Top 5 Tools To Improve Your Productivity

Technology has really helped by inventing tools to improve productivity – from social media to project management and communication, there are plenty of apps, programs, and methods that can help you ramp up your content output in record time. These are five of the top tools to improve productivity!

Evernote: This tool has been around for quite awhile, and with good reason. Evernote is a note-taking tool that you can sync across mobile and desktop platforms. Since it’s cross-platform, there’s a program for Windows and Mac, apps for Android and Apple devices, and a web-based app you can access when you’re away from your own tech. In addition to text notes, there’s also the option to import a full webpage or webpage clip, upload an image or voice memo, or a handwritten “ink” note to import notes written in a program like Penultimate. Email or forward notes and reminders to yourself if you can’t hop on Evernote right away. Its clean interface and flexibility makes it a great option for anyone, whether it’s taking (and organizing) notes from college or breaking out parts of a large-scale project. Create different “notebooks” to organize different facets of your blog or business, and tags to drill down projects further. I have notebooks for all sorts of topics ranging from recipes I’ve found on the internet to blog post ideas for my website. Share notes with others, set due dates and reminders, and prioritize – Evernote’s built-in search also makes it easier to sort through your notes and files. It’s a freemium service, so you can upgrade for even more robust features, but the basic free version includes everything you need to get started on organizing, note-taking and sharing.

Hootsuite: No one has the time to be on social media working on posts 24/7. Hootsuite is one of the most robust social media schedulers, allowing you to not only schedule posts for Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms, but also to read and respond in your feed. It’s one of the only schedulers out there that does this, which gives them a competitive advantage. You can even check your analytics and generate reports directly through their dashboard. Hootsuite’s free version allows you to connect up to three accounts, while you can upgrade to connect more networks and explore more advanced features.

Bullet Journal: There is a lot of evidence to support that writing down your deadlines and appointments help you remember them better. I know that with so many different things going on throughout my day, every day, it’s much safer to have it all written down rather than rely on my own memory. Bullet journalling has been around for awhile, but it’s experiencing a surge of popularity now, especially on social media. If you need to improve your productivity and you’ve found in the past that traditional planners or agendas don’t work for you, bullet journaling is a great way to create your own scheduling system, work on your time management, and help drill those dates into your head.

Trello: A sort of virtual whiteboard, Trello is a great way to track progress on your goals or projects – both at home and work. Create a board, then individual cards for each part of the product and set up due dates, to-do lists, attach relevant files, and keep the related material all together. It’s good for use in organizations as well to set up business boards for collaboration on a larger scale. Another multi-platform tool, you can choose their web interface or download the mobile app. You can upgrade to Trello Gold for options including custom board backgrounds, integrations, and larger attachment limits.

Blind Write/FocusWriter: With multiple browser tabs leading us down rabbit holes and notifications going off from every direction, even the most productive, focused person can use help with their attention span. Blind Write lets you set a topic and a length of time you want to write, then puts you in a writing environment where there are no distractions – no external links, buttons, or text until your timer is up. You can’t even see what you’ve written until your timer expires, which makes it really useful for those of us who are consistent over-editors. If you’re a writer who struggles with making progress because of distractions or over-editing, this app is perfect for you. If you’d prefer a similar app that lets you see what you’re writing, check out FocusWriter for both Mac and Windows platforms.