Become a Productivity Master with These 4 Must-Have Apps

In order to stay productive we need powerful apps. Although apps themselves will not get your much needed tasks completed for you, they will help you stay focused and organized.  Here are four productivity apps I use almost everyday and will surely excel your productivity and efficiency: 

OmniFocus

OmniFocus has been described by some as the 'Ferrari of to-do lists'.  It is an all encompassing task management application, designed for Apple's operation system (both on the Mac and OS).  The application is designed for those 'hardcore' Getting Things Done (GTD) users.  Although there is a steep learning curb, once you get the basic gist, you can really excel your productive ability with this important tool.  

I have been using OmniFocus for the last year and find it very useful and comprehensive.  I use both the Mac OS version and the universal IOS app on the iPad and iPhone.  All my to-do's and projects seamlessness syncs to all of my iDevices, using their own 'OmniSync server', which is great!  

If you want to learn a bit more about the GTD method by David Allen and how OmniFocus uses this methodology with their application, check out this video by the Omnigroup:

If you are a beginner or have already been using OmniFocus for sometime, I would recommend checking out, Learning OmniFocus by Tim Stringer.  On his site, you can learn the ins and outs of the program, as well as learn some of the more advanced features.  

I have split up my OmniFocus workflow into 4 main sections or folders: Home, Work, Business, and Masters.  This allows me to stay organized in these main areas of life, by focusing on each part depending on the time or context.  

Other free to-do list apps to check out are: Wunderlist, Clear, Things, 2do, and Asana.

4 main sections/ folders set up on my OmniFocus: Home, Work, Business, and Masters. 

Evernote

Evernote is a popular note-taking app that goes beyond just your ordinary note-taking application. For one it syncs with many of your other apps, using the hand-off feature in IOS and through web browser integration. There are many useful features, such as the ability to organize your notes using tags, notebooks, and stacks. 

I started using Evernote when I purchased my first iPhone, but gave it up after only a few months. However coming back to it recently, I have come to take advantage of all the new features it provides.  I use it to archive all my important information I gather.  In short, it has largely taken the place of my physical folder system or tickler file system.  It is now an integral part of my mostly paperless workflow. It has allowed me to stay much more organized. For instance, I can keep all my notes from my Master's class as well as the readings in a Notebook, which syncs accross devices.  This way I can easily access my master notes, PDF's etc., from any device.  I would certainly recommend it!

MineNode

I also use the mind-mapping software MindeNode, which is a great app for brainstorming and allowing one to take a larger 'snapshot' of their life.  As you can see here, I have outlined various areas of my life.  In GTD, David Allen speaks about conceptualizing and reflection on your life from different 'horizons'. This app allows you to achieve such a brainstorming process.  

The areas of focus in my life. 

Brainstorming ideas for my website and blog. 

Like OmniFocus, MindNode syncs with all of your iDevices using iCloud.  

Drafts

Draft is a powerful note taking app, that allows to literally share and push any note with almost any app.  It is a great app for offloading everything on your mind, so that you can later process it.    

If you want to get up a running with the app, I would recommend checking out the guys at Asian Efficiency.  They have some great tutorials on the application.

I plan to create a video tutorial on this application.  But for now just take my word for it! 

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