To be more productive means to work better, faster and longer. While being more productive is often a psychological challenge before anything else, there is also a ton of tools and apps that can enhance your productivity. In this post, we present some of the most common ones.
For “offline” storage
More often than not, the simplest tool at your disposal isn’t found on your laptop or smartphone. Even big-time CEOs don’t shy away from relying on a notebook to organize their work for the week. Yes, notebooks are pretty analog, but they can still be quite useful.
Every Monday, for example, you can map out your week in your notebook and prioritize what you need to do in the next five days. Then, if you find yourself working on something that isn’t a part of that list, you can try to stop and evaluate whether or not it’s an actual priority.
For online storage
Dropbox is likely one of the first few apps that gave birth to the concept of an online storage locker for paperwork. In it, you can post files, pictures, videos and other types of data in your own Dropbox section and be able to access them from anywhere.
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Regarding data security, there are a couple of security practices you should consider if you want to have maximum defense. Dropbox’s own security provides 256-bit AES encryption for all files and a two-step verification process. By default, all data stored in Dropbox is private. All in all, Dropbox is a robust app for small businesses offering a secure and convenient way to store and manage information.
For having everything in one place
While it may be traditional and classy, the compendium is still one of the easiest ways to organize and secure all your belongings, such as pencils, markers, notebooks, or smartphones, in one place. With a compendium, you won’t have to worry about forgetting that one pencil you like the most, while its zip closure will make sure your belongings are safe and sound.
Moreover, if you’re an entrepreneur, there are a lot of professionally made promotional compendiums that can be customized with your business’s logo. These compendiums are amazing when it comes to branding, expanding the reach of your business, or promoting a new product or service.
For logging time
Auditing hours each day, particularly regarding client work, is an activity which is by no means easy. However, being able to view what you’ve worked on (and for whom) will assist you in establishing the value of your time. Hours is an amazing time tracking resource (with iOS and Internet apps) that will enable you to easily capture the hours you spend on each project.
Reports allow you to audit how much time you spend on a particular client and item. This app is perfect for freelancers or contractors, but also for any individual looking to audit their work time. Some people also use Toggl, a mobile app with easy-to-use interface that lets you log in work hours.
For traveling
In theory, traveling the world is amazing, but the real process can easily become quite stressful with itineraries, boarding passes, and hotel bookings all over the place. This is where TripIt comes to rescue, as it takes everything you need to travel and streamlines it into one place. You can name your travels, set reminders, import all of your travel data, and basically have everything ready at the touch of a button.
Grammarly
Grammarly is a free-to-use and must-have writing application. It isn’t only for writers, but for anyone responding to a recruiter on LinkedIn, sending an important email, or any other crucial document for that matter. With it, you will be able to check spelling and grammar or get context-based suggestions that improve your documents, messages, articles, and anything else that is text-based.
That’s it! Remember that, although these apps can help with specific activities or increase your overall productivity, being more productive requires that you change your negative habits and incorporate good ones.
