“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
This decades-old quote by acclaimed novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was just as true then as it is now, especially for corporate employees juggling different responsibilities every day.
The key is time management. With effective time management, work can be done more efficiently. Setting goals, prioritising tasks, and learning to delegate are some of the core tenets of good time management that help you get more done in less time.
The process looks different now than during Saint-Exupéry’s time. There are apps that not only help you to manage your time but also keep proper track of your schedule. These apps enable you to organise your work, be more productive, and manage every task more effectively. Additionally, these help you track where your time is being used and wasted.
Here are some apps that are helping users become more productive and achieve goals more effectively.
Forest
Forest app is designed specifically to keep you productive. Making time management a fun exercise, the app is aimed at helping you stay on track and focused.
This app works on a concept where the user plants a virtual tree whenever they want to focus. If the user stays committed to the task without getting distracted, the tree will grow. However, if the user loses focus and leaves the app to use the phone, the tree will die and they will have to start over again.
After creating an account, users can set a timer between 10 minutes and two hours for tasks. Depending on how long users set the timer for, they will be able to see the countdown as the tree grows.
Once you tap ‘Plant’, the timer will start and you will get 10 seconds to cancel if you change your mind.
The app also allows users to earn rewards by staying committed and unlocking trees. It also helps learn about individual focus habits, besides helping break phone addiction and form productive habits.
Forest app is available on both Android and iOS. It has a 4.7 rating on Google Play Store with over 10 million downloads.
Focus Booster
Focus Booster is a science-based time management app that is built on the Pomodoro technique to motivate you to stay focused and productive. It also tracks time records.
The Pomodoro technique helps break the workday into chunks and enables people to manage their tasks within the time they have. The app does this through a timer that allows users to divide work into 25-minute
intervals with a five-minute break. The task length and break time can be customised.
The app’s features also include calendar events, checklists, managing tasks, lists, reminders, and an on-screen mini timer for organising hours and dashboard reports.
Focus Booster was initially a free app with 20 sessions per month. It can be upgraded to unlimited sessions and additional features for $4.99 per month.
The app is available on both Android and iOS. It has a 4.6 rating on the Google Play Store, with over five million downloads.
Evernote
Evernote is a free note-taking planner and daily organiser to capture ideas, thoughts, and images via voice recording and notes in an organised manner.
Its features include scheduling, and creating agendas and reminders, to improve workflow and productivity.
Evernote allows recording meetings, ideas, and interviews as well as creating lists, speeches, web attachments, and text of voice attachments. It also enables sharing files with friends or colleagues.
Users can use their cameras to scan and organise business cards, whiteboards, paper documents, and handwritten notes. It syncs with all devices, such as phones, tablets, or Chromebooks.
While using Evernote is initially free, for premium features, a subscription will be charged based on the location of the user.
The app is available on both Android and iOS. It has a 4.4 rating on Google Play Store, with over 100 million downloads.
Ever app Evernote
Toggl
Toggl is a time management app that allows you to track how you spend your hours in real-time.
It tracks your activity to see where you are spending your time. You can use the data to go through your reports and break down your hours by clients, tasks, and projects.
The app uses Pomodoro mode for better focus and productivity using 25-minute increments with customised breaks in between. The Pomodoro timer automatically tracks your time in 25-minute increments, and as the Forest app, also features a countdown timer.
Based on the most used items, the app will give you suggestions on what you to track. It syncs with your phone, website, and desktop for better productivity and organisation.
Toggl is initially free, but to explore premium features, users have to pay subscription fees of $9 per month.
The app is available on Android with a 4.5 rating on Google Play Store, and has been downloaded more than 500,000 times.
TimeTree
TimeTree app allows you to share customisable calendars, work schedules, and appointments with family, friends, teams, and colleagues.
The user can create multiple calendars that can be displayed by toggling the on and off buttons. It helps keep team members or groups up-to-date with the upcoming and current activities and events.
Designed for to-do lists, saving memos, and shopping lists, the app also has a chat feature to send private messages to members.
It also invites new members via Facebook Messenger, email, WhatsApp, SMS, and more. It sets a different colour for each member or activity.
The app is available on both iOS and Android. It has a 4.3 rating on Google Play Store with over five million downloads.
