If you\u2019ve ever found yourself laboring through a task that\u2019s taking way longer than you expected, you may have wondered, \u201cIs there an app for this?\u201d With advances in the digitization of business happening every day, it\u2019s no surprise that the answer is, in many cases, a resounding yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other situations, even though an application can\u2019t handle all of a certain workflow, it can make one or two aspects of it a whole lot easier. Here are some of the must-have productivity apps for your work environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n With Todoist<\/a>, you get a to-do list management one-stop shop. It gives you the ability to write down tasks and keep them together according to the projects they\u2019re associated with. You can also use this application to connect with other people who are working on the same or related projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, you can use Todoist to split up a number of tasks associated with one project between you and someone else on your team. Every time your partner completes a task, you can see their progress on your device\u2014and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, Todoist comes with labels, filters, and themes you can use to customize what people see, how it appears, and when it shows up. And with Todoist\u2019s activity history, you get a precise view of what you\u2019ve done, which can be helpful when filling out productivity reports and analyzing employee activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though most people are familiar with Google Docs<\/a> and have used it, at least to some extent, in the past, many don\u2019t realize how much you can do with this versatile cloud-based service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, because Google Sheets is compatible with many of the formulas and formats of other popular spreadsheet solutions, such as Microsoft Excel, you can use Google Sheets to enable your entire team to import and work with a spreadsheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing that makes Google docs unique is the way you can use it to unite several different elements of employees\u2019 creative productions. For example, you can use one docs account to unify every written document, spreadsheet, and slide presentation made across your entire organization. This gives you in-depth visibility into what\u2019s being produced in different departments and by whom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, for many people, the image editing and graphic design features within Google Docs feel more user-friendly than those in Microsoft Word and other common programs. Even though you may not be able to do everything you can in a more full-featured app like Adobe Photoshop for basic editing and creation, Google Docs often gets the job done. At the same time, because it\u2019s so easy to share files, it\u2019s easier to work without silos when using Docs instead of other apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can think of Hive<\/a> as a boiled-down, feature-rich productivity and project management system. For people and organizations that may not want to commit to a full implementation of Oracle\u2019s NetSuite for project management, Hive may have enough features and versatility to keep your projects on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, you can use Hive to keep everyone on a project team in sync, allowing them to update the system on their progress as they work. In addition, people can pick up different tasks, take ownership of them, and also assign them to others. And if you need some help while working within Hive, it\u2019s easy to pull in someone else to lend you a hand. Hive is an effective tool for ensuring accountability across your organization for business-critical tasks, regardless of how big or small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another unique feature of Hive is it enables you to make templates that you can repeatedly use for different applications. For example, you could create a project management template complete with milestones, task labels, such as \u201cUrgent\u201d or \u201cPrivate,\u201d and subsections to delineate different phases of the project. You can then save that and use it for every project that a particular department undertakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scientists have identified certain kinds of music that can make it easier to focus, sleep, or relax, and Brain.fm<\/a> uses their findings to provide you with audio that boosts productivity. Even though some people work perfectly well without any music at all, for those in an office setting, who work at home with family members in the background, or who work in shared office spaces, Brain.fm can help drown out distractions. At the same time, the music you listen to may give you the productivity boost you need to check a few more items off your list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, the researchers at Brain.fm have discovered that the human brain has neural oscillations that can make it easier to perform well while doing certain tasks. Music can help generate neural oscillations<\/a>, and Brain.fm has created music designed to encourage this kind of productive brain behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many people, their phones are their biggest distractions, and Forest<\/a> is designed to give you a measurable way of reducing how often you allow your phone to pull you away from essential work tasks. The way it works is relatively simple: You plant a tree, and while you have the Forest app open, the tree continues to grow. But if you exit the app to use another one, such as WhatsApp or YouTube, your tree dies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, the app can keep track of how well you do with keeping your focus over time, letting you see whether your ability to stay on task is improving\u2014or withering like your digital trees. Another cool feature is you can plant real trees using Forest. When you earn enough coins<\/a> in the app, you can plant a tree in Sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Todoist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Google Docs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Brain.fm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Forest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n