Top Productivity Tools for 2020

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always craved the ability to focus and minimize distractions. I am the type of person that downloads every intriguing productivity app I come across to explore and see what I can learn from it. In this fast-paced and overwhelming world, there are many options to help you stick to your goals. Here are my favorite tools this year for keeping myself on track.

I. ToDoist

ToDoist has been a game-changer for me, and my most relied on app since I discovered it last autumn. ToDoist is a project management solution great for creating to-do lists and getting them done. They offer three different pricing levels: free, premium ($36/year), and business ($60/year).

My mind is usually everywhere - jumping from one project to another from work to personal tasks I need to accomplish. I love the ability to jot down everything in the same place at once and quickly sort it later. The software is intelligent enough to interpret and categorize the tasks based on your input. As an example, if you create a task to “Call John at 2 pm tomorrow #LevitateStyle” Todoist will automatically schedule a reminder for you at the appropriate time and file the task into your project section. I also love the ToDoist add-on to Google Chrome, so when I read an email and need to remind myself of a related task, I can quickly add it to my list. The to-do item will automatically be linked to this email so I can access it quickly from my list with one click.

You can also use it to keep a team on track by tagging others and assigning responsibilities and monitoring deadlines.

I have six project sections: 4 for my businesses and 2 for personal tasks. I love starting each day viewing my daily tasks as a whole and then viewing projects separately and based on levels of importance. It’s helped me organize myself once it became the place I track everything I need to do, personally and for work. Check out the app here!

II. Habit App

Whether you’re trying to build good habits or break bad ones, you’re in for a challenge. It’s challenging to reshape your natural behavior. That’s why I find having a visual representation of progress so helpful. I’ve explored many different habit apps, but I found this one to be the simplest, most straightforward, visually appealing, and FREE. I’m a sucker for detailed graphs and information breakdown. Download the free app here.

 

III. Bookly

I’ve been an avid reader my entire life, but I found it challenging to manage my reading list and finish books in a timely manner. Bookly is a beautiful app that helps you track your books, read more, and estimate time remaining all while saving your thoughts and favorite quotes in one place. I love the insightful data that tracks your reading speed and gives you accurate estimations of how much reading time you have left until finishing. I also love the ability to take photos of my favorite passages and even generate text from the photograph. They also have relaxing sounds to choose from while you read like rain (my favorite) and a cafe. You can also set goals and unlock achievements. I paid $20 for the year. If you use my special code here, you’ll get 30% off! 

  

 

IV. Goodnotes

I am a self-professed notebook hoarder. I used not to start a new project or undertaking unless I had “the perfect notebook” for the task. With Goodnotes on my iPad, I can have as many notebooks as my heart desires. Virtual tools are great, but sometimes I do best writing things down, and I love being able to have access to these notes no matter where I am. You can also download and import PDFs into the app to write or highlight on. Check it out here.

 

V. Streak

This CRM tool is the number one I recommend to everyone. It’s such a fantastic tool, especially if you’re a freelancer. It works directly with Gmail, so it’s easy to access, endlessly customizable and makes everything easy to see with just a quick look. It also features a column on the right side of your screen when you’re reading or writing emails, enabling you to easily assign emails to your pipeline, add new projects, or update current ones. I’ve used the free version for the past three years, and it has made tracking and organizing projects a breeze. There are endless ways to arrange it, but for me, it makes the most sense to track projects according to their status. Read more about it here.

VI. iPhone Notifications and Screen Time

Arguably, my most significant improvement in terms of happiness and ease of mind has come from simply changing the settings on my phone. I can be easily distracted, so removing banner notifications from my phone has been a lifesaver. Go to “Settings,” “Notifications,” and turn off all notifications from nearly all apps. I like to leave my email notifications on. I found that almost all of the notifications enabled on my phone only served as a distraction. Did I need my phone to alert me for each Instagram comment or Facebook message? No. The next time I log into the app I will see them. These things are not time-sensitive. I also added screen time limits for apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Though I sometimes bypass the limit for the day, it’s a good practice to be aware of how much time I’ve spent on my phone.