Be your best self.
Productivity

5 Awesome Apps That Will Totally Improve Your Productivity

I’m a massive app addict and I tend to switch between productivity apps at different stages of the year and I am very discerning about the apps I use. They have to have a decent user interface and not be too difficult to figure out how to use. They also have to not annoy me. If an app is too needy or makes me feel bad about myself for not getting enough stuff done, I’ll be done with that sucker without a second thought. Here are a few awesome apps I’ve discovered that will help you improve your productivity.

IMG_5172

Clear

Clear is my favourite ever list app. It’s really simple to use, very intuitive and makes the best noises when you cross an item off your list. I use it to keep my multiple lists in check. I usually have Groceries, To Pack and Today lists on the go. I tend to use it more for personal lists than work ones but it would really work for anything. At the moment I have lots of travel-related lists – To Pack In Suitcase, To Pack In Backpack – for my trip this week.

IFTTT

IFTTT means ‘If this, then that’. The app makes a workflow ‘recipe’ so that when you complete an action it will automatically do the next action you want to happen. So for instance, if you like a video on Youtube that shows a cat that made a bad decision and you want IFTTT to share that to Facebook every time you do that, you just build a command for it and it will just do it for you. Cool right?

MindNode

This one is great for people who are visual learners. It’s a simple (and quite pretty) app that lets you create mind maps of your ideas. It’s a great way for people who respond well to visual aids to organise and share their brainstorming. This is perfect if To Do Lists freak you out a bit or you find standard list apps a bit overwhelming.

Procraster

This app does exactly what it sounds like it does. You simply pick from the list of reasons why you’re procrastinating and gives you a few tools to help get you back on track. You might be procrastinating because the task is too big or because you don’t know what you’re doing and Procaster will come up with a solution that suits your cause. Which is great because the solution to boredom is different to the solution to fear. (That was super deep… can someone tweet that please?)

TimePage

I’ve bought about 10 calendar apps since I first started using an iPhone and I never found one I stuck with longer than a year until Mr Smaggle made TimePage with Moleskine. It’s so beautiful, easy to use, intuitive and it talks to all of my other calendars and systems. It also talks to my Apple watch to remind to do things at certain times so I never miss a deadline. Not that I would anyway but I do appreciate the reminder. Also, Mr Smaggle is very clever and good looking and I like everything he does.

What are your favourite productivity apps? Also what calendar app do you use? Or are you an old-fashioned pen and paper type person?

P.S Also you should totally sign up for my newsletter. It’s full of cool stuff.
P.P.S Don’t forget Crochet Coach has a free trial offer period at the moment so make sure you sign up!

21 Comments

  1. Chris 8 years ago

    Evernote is absolutely essential. It’s the on app I couldn’t live without.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I’m the same! I love Evernote – use it all the time. I love sharing notes with people and the search function on it is awesome.

  2. Alix 8 years ago

    I’m going to give Clear a shot – much as I love tearing old photocopies into 8 equal pieces and stapling them together as a shabby-chic (light on the chic) notepad. Do you have a good budgeting app or budget tracker that you use?

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I haven’t come across a good budgeting app yet – I’ve tried a few but none of them are simple or pain free enough. I am planning on getting totally set up with Xero though. My accountant is hopeless though so I need to sort that out first.

  3. Erika 8 years ago

    I love my Filofax and cannot lie….there’s something about having it on paper that just works better with my mind.

    But for budgeting, can I suggest Pocketbook? It has the added bonus of being free (https://getpocketbook.com/). I only track our household costs/mortgage with it, but find it works really well for me and is worth spending the bit of time setting it up. LOVE the warning when I start getting close to my spending limit.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I’ve always loved Filofaxes but they’re a bit chunky for me. I need thin, streamlined stuff because I live out of a backpack most of the time. I’ve trued pocket book and I quite like it but my finances are all over the shop at the moment sometimes it’s a bit complicated.

  4. Alison Wood 8 years ago

    im a fan of evernote and use it for blog ideas, lists etc – because i can access it on my computer, tablet or phone! Loving wunderlist too!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I love wunderlist and evernote – I’m actually quite obsessed with evernote. I think I use it more than anything else.

  5. Karyn 8 years ago

    Have you tried Todoist? I downloaded a whole heap of apps over the years but I really love this one and tell everyone about it!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I have tried Todoist but it didn’t really speak to me – I actually quite love a hand written list at the beginning of every day so I think that’s why it wasn’t working for me.

  6. Sarah 8 years ago

    Procraster and Timepage sound like they could be useful for me!

    On a scale of sand crabs to great white sharks, how much to you love and use Procraster?

    Does Mr Smaggle have any plans to get Timepage working on Androids AND can you sync your Timepage with someone else’s? (or share a calendar with someone?)

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      I don’t think there are any Android plans at the moment – Android development just honestly isn’t worth the time and money despite what Android users claim! 🙂 You can sync Timepage with almost anything. Mine is Synced to Asana and Mr Smaggle’s calendar.

  7. I’m going to download Procraster right now. Reading this blog post is me procrastinating at work at the moment….

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      Ha! Hilarious! It’s so good because it makes you own your procrastination.

  8. I have only just started to get IFTTT. It took a while for the penny to drop but now it has I love it!

  9. Katie Paul 8 years ago

    I’ve tried all the electronic ones but with no success. I have gone back to paper and pencil using a system called Bullet Journal (dot com). It is quick, effective, wonderful for my aging memory and combines a to do list with an event calendar. I freelance and it keeps me on track with work too.

  10. Samantha Field 8 years ago

    My husband is amazing at organizing his life so his Amazon Echo is connected to his ipad and his phone tells him appointments and all that good stuff. I just cant seem to figure out how to connect everything and make it work for me. I find a good old Day planner (like I used to use in elementary school) is the only way I actually keep organized. I always feel like the only person who actually uses pen and paper now a day..but there is something so satisfy inf when you physically check off a task that needs to get done.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 8 years ago

      Oh yes! I struggled to connect things too – lucky for Mr Smaggle!

  11. Sarah 8 years ago

    I deliberately just came back to this article to leave a comment, completely unaware that I already commented on here nine months ago! I happened upon this article again just over two weeks ago, and, being in a space where I’m a hardcore paper-diary lady but was struggling with carting it around everywhere with me and getting annoyed when I’d left it at home for whatever reason, decided to download Timepage whilst on holidays in Manila.

    I started using it when we got back two weeks ago and for the last week and a half I’ve been meaning to get on here and tell you how bloody amazing I think it is! It gives me the week-at-a-glance layout that I **need** to get my head sorted, but it comes with me EVERYWHERE! Because iPhone. Duh. I love it! Seriously – it’s been a life changer. The way things are going, I may even change my last name to Timepage in the future.

    Thanks for the brilliant, although belatedly-taken-onboard tip!

    xx

Pingbacks

  1. […] 5 awesome apps that will totally improve your productivity – I love productivity apps and am always experimenting with new ones, this is a great list. […]

  2. […] Actions which is the new product my partner has been working on with Moleskine. I’ve been using Timepage for years as my calendar app, and on 15th Feb this year, they’re releasing Actions which is a To […]

Leave a Reply