Me one, Procrastination zero. 👊
“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” — Bill Gates
As someone who has been lazy and still able to accomplish what I want, I believe I am perfectly qualified to write this. Because most of the time unless the panic monster shows his face, work doesn't start happening. ( Who is Panic monster? Check out this interesting blog on procrastination by Tim Curran here, or watch his TED talk )
Over the years technology helped. Plenty of resources online help me to avoid distractions, be organized, and make sure I don’t forget important tasks and stuff- and here I’m gonna share that here.
Here you go :)
#1 Forest
Forest helps you stay present and focused every time you plant a virtual tree. When you successfully pass that time without opening other apps ( i.e, when you don’t get distracted by Instagram memes and WhatsApp messages) the tree grows and adds to your forest. Forest smartly uses our love for gamification and subconscious dopamine boost every time a tree is planted, to motivate us to grow more and in turn, stay undistracted.
Pros 👍
Sleek UI, one of its kind, Positive reinforcement.
Cons 👎
The Deep focus mode is Paid. Only mobile version ( for obvious reasons )
Website 💻 // Android 📲 // iOS 🍎
#2 Notion
Notion is a website most of us don’t deserve. It goes a step ahead in every way, as a note-taking app, organizer, journal — you name it. The notion has so many templates covering vast scenarios and helps you make your life easier. For someone like me who is always working on side projects, Notion is a boon.
If F.R.I.E.N.D.S was shot in 2021, I’m 99.99% sure that Monica Geller would have a perfectly organized Notion account.
Pros 👍
Has immense potential. Free for personal use. Amazing templates. Sync across all your devices — office laptop, personal laptop, iPad, mobile phone, everywhere.
Cons 👎
UX can be overwhelming in the beginning as it has so many features. But it eventually pays off.
Website 💻 // iOS & Android 📲 // Mac and Windows 🖥️
#3 Keep Notes
Keepin’ it simple.
Personally, I love to Keep for making quick notes — grocery store lists, errands, Personal reminders, and quick ideas that pop up while sipping morning coffee. The best part is its efficiency and multi-platform support, which helps to keep data consistent among devices that a normal phone notes app can’t do.
The best part is adding collaborators to existing notes — I love it when I get to add my roommate to the ‘ Room shopping list ‘ note. Should see the look on her face. :P
Pros 👍
Multi-platform, Simple.
Cons 👎
Nothing much I can think of.
Website 💻 // Android 📲 // iOS 🍎
#4 Alarmy
C’mon, who doesn't enjoy that last five minutes of sleep after hitting the snooze button? But also remember how many times the snooze button ended up costing you a lot?
As a sleepyhead when I want to force myself to wake up early, I use this amazing app that has challenges like doing Math problems, Typing, Walking, etc, and until you finish the challenges the alarm sound does not budge. It can be irritating but is good for someone who is tempted by the snooze button often.
Pros 👍
Basic functionality is Free. Simple to use.
Cons 👎
Make sure you are not so sleepy that you switch off your phone to switch off the alarm, Very bad idea bruh.
Website 💻 // Android 📲 // iOS 🍎
#5 7-Minute Workout
Unless your body is good, active, and healthy, your mind won’t cooperate. Getting that good serotonin boost from any physical exercise for that matter can help to boost your mood and increase your productivity. If you are someone who thinks you don't have enough time to have an entire routine, there is the 7-minute routine that focuses on intense HIIT workouts for exactly 7 minutes. Something is better than nothing isn’t it?
Pros 👍
Quick and effective. Many apps help in the correct timing in order. Can be done anywhere. Taking the routine 2 to 3 times is way more effective.
Cons 👎
This won't help you shed weight or grow abs. It is very basic and for busy days where you don't have time for anything else. It acts more of a mood booster and stretches out than actual workouts.
There are plenty of websites and apps that help you time it and give motivation.
Website 💻 // Android 📲 // iOS 🍎
#6 Noisli
I’m usually the type of person who plays music in the background while working. Yet, while doing more focused work like Studying/Reading books, Music distracted me and hence I used Noisli as my white noise source. You can make your own jam with relaxing sounds, like ocean waves, wind, white noise, forests, leaves, etc. It greatly boosts your environment, especially when you can’t study alone and sounds around you are too distracting.
Pros 👍
The variety of sounds to pick from. Love how the color keeps on changing which gives a very aesthetic and flowy mood. One of a kind.
Cons 👎
The mobile app is paid and does not have good reviews. On the web, the Free version has a time limit.
Website 💻
Todo Lists: Personal 💁🏻 & Office 💼
Todo lists are nothing but productivity and organization 101. Yet, sometimes too many lists can confuse you and make you end up doing none of the tasks. So, I use two apps, one for personal lists and the other for professional lists so my day is more organized.
#7 Google tasks
For Personal uses. 💁🏻
It is simple, cross-platform, syncs with your google calendar, and extremely efficient.I keep a list always open in my phone widget so whenever I need to note something down, any task I need to remember to do later, Google tasks come very handy. Next time you remember to fix that leaking pipe, or to pay the newspaper guy, just note down your errand so you don't miss it.
Pros 👍
Simple, cross-platform, has reminders, can make sub-lists.
Cons 👎
Some features like adding Labels are paid. It is suitable for basic to-do listing.
#8 Microsoft ToDo
For Office. 💼
Office work usually encompasses a great range of things, that Presentation you were working on, asking the Product manager that small feature doubts, etc, that is where this comes in handy. I love the different types of lists, ranging from ‘My Day’ to urgent tasks to important ones. Also, the best part is how you can link your outlook emails to the to-do list and hence not miss out on any important mails. It helps me meet deadlines too. My day starts with filling in the ‘My Day’ list and going on from there. Such a lifesaver for busy professional lives.
Pros 👍
Cross-platform, efficient, accommodates office lifestyle. If your office uses Office 365 for Mails, this should be a piece of cake and cross-platform too.
Cons 👎
Not any I can think of.
Website 💻 // Android 📲 // iOS 🍎
How do you organize your day, life and everything inbetween? Let me know in the comments section!
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