In today’s fast-paced world, finding ways to work smarter, not harder, is key to success. With so many distractions and time sucks it’s all too easy to get sidetracked from important tasks. The good news is that there are plenty of excellent digital tools and smartphone apps that can help boost your productivity dramatically. Here are eight great options to try.
8 Great Tools and Apps for Boosting Your Productivity
1. RescueTime
RescueTime is a time management and productivity app that runs quietly in the background on your computer and phone. It tracks how you spend your time down to the minute and then provides detailed reports so you can see your daily habits and productivity patterns. You can set goals and get alerts when you spend too much time on unproductive sites or apps. It’s a great way to identify areas where you can become more efficient.
2. Forest
For those prone to phone distractions, Forest is an ingenious productivity app. It works by letting you plant virtual trees that grow over time. But if you leave the app to check social media or other apps on your phone, the tree dies. As your forest grows, you’ll develop the habit of focusing for set periods without pointless distractions. The visuals keep you motivated.
3. Todoist
Todoist is one of the most popular task management apps for good reason. Its interface is intuitive and easy to use. You can create projects, set due dates, organize tasks with labels and filters, and more. Todoist makes it simple to plan out your day and week so you can focus on tackling one task at a time in a strategic way. The premium version offers expanded features.
4. Focus@Will
We all work better with the right soundtrack. Focus@Will provides a collection of productivity-enhancing music designed by neuroscientists to help you focus, retain information better, and get in the optimal mental flow state. You can choose playlists based on the type of work you’re doing. It’s ideal for powering through distractions.
5. Upgraded Reviews
Upgraded Reviews is a website that lists deals and coupons. Users can find savings on dozens of different software options that can help boost productivity. Comparing prices and finding bargains allows you to maximize your productivity software and tools budget. Be sure to check Upgraded Reviews before making new software purchases.
6. Unroll.me
A cluttered inbox is a productivity killer. Unroll.me offers a free service to cleanly organize your email subscriptions by “rolling up” all newsletters into a daily digest. This prevents your inbox from becoming overwhelmed. You can easily unsubscribe from any unwanted subscriptions with one click. Say goodbye to email clutter.
7. Cold Turkey
Some sites and apps are notorious for time-wasting distractions. Cold Turkey is a website and app blocker that lets you blacklist time-wasting sites that harm your productivity. Once blocked, you will no longer be able to access them for a predetermined amount of time. You can also block your entire internet access if needed. It’s a little extra insurance against disruptive sites.
8. Freedom
Similar to Cold Turkey, Freedom is an app that completely blocks distracting sites and apps of your choosing across all your devices. The main difference is that Freedom won’t let you override the block until the timer expires. This gives you a foolproof way to stay focused and avoid productivity-sucking sites when you need to power through important work. Try a free trial.
With these eight excellent tools and apps, you now have practical solutions to minimize digital distractions, stay on track with tasks, optimize your time, and boost productivity levels. Find the options that work best for your needs, and you’ll get more done each day.