5 Apps to Boost Your Productivity
Everyone wants to be more productive in the workplace. Some people take the option of working longer hours in the quest to get more things done. This, however, can actually negatively impact your productivity. Figuring out how to be more productive at work can be a tricky task. Fortunately, with software and mobile devices becoming a bigger and bigger part of our lives, there are plenty of apps out there to help you stay organized and get more done at work without having to stay after hours.
All the apps listed here work across platforms, as web-based or downloadable apps--often both. That way, no matter what device you’re working on or where you are, you’ll be sure to be your productive best. Let’s take a look at the run down of the five best productivity apps you should be using:
Think of Evernote like your digital notebook. A convenient scrapbook where you can store notes, ideas, checklists, and even articles from the web. Evernote provides a convenient alternative to saving multiple Word documents all over your desktop in order to save notes. It also comes with powerful tagging and archiving features so you can keep all your thoughts organized. Evernote is ideal for those situations when you want to record an idea and come back to it later. The speed with which you're able to record and file ideas with Evernote means distractions are minimized, and you can get back to doing whatever you were doing when the idea hit you.
Trello enables you to visualize your tasks and arrange them in different groups or "boards". The ability to move different items around make it an ideal task manager if you thrive on visually seeing your tasks move from the "to-do" phase to a "completed" phase. Trello also allows you to attach files to your tasks and collaborate with fellow employees. This makes it an excellent app for keeping track of the multitude of tasks on complex projects, especially if you’re working on projects as part of a team.
For those who prefer a more basic, ordered list-type of to-do list, Todoist may be the perfect productivity app. Its simple interface allows you to focus on exactly what you need to get done and nothing more. If you don’t require your task management app to carry much additional information, Todoist provides exactly what you need. Its clean, no-frills design makes checking what you've got to do while on-the-run quick and easy.
If you need to track news in your industry from multiple websites and blog feeds, you know staying on top of various sources can be a time-consuming process. Feedly helps you keep all your RSS feeds in one place. Beyond that, you can organize them into different topics. Have several industry-related blogs you need to keep up to date with? Feedly allows you to group them together so you can read similarly-themed stories as they are posted. If you’re someone who needs to stay up-to-date with news and the latest industry trends and ideas, Feedly is a great way to keep everything organized.
If you and your team regularly collaborate on the same documents on your workplace’s server, you know how frustrating it can be. Since you aren’t able to work directly within the document at the same time, companies are often left with multiple versions of the same file, and this can get very messy and confusing. Google Drive keeps all your documents while enabling multiple people to collaborate at the same time. Whether it’s a word document, a spreadsheet, or even a slideshow presentation, you and your colleagues can all work together in the same place. Plus, since everything is saved to the cloud, you don’t have to worry about backup or even saving your work—it’s all done automatically, and all you need is an internet connection! All of these features make Google Drive a great platform for collaboration.
All the apps listed here work across platforms, as web-based or downloadable apps--often both. That way, no matter what device you’re working on or where you are, you’ll be sure to be your productive best. Let’s take a look at the run down of the five best productivity apps you should be using:
1. Evernote
Think of Evernote like your digital notebook. A convenient scrapbook where you can store notes, ideas, checklists, and even articles from the web. Evernote provides a convenient alternative to saving multiple Word documents all over your desktop in order to save notes. It also comes with powerful tagging and archiving features so you can keep all your thoughts organized. Evernote is ideal for those situations when you want to record an idea and come back to it later. The speed with which you're able to record and file ideas with Evernote means distractions are minimized, and you can get back to doing whatever you were doing when the idea hit you.
2. Trello
Trello enables you to visualize your tasks and arrange them in different groups or "boards". The ability to move different items around make it an ideal task manager if you thrive on visually seeing your tasks move from the "to-do" phase to a "completed" phase. Trello also allows you to attach files to your tasks and collaborate with fellow employees. This makes it an excellent app for keeping track of the multitude of tasks on complex projects, especially if you’re working on projects as part of a team.
3. Todoist
For those who prefer a more basic, ordered list-type of to-do list, Todoist may be the perfect productivity app. Its simple interface allows you to focus on exactly what you need to get done and nothing more. If you don’t require your task management app to carry much additional information, Todoist provides exactly what you need. Its clean, no-frills design makes checking what you've got to do while on-the-run quick and easy.
4. Feedly
If you need to track news in your industry from multiple websites and blog feeds, you know staying on top of various sources can be a time-consuming process. Feedly helps you keep all your RSS feeds in one place. Beyond that, you can organize them into different topics. Have several industry-related blogs you need to keep up to date with? Feedly allows you to group them together so you can read similarly-themed stories as they are posted. If you’re someone who needs to stay up-to-date with news and the latest industry trends and ideas, Feedly is a great way to keep everything organized.
5. Google Drive
If you and your team regularly collaborate on the same documents on your workplace’s server, you know how frustrating it can be. Since you aren’t able to work directly within the document at the same time, companies are often left with multiple versions of the same file, and this can get very messy and confusing. Google Drive keeps all your documents while enabling multiple people to collaborate at the same time. Whether it’s a word document, a spreadsheet, or even a slideshow presentation, you and your colleagues can all work together in the same place. Plus, since everything is saved to the cloud, you don’t have to worry about backup or even saving your work—it’s all done automatically, and all you need is an internet connection! All of these features make Google Drive a great platform for collaboration.
How to be more productive at work
Productivity is a constantly evolving skill--one you have to work at to master. Part of working at it is picking up tricks and tactics that help you leverage small improvements. These incremental improvements add up over time, and before you know it, you’ll have turned into a productivity wizard and the envy of the whole office.Labels: business productivity, productivity apps, work productivity
posted by Sean E. Malady at
10:00 AM
