dates, attachments and labels to each card to keep your boards more organized. You can also use the boards collaboratively with your friends.
Have you ever thought about how you spend your time? I realised that I did not even had a clue about my daily habits before I started to use RescueTime. This application helps you evaluate whether you spent a productive or distracting time and sends a report at the end of each week putting each application you use into a category marked as productive or distracting. I also use its plugin on Chrome to keep track of the websites I visit everyday based on their productivity. One of my weekly reports can be found in the image below:
Pocket is a great application to manage your bookmarks. Since I don’t have the sudo privileges on the machines in the computer labs of my university I need to use the browser that is already installed on them. Therefore, to access my bookmarks from wherever I go, I use the Pocket plugin on Firefox and its application on my iPhone. You can also add tags when you save a page with Pocket to access them easily.
The ones who are already familiar with F.lux may think what does it do in between the productivity apps but it indirectly increases my productivity, so it should be on the list. According to recent researches, getting exposed to blue light makes people more alert. Therefore, it can disrupt your sleep and even result in sleep disorders.
This application makes the colour of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day, warm at night and like sunlight during the day. It even alerts you about your sleep time when you set your earliest wake time. This feature is my favourite for the final weeks since it reminds you to go to sleep every half an hour.
I hope this article have been helpful to improve your lifestyle and increase your productivity!