Staying productive in this day and age is more complicated than ever with all the distractions we face today. The office is not the only place we find ourselves working, and with so much going on, it is easy to lose track of the tasks we need to get done. 

Luckily for us, technology does not just exist to distract us. Many apps — for mobile or desktop, iOS, Android, or Windows and Mac — exist to boost productivity. 

Productivity tools like time trackingfunctions, task management features and cross-platform integrations serve as hubs for different apps. 

Some help you schedule your day better, while others make it easier to manage an entire workplace. 

The Best Productivity Apps

Here is a rundown of some of the best productivity applications for today’s young professionals.

• Dialed
• Evernote
• OmniFocus
• RescueTime
• Slack
• Trello
• Zapier

Dialed

An option that is great for setting strict deadlines for yourself is Dialed. Dialed keeps your work life at work by giving you a work number. This number functions on your mobile phone, allowing you the flexibility of a work phone without the cost. 

One of the best features is categorizing your contacts depending on their role. You can organize your contact list and even set VIPs with different settings. Dialed also Evernote

On paper, Evernote is a note-taking app, but in practice, it adds much more. Anything can be categorized as a note on Evernote, from text documents to pdf files and even videos. It is a great way to store your data and make sure you have everything you need for your project in one place. 

The interface goes beyond data storage by allowing users complete administrative control over their files. You can categorize your information and prioritize different sections depending on your needs at any given time. 

This tool is excellent for individuals trying to keep track of multiple projects at once. 

OmniFocus

Omnifocus is specifically for use with an Apple device. The software is based around organization and productivity, improving the user interface of your device to be more conducive to smooth workflow. You can create task categories to organize your information and files depending on your needs.

A drawback of Omnifocus, especially for younger people, is its higher price point. It is a very in-depth program and great for professionals, but it is an investment and something you should be sure you are interested in before buying. 

That being said, Omnifocus holds its own compared to the other options on this list. 

RescueTime

The primary purpose of RescueTime is to improve your time management. Time is an essential aspect of productivity, and RescueTime leans into that by tracking your device usage and showing you hard statistics on how you use your time. This allows you to set up plans for improving your time management skills. 

Rescue time lets you block certain distractions from reaching you at work, making it great when you are working from home. You can turn RescueTime on and off, making it the perfect tool for when you need to get locked in. 

Slack

Slack has been popular for a long time and continues to be a tried and true option for businesses today. At a basic level, Slack is a collaboration tool built mainly for communication, but it has evolved into a great project management tool. 

You can create multiple chat channels depending on what you are working on with each group, making it easy to facilitate discussion and collaboration between team members. 

Slack is compatible with Dropbox, and you can use that integration to ensure everyone on the team has access to the necessary files for any project. 

This means you can integrate the Google Calendar app, Gmail, Google Docs, and anything else on Google Drive that helps your team’s productivity. 

It also works well for its original purpose: having a messaging app with notifications that don’t take up space in your regular mobile inbox.

Trello

Trello turns the basic concept of to-do lists into a fully-fledged time management system. With Trello, you create cards representing specific tasks you need to complete. The great thing about this program is that you can see which tasks are complete in real-time and how far along the rest are. 

Trello makes it easy for everyone on the team to know where they stand relative to everyone else. It uses a visually stimulating user interface to make the flow of productivity as smooth as possible. 

Trello’s checklist operation works well for individuals trying to get through their day as well as entire teams in the workplace approaching a project due date. 

Zapier

Zapier is unique in that its purpose is to improve the integration of multiple applications with which the user engages. Its automationfunctions simplify tasks within the apps that you usually have to cycle through. 

The app creates automated processes called zaps, which are the company's way of describing actions that you can make your programs do in tandem with one another. 

Zapier is a great way to make production faster, given that many of us constantly switch between different programs to do our jobs. You can have email attachments automatically saved to your shared drive or have new tasks added to your Trello board. 

There are a ton of possibilities that Zapier can help you achieve by integrating it with your existing productivity framework. 

Conclusion

Being productive does not have to be a challenge, and there are a ton of productivity options out there. Some allow you to oversee every aspect of a project no matter how many team members you work with. 

Others are more task management apps, keeping you on track by giving you all the tools you need to get things done.

Download Dialed if your goal is to get a handle on your work team and keep a firm line between the productivity of your work day and your home life. 

It gives you the individual flexibility to choose who can contact you while also helping you manage your entire team. 

As long as you know where to look, you can find tools that will keep you productive regardless of your workspace. 

Sources:

Keep your project going | Trello

How it works | Zapier

Tame your work, organize your life | Evernote

Communicate the right way | Slack

OmniFocus for the Web | Omnifocus

Where did the time go? | RescueTime