15 Tools to Accelerate Your Productivity Work smarter, not harder.
By Ahmed Safwan Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
What happens when you combine technology with productivity? Productivity becomes a breeze. You could easily double or even triple your productivity using the right tools.
The problem is, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of apps to check out -- everything from laptop and mobile apps to browser extensions. How can you cut through the noise and know the best few to choose from?
Related: 10 Productivity Tools for the Sole Proprietor
Frankly, it's hard. That's why I created this post. I'm sharing the best apps I've tested over the past year. Most of these helped me apply the 3-step process to build my business while studying dentistry. Are you ready to tackle these apps?
1. Trello.
Do you have a team and want to get everyone in sync to move your project along more quickly? Check out Trello ASAP. Your team will know which tasks to tackle first and who's working on what so that two team members don't do the same task. Plus, you'll know what's done so that you can celebrate it at the end of the week or the end of the project. The free plan is more than enough when you're starting out, but the company does offer different plans.
2. Asana.
Want to create a simple to-do list with detailed sub-tasks, and make it easy to know what to tackle next? Asana is your go-to tool. It can also function the same way as Trello for synchronizing team members together. You can test it and find out what's right for you.
3. Google Keep.
Want to create notes and have a way to sync them on all your devices? Check out Google Keep. What I like about this tool is its simplicity. Just open the app, take notes, and you're done. You can color code them, too. And the best part is that it's available on all platforms.
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4. Pocket.
Do you find a lot of great articles in the middle of your work? You don't want to miss the great info in the articles, but you want to stay focused on your work, right? Then Pocket will help you accomplish this. Again, it's available on all platforms, and with a click of a button, your article is saved so you can read it later in the day or on the weekend.
5. Fantastical 2.
Fantastical is a great calendar app that's built for the iOS platform. I've been testing it on my Mac for more than a month now, and I'm in love with it. Want a simple and flexible calendar app? This is the app you've been searching for.
6. Evernote.
One of the most popular productivity apps is Evernote. It's great for taking notes, organizing them and finding what you want in a matter of seconds. I like the scanning feature. It's definitely a tool you need to check out.
Related: 7 Productivity-Boosting Apps for Busy Entrepreneurs
7. Slack.
This is another great app to manage your team and increase your efficiency. The best part about Slack is its integration capability and its search functions -- and its generous free plan.
8. RescueTime.
Want to know where are you're spending your time on your laptop and make sure that you're not wasting it? Then you need to install RescueTime, and wait for your first report. After using it for three months, I noticed that I spend a lot of time on YouTube, so I blocked that site out for the entire workday. The next month, I got twice as much done.
9. Site Block.
Remember how I said that I blocked YouTube to get more done without working more? Site Block is the tool I use. The best part is that it shows you how many times you tried to access the site while it was blocked. It confirmed to me that I was right about blocking YouTube.
10. Buffer.
Updating all your profiles to keep them active and to keep your followers engaged is a time-consuming process. Enter Buffer. With a click of a button, you can schedule posts on different social media platforms. The best part? You can schedule to share posts from within the post itself with the Chrome extension. Definitely check it out.
11. WriteRoom.
Writing is a task that I need to do more often. What if you could just focus and write more without any distraction? WriteRoom helps you do just that.
12. 1password.
Do you waste time trying to remember your password for Twitter or keep writing down the password to your Facebook account? You don't need to do that anymore. With 1password, you only need to remember the master password of 1password, and with a click of a button, you can sign in to any of your accounts on any site. Don't waste any more time trying to remember passwords.
13. IFTTT.
What if you could automate a lot of stuff so you wouldn't have to do it manually? What if you could send an email to yourself with book sales on Apple book every week? Want to turn lights in your room on at specific times? Need to sync Instagram photos with Pinterest without doing anything? Sounds like some kind of sci-fi dream, right?
It can be reality with IFTTT, which is an acronym for "If This, Then That." You can't imagine what you can automate until you try this tool.
14. Sleepyti.me.
Are you tired of waking up tired one day and refreshed the next day even though you slept less? Are you aware that there is science behind how much to sleep and when to wake up, but you don't want to dive deep into this stuff? Then simply use the Sleepyti.me app.
It's a website where you plug in when you want to wake up and it shows you the different times you should go to bed. Don't wake up tired again.
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15. Forest App.
I saved the best for last. You know about the Pomodoro technique, right? What about an engaging way to help you apply this technique? That's what this app is all about. As you start and go through your session, a plant is planted, and it starts to grow as you progress through your session. When you're done, you have a tree in front of you. As you go through more sessions, you'll be growing more and more trees. So do it.
The Pomodoro technique is essential to get more done with higher focus in less time. That's why it's one of the steps in the 3-step process that helped me study dentistry while building my business.
