Motivated people want efficiency. Productive people want expediency. And motivated, productive people want, well, both. This I know about you: You’re a motivated, intentional leader in one way or another who’s eager to discover and develop your untapped potential so you’ll have a clear path to get from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow.
As such, anyone serious about living life intentionally has a productivity toolbox in their arsenal, so-to-speak. It may be a method of scheduling weekly activities or leading teams. It may be a well-designed system by which you tackle new projects. It may even be a way you keep life as distraction-free as possible so you can focus on doing what matters most for those who matter most.
Confession: I. Love. Staples.
I consider myself a very organized, detail-oriented, task-driven, spreadsheet loving, binder-binding, highlighter-wielding individual. That’s probably why I won’t complain if you dropped me off at Staples for the day (I can hear you laughing at me). But, half-finished notes, piles of Post-Its, scribbled-on envelopes, half-empty ink pens, and un-filed, disheveled workspaces do overwhelm me.
To that end, when it comes to staying organized and on-top of my schedule, the last thing I need (or want) is an ever-growing pile of papers sitting on my desk at the office, my bedside table at home, or nestled upon the passenger seat of my car; all of which are destined to become the ever-cluttered monument known as Mount Crapmore. Thanks to technology, I’ve streamlined my day-to-day processes even better than ever.
If you’re like me and hate losing time because of disorganization, clutter, and all-out busyness, I want to introduce you to five awesome productivity-pumping apps. But before you hit the snooze button on this post, listen up. I know you don’t want another geeky tech tool that takes more time to figure out than actually use.
I also know that you don’t want one more thing to have to remember to turn on, remember to input information, hopefully remember to sync, and then worry about losing all of your data. I get it. It’s for those reasons that I steer clear of a lot of apps; they simply create more digital clutter in my already full life. However, these are sure to skyrocket your daily productivity, just as they’ve done for me. And the best part is that they’re mostly free.
5 Awesome Apps That Will Skyrocket Your Productivity
1.) Evernote. I’m relatively new to Evernote, but this is by far the most robust note-taking, document filing, personal reminder system I’ve ever used. From blog ideas, creative ideas, recipes, and meeting notes, to to-do lists, travel itineraries, and automatic transfers of important email messages, Evernote takes care of it all. In fact, I’m typing this post in Evernote’s web version and watching it sync effortlessly into my iPhone’s app. Brilliant, right? You might ask, “But doesn’t iPhone’s note app do the same?” Yes, but Evernote is far more detailed because of its filing and tagging capabilities (using hashtags just like social media). As a result, I can locate needed information much more efficiently in Evernote than in the notes app on my iPhone. If seeing is believing, watch this:
2.) Scannable by Evernote. This additional app integrates flawlessly within Evernote. I use it to scan business cards (my iPhone then turns scanned information into contacts), important documents, receipts, bank statements, and more. The quality of the scan is awesome and Evernote converts the image into a PDF document for use in any digital platform. This is especially useful for maintaining organization of documents for tax and legal purposes. Still not convinced? Check this out:
3.) WhiteNoise. As I mentioned in a previous post, getting regular, adequate sleep is amongst the most important factors in determining your overall quality of life, health, and daily productivity. In fact, regularly experiencing quality sleep reduces inflammation in your body, provides an optimal state for cellular repair, is a catalyst for greater creativity, aids in weight control and heightening your mood, and maximizes athletic performance. I aim for eight hours every night (and count on it during the work week). Because I’m a pretty light sleeper, I like to use this app to create diffused sound to help drown-out any background noise in the house. While this app isn’t free (it’s $1.99), the return-on-investment has been immeasurable.
4.) 1Password. Having to reset lost passwords is a hassle. Equally demanding is having to manage a list of account passwords in a not-so secure location on my computer. So with as many passwords as I have to manage, I’m really glad I found this app. It hosts login information for all of my most secure accounts and keeps them locked down in one encrypted area. This is a must-have! Check out this introductory video:
5.) Quora. It’s my virtual think-tank. For me, being productive is so much more than being busy; it’s being a contributor to those around me. That’s why I enjoy learning new things on a regular basis; to stay fresh, educated, and relevant. Quora’s brand slogan is “the best answer to any question.” I use Quora for research, crowd-sourcing ideas, market-testing writing topics, and learning a lot from people all around the world. On top of that, it’s just really fun to use.
This list could certainly expand beyond these five, but the apps I’ve mentioned have been a great benefit to me. As technology continues to change, even greater resources will become available. Am I 100% paperless? Definitely not. I keep hard copies of taxes, legal documents, etc. in a fireproof, locked case. But thanks to these apps, my day-to-day stack of paper and notes has been reduced significantly.
Enjoy!
