MY FAVORITE PRODUCTIVITY APPS THAT I USE DAILY
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE this THE YEAR WHERE YOU GET MORE DONE, ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS, AND STILL HAVE TIME FOR YOUR FAMILY? LET ME HELP YOU GET YOUR TIME BACK WITH MY FREE PRODUCTIVITY PLANNER!
As a busy mom who runs a business from her computer + phone (aka mompreneur), it can be REALLY hard for me to shut my brain off at the end of the day. I feel like I’m constantly thinking about my business, what to do next, and all the things I need to get done.
There is pretty much never something I CAN’T be working on. There is ALWAYS something to do.
However, as I’ve learned over the past several years, being “on” all the time is REALLY hard too. Not only does it take away from me being present with my family, but it has also led me to overwhelm + burn out.
I felt like I HAD to be on all the time. I felt like I always needed to be available to my clients, customers, and team. There was no getting away from it all.
In 2021, I made it a point to make my business less of a priority in my life so that I actually could take time “off” in my business. I was tired of feeling worn down + burnt out every single day. I was tired of being on my phone + computer every single night after the kids went to bed. I was tired of staying up far too late because I wanted to do “just one more thing” before I shut down for the night - only to wake up and do it all over again.
Two things I decided…
To stop working each day by 3PM (and then go for a walk so that I can decompress before picking the kids up)
To avoid opening up my computer after the kids go to bed as much as possible (of course, there are weeks where it’s necessary, but I wanted to avoid it as much as possible)
However, that “time off” also meant finding ways to be more productive with my time during the day.
And guess what?! There’s an app for that!
While I’m not perfect at my time management + productivity, these apps help me to stay focused + get more done in my day. Best of all? They’re FREE to download!
Here are the 4 productivity apps that I use every single day...
>> Trello
Yeah, I know… I talk about Trello A LOT, but it truly is one of my FAVORITE tools for planning + productivity! There is rarely a day that goes by when I’m NOT using Trello to mark off daily tasks and keep all my ongoing projects in order.
For daily productivity, I have a card set up with a checklist of ALL the things I need to make sure I do every single day. It’s just a simple reminder (and one less thing to put in my planner), but it does help me make sure I don’t forget those important things I need to be doing daily (like reading my Bible or checking data on Facebook ads for clients I’m working with).
If you’re new to Trello, you can learn more about how I use it to keep my life + business in order.
>> Focus Keeper
Back in January, I started working using the Pomodoro technique. If you don’t want to click on the link to look it up, the basics of it are: set a timer for 25 minutes, then take a break for 5 minutes. Do that for 2 hours and then take a 25-minute break before sitting down and getting back to work.
This wasn’t exactly a new concept to me. I read about something similar in Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Habits, but I was doing more of a 50-10 work to rest interval.
After seeing my cognitive behavior coach using this method, I decided to try it for myself, and it’s been SO helpful! Not only do I feel like I’m more focused during those 25 minute periods, but my house is also MUCH cleaner because I spend those 5 minutes trying to pick up around the house.
My issue was I would always forget to actually set a timer so I’d work for 3 or 4 hours straight without getting up. Sure, I got a ton of stuff done, but it also led to massive amounts of burnout + anxiety.
Enter the Focus Keeper app! It’s totally free and sets the timers for you - 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of rest. I use it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. - and I feel like I get so much more done!
>> Google Keep
You’re most likely familiar with a notes app on your phone. Why do I prefer Google Keep? Because when I lost my phone in Washington DC a few years ago (long story for another day), it wasn’t backed up. *womp womp* So I lost EVERYTHING. (I think I was most upset about losing my Bucket List… it’s gone forever now.)
Google Keep syncs with your Google account so you will NEVER lose it. As long as I’m logged into my account, I can access my notes!
I use it mostly for things I need to remember or need quick access to. I write all my social media content in a note first (again, I HATE losing things) and keep ideas and other “brain dump” things in there. Plus, I can allow someone to contribute to a note as well (similar to how you can share docs in Google).
>> Google Calendar
This is another app where it really doesn’t matter your preference, but I prefer Google Calendar simply because it’s easier for me to share + integrate it with other things.
I’m definitely both a paper + digital planner type of girl. I NEED my paper planner because if I don’t physically write it down, I ain’t going to remember it! But, I use my Google Calendar because EVERYTHING is synced to that. Plus, it’s a lot easier to pull out my phone than it is to pull out my planner + write something down.
The biggest thing I used Google Calendar for is time blocking my days. I like to have a plan ahead of time of what I’m doing + when, and it’s easy for me to add blocks of time for when I’m writing, filming social media content (hello Reels), on calls, or working on client tasks. It pretty much goes hand-in-hand with my Focus Keeper app so I stay, well, focused + on task so I get more done in my day.
Other things that help me with productivity on a daily basis…
Alexa on our Echo Dot - I love setting reminders or just asking her questions (mostly about the weather), but I’m hoping they come out with a Pomodoro skill so that I don’t have to use my phone all the time (and kill my battery)
Day Designer Planner - you just can’t go wrong with a paper planner, in my personal opinion
If you’re wanting to be more productive with your time - because I KNOW you’re busy - try these apps out for yourself!
