The 3 best productivity apps you need now

Whether you’re a marketing manager, business owner or simply someone that wants to get on top of their to do list – everyone can benefit from these 3 best productivity apps.

As a business owner and lifestyle design entrepreneur – productivity means everything to me. I’m a perpetual advocate of the ‘work smarter, not harder‘ philosophy and over the years I’ve filtered through the hundreds of apps to find the 3 that make the most significant impact on productivity. I know every day it feels like someone is spruiking the new “latest and greatest” productivity application, but for me, these are genuinely game changers…

Without further ado:

1) G-Suite:

A simple but often overlooked business necessity. I have to admit to being a late adopter to G-Suite… My iCloud account had to be ripped from my cold clenched hands, but after a strong recommendation from a mentor of mine, I broke up with Apple and jumped ship to Google… I’ve never looked back.

I call G-Suite a productivity app simply because of the sheer scope and power of having all your ‘work apps’ synced and saved in one place.

Just some of the benefits include:
  • Access to key apps like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs and Google Sheets.
  • Google Calendar which is one of the most widely integrated calendar applications available.
  • Email addresses connected to your domain at competitive rates (i.e.,. Hello@reiterate.com.au).
  • World-class support (yes, believe it or not, Google has a great customer service team if you are a paying customer).

 

Now my files and nearly all of my key apps are available on any computer, any device, anywhere in the world. Google Drive is not just a fantastic cloud service to store your files, but it’s one completely geared towards collaboration. It allows for the selective sharing of files between team members, contractors and even clients. This makes setting permissions for employees extremely easy, as well as completely removing the need for an app like DropBox for large file transfer and cloud storage

Google’s integrations, both native and through the likes of Zapier (if you don’t know what Zapier is, more to come in a future blog post), make its applications use so widespread.

If you still have a “bubblegum_chick89@hotmail.com” style email address…. Please, do us all a favour and jump on G-Suite.

2) Focuster

Focuster has had the most significant impact on my productivity and task management out of any other application I’ve trailed. I couldn’t list the number of “To Do List” apps I’ve tried, and each cannot compare to the power of Focuster.

The beauty of Focuster is that it combines a few key features of different apps into one consolidated application.

Key features include:
  1. Create lists into subcategories, including an ‘inbox’ for filtering filing new tasks.
  2. Move individual tasks from your master list into your week planner (Similar to Trello).
  3. Create a daily task list that includes estimated task durations, due dates and additional notes.
  4. Schedule (automatically or manually) your tasks into the available spaces in your Google Calendar (synced).

 

Once you get your head around it, it is absolutely magic.

  • You have a master list that holds EVERYTHING you need to do in business and life.
  • You can then plan out your week according to your already set schedule.
  • It then forces you to prioritise as there are only so many hours in the day.
  • It then forces you to focus on that one task during that allocated period. Fewer distractions, more focus, more productivity.

 

A big wrap I know! I promise you; I haven’t been paid to write this. @Focuster – you can thank me later… Free subscription anyone? 😉 [Shout out to Jordan Van Hemert that put me onto it!]

3) Evernote

G-Suite is fantastic for file storage, email and work applications. Focuster is perfect for task management. But there is a middle ground these two can’t fill.

What about your requirements for in-depth note taking? Research? That flight itinerary? Gmail and Focuster can achieve these things to a degree, but they pale in comparison to Evernote.

Admittedly years ago I was reluctant to use Evernote. I downloaded the free version and was initially underwhelmed. It seemed a little clunky… Difficult to use. I was confused by the system of having notes, then notebooks, then notebook ‘stacks’. I failed to see the value. So, like any true GenY, I gave up after about 15-minutes.

The issue was, my hunger for a powerful notation software still wasn’t satisfied… Finally, after hearing entrepreneur after entrepreneur advocate Evernote, I decided to give it one last ditch effort. A Gen-X style effort. You know where you actually read the instruction manual (to be honest, I watched YouTube tutorial videos. Aint’ nobody’ got time for instruction manuals). 

… And after that, I fell in love.

Like, true love. The saying rings true; beauty is on the inside… Once you understand how to use Evernote to its full potential, this program will change your life. It now feels like I have a digital extension of my brain. Like an external hard drive that’s far more reliable than my monkey mind.

I no longer have piles of paper work or folders of important documents. They are all now securely stored in my Evernote.

Just some of the things you can put in your Evernote:
  • Goal lists
  • Affirmations
  • Journals
  • Documents you need on the go (travel insurance, flight boarding passes, etc.)
  • Style inspiration

 

On a business front, it becomes even more powerful. I store anything great I notice. It could be:

  • Clever e-commerce or lead-generation initiatives
  • Smart marketing and advertising campaigns
  • Fantastic website designs
  • Compelling social media content
  • Learning notes from seminars, events and my research
  • Smart marketing campaigns
  • Quick ideas for campaigns or business improvements for Reiterate clients

 

The list goes on… But having a good understanding of this desktop and the mobile app will truly change your life. Design your Evernote structure to get the most out of your life and business.

That’s it! This blog post was a little longer than I’d anticipated, but these apps get me excited. For even more blog posts just like this one and content that is going to help you crush your goals, subscribe to our eNewsletter below!

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Keep winning!
Justin

2 Comments
  • Ryan reed
    Posted at 11:23h, 02 August Reply

    Yeah baby
    I need all of the above!
    Let’s start winning

  • Thomas Coussens
    Posted at 13:42h, 02 August Reply

    Very cool. I will have a crack at all of those.

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