25 productivity tools (and which ones you should not use)

So, that's what will happen next. You look at all these tools and immediately want to read about each of them to choose the best for yourself. As a result, you will spend more time today on clicks, scrolling and loading than you would like . How to avoid this and use the material to the maximum ?

As for the methods: there are probably more than a million of them, but there are only a few principles. Anyone who has comprehended the principles can successfully create their own methods. And the one who investigates the methods, ignoring the principles, will definitely be in trouble

- Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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The main task is to determine priorities, and NOT to choose the method / tool used to achieve the desired result.

How to use the list

Think of ONE thing that kills your time right now.

Then and only then you should study this list and find a solution for this single problem. If you find it, act! If not, you can always come back to this later, when you stand in the shower, thinking: “Hey, this thing, just devouring my day , still exists!”

Remember, your productivity will not decrease only because you have not studied the list.
But it may suffer today if you spend time reading material not related to your projects and try to solve ALL of your problems right away.

This is a psychological technique called "fragmentation." In fact, we just take big things and turn them into small ones.
For example, which of these is easier to remember?

8776422967
OR
877-642-2967

We constantly "break" the information. This is the only way to keep us sane .
The same rule works with your tasks.

Concentrate on ONE thing that matters today. Go with it. And then go on to the next issue.
Do not try to do everything at once.

"I spend too much time on email correspondence."
So focus on finding a consolidator for email.

“I’m wasting time trying to schedule team meetings.”
Then concentrate on choosing a planning assistant or an automator tool.

Ready? Go.

25 productivity tools (some are not applications)

1. Unroll.me - Email Processing

Put all your subscriptions and promotional offers in one digestible email.



2. Evernote - All your thoughts in one place and with convenient search.

Pay for the premium version and get the opportunity to find the right text among handwritten notes. Great meeting solution with electronic whiteboard.



3. Scannable - Scan documents using your iPhone

and upload them to Evernote or to the cloud, to your iCloud account, GoogleDrive or email. Usually, everything happens quickly, but be sure to place the documents on a contrasting background.



4. GoogleDrive - All your data is available at any time.

... on the cloud. Great solution for business.

5. Calm.com - Meditation for beginners

Optional audio navigation is very useful.

6. SleepTime - Alarm Clock,

that syncs with your sleep cycles. Like cool. Really valuable tags here. Mark every night with the tags “late eating,” “someone else's bed,” or “taking caffeine today.” So you can relate a good dream with your own behavior and draw the appropriate conclusions. And it doesn't really matter if you are an owl or a morning person !



7. TrunkClub - Personal Stylist and Wardrobe Management

"Men hate shopping, but they like to look good." Determine your size and team up with someone who is able to pick things that suit you. If you do not like something, return. You only pay for what you use.



8. IfTTT - Web triggers that automate boring tasks

You can work and study without boredom !



9. Zapier - Like IfTTT automates, it has various integrated software.

This application is a little more focused on business. It attracts the ability to move files between different GoogleDrive accounts.



10. Mint - The best and simplest free personal finance management tool available today.



11. Expensify - Take a photo of the document confirming production costs

... using the phone. Cost recovery, tax withholding, adding notes, etc.


12. Siri - Apple's Personal Assistant

One of the most invisible tools to which you already have access. It is intended for fixing ideas, thoughts or to-do lists.

Believe me, you get much less from Siri than you should.



Practical use:

• What is the weather today?
• Transfer the meeting from 14:00 to 16:00
• Call my mom at work
• Set the timer for 25 minutes

13. Sunrise - The most synchronized and beautiful calendar available.

His control panel / Meet application seriously changes the individual schedule. There are applications for desktop and iOS. Amazingly comfortable.


14. HealthTap - Quick and free answers to questions about health from real doctors.

Usually acts very quickly. You can pay a subscription if you want to receive even faster response or personal assistance.

15. The Workshop School of Action - The shortest path to business success

You wonder why you (or someone else) paid for the MBA, if you can get this training.

16. Hipmunk - Flight schedule, which really can be sorted out.

Nowhere is this graphic anymore. Amazing Simply.
Sort by criteria such as "Price", "Duration" and "Torment".



17. Airfare Watchdog - Finding Cheap Flights You Won't Do

18. ResumeRuby - Quick and beautiful templates for creating a resume

This is the best and fastest way to highlight your resume among a pile of applications from other candidates on the desktop of any recruiter.

19. Christian Baum`s Biz Resources

One of the finest collections of the entrepreneur, consisting of useful tools for business.

20. LastPass - Password management for all platforms in real time

It is a competitor of OnePassword. If you are using a Mac, you should try OnePassword too. It is nicer and more user oriented.



21. ToDoist - The Ubiquitous To - Do List

Synchronizes with everything and everywhere, gives an excellent visualization of the speed of the project and gives very "human" options for the date of execution, for example "by next Monday" or "every Monday and Tuesday until early September."

Several books that will change your brain.

22. The Lean Startup

Exemplary method of creating a startup from Eric Rees. When starting a project of ANY plan, you should read it.

23. Knock ʻem Dead: Secrets and Strategies

The ONLY book you need to read if you need information about job interviews and creating a resume.

24. Gut Feellings

A clear and intuitive scientific explanation of why we should listen to our inner gut.

25. Kid President`s Guide to Being Awesome

Incendiary speeches, celebrity interviews and 100 ways to change the world. This book is a great way to be positive and restore motivation.

PS We recommend another useful article on the subject of work on yourself - 9 tips that will help optimize the process of memorization .

The author of the translation is Vyacheslav Davidenko, the founder of the TESTutor company.