Put your devices to work with the best productivity apps (Tada Images / Shutterstock.com)
Productivity gets a lot of hype these days - the internet is awash with tips on how to best organize your day, meditation exercises and ambient noises to sharpen the brain. A Japanese study even found that looking at photos of baby animals can boost productivity.
For anyone whose New Year’s resolution is to get organized, the cell phone that’s always with you is the perfect tool to get you on track - as long as it’s set up with the right applications. These six productivity apps all serve different functions, to help you get the most out of every minute of every day.
1. THE PRODUCTIVITY APP THAT LOVES LISTS
THE APP: Wunderlist
THE DETAILS: Available for basically every device out there - desktops, browsers and Kindles included - this app lets you create shareable, easy-to-manage lists. Whether you need to organize the family shopping trip, a picnic with friends or a complex work project, this German productivity app will make it flow. And save you from trying to decipher scrawled notes on scraps of paper, or working out how to access your phone reminders from your computer.
2. THE PRODUCTIVITY APP THAT YOU DON’T THINK OF AS AN APP
THE APP: Google Drive
THE DETAILS: You might not think of Google Drive as a productivity app, but it’s actually one of the most useful tools on the market for getting organized. If you’re sharing a shopping list document with your partner or a complex spreadsheet with colleagues, the intuitive functionality of Google’s premier cloud product is top of the line. Editing is seamless between devices, so you can add details from your phone on the go, browse on your tablet from the couch, and do serious work from your computer. The app is also a time saver - if you use it right, you’ll never have to email yourself a Word document, or find out you’re working on the wrong version, ever again.
3. THE PRODUCTIVITY APP THAT MAKES YOUR LUNCH HOUR COUNT
THE APP: coLuncher
THE DETAILS: There’s more to being productive than just emptying your inbox. This new app encourages you to maximize every minute of your work day by connecting you with other professionals to meet for lunch. From industry group powwows to one-hour one-on-ones, coLunches optimizes your lunch hour - and helps you try out great restaurants at the same time. The app is currently available for iPhone, and most active in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
4. THE PRODUCTIVITY APP THAT MOTIVATES YOU
THE APP: CARROT for iPhone
THE DETAILS: This app has gamified getting things done - rewarding users with points for completing tasks and levels for speed. Its beautiful design makes usage a dream, as you “win” your way to getting stuff done. And it doesn’t just look good - it reads well, too. You’ll really feel like the app is right there with you, motivating you to be as productive as possible.
5. THE PRODUCTIVITY APP THAT DOES ONE THING WELL
THE APP: MeMail
THE DETAILS: Are you in the habit of sending yourself email reminders - check out this article, email so-and-so about such-and-such, send tax reports, and so forth? This simple, functional productivity app cuts the process down to two taps - so your inbox will be full of reminders from yourself in no time at all.
6. THE PRODUCTIVITY APP THAT EVERYONE LOVES
THE APP: Evernote
THE DETAILS: This productivity app seems to be everyone’s favorite organizational tool, probably because it’s so incredibly versatile. You can use it for storing short notes, collecting ideas for larger projects, meeting summaries, receipts - you name it. The app is available across all digital platforms - and looks great on all of them - and interacts with a long list of other useful apps so you can store everything you need to remember in the one place.
