Three Productivity & Organizational Apps I Swear By

Raise your hand if you struggle with being productive.

It's a common struggle. Procrastination and over-thinking plagues a lot of us in different ways. Even when we want to get work done, being disorganized and distracted can prevent us from doing so.

After spending a majority of 2020 in an uneventful quarantine slump like many others, the sudden shift back to an academic lifestyle was difficult for me, to say the least. Because I enjoy learning, being productive isn't usually much of problem for me. However, a few weeks into learning remotely, I realized just how heavily I relied on physically attending classes to help set a tone of focus and bring structure to my day.

Spending the day on Zoom, taking notes, and doing homework in the same space that I ate, slept, and watched movies in was a productivity buzz kill. Not to mention how disorganized I was. No matter what I tried—create a page on the notes app, studying in the living room, staying at my desk, using a physical planner—I couldn't get into a work flow.

So, like any member of Gen Z, I took to the internet. I watched countless YouTube videos on productivity, read numerous articles, and tried so many apps that I've lost track. But my efforts weren't for nothing. After a few weeks of trial and error, I have finally found three apps that have amplified my productivity and that I cannot live without.

Before using these apps, I was constantly overwhelmed with my lengthy to-do list and everything I needed to get done—and yet, I'd catch myself wasting time by scrolling on my phone for hours on end. Ever since I began integrating them into my daily routine, I've been able to avoid procrastination, stay engaged and on top of my course work, and even create a sense of normalcy in learning remotely.

I want to share these three apps that have helped me immensely with my productivity, but before I do, I want to preface that these tools are not what creates productivity. Productivity, especially with remote learning, is supported by self-discipline which is a mental muscle you have to work every day to strengthen. It can be tough at first, but the more you practice self-discipline and implement boundaries that support your goals, the easier it gets and the more efficient you will be at completing tasks.

I've used each of these apps for a while now and they are my tried-and-true tools to help me make the most out of what time I have. There are only three because there's no need to over-complicate productivity. And trust me, as long as you use these three tools, you'll be able to get a lot done.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is the back bone to my life. It keeps me sane, it keeps me organized, it keeps me on task—everything.

If you don't already use Google Calendar, please do yourself a favor and start. I keep any and every event that requires my attention, regardless of whether or not I have to be there physically, on my Google Calendar. From classes, to club meetings, to my shifts for work, to birthdays—even reminders to cancel subscriptions and other important things are on there.

One of my favorite features of Google Calendar is that you can create color-coded categories so you know what events are for clubs versus classes just by looking at it. It's also a useful feature for time-blocking, a time-management method where you divide you day into block of time and focus on one thing.

I usually have limited time between my classes and organizations throughout the week and I have a pretty lengthy list of things I need to get done—assignments, articles, meetings, etc. Using Google Calendar, I block out periods of time each day to dedicate to a specific task on my to-do list so I can ensure everything that I need to get done that day, will get done.

This has eliminated any anxiety I used to have about whether or not I was going to finish an assignment on time because I can now see that it's going to get done and when. It is because of this app (and the next) that I've been able to make efficient use of my time and stay on top of my assignments, all without getting overwhelmed.

Notion

Out of all the apps on this list, Notion has made the biggest difference in my productivity. I used to have information scattered everywhere across my devices. I had a separate app to track my expenses, another to log upcoming assignments, and my notes app was a dumping ground for just about everything: lists, ideas, reminders, class notes—it was a mess, and it was excessive.

Notion is an all-in-one organizational workspace where you can do just about anything on. It has completely revolutionized the way I organize my life. I use it to manage my expenses, organize my course notes, keep track of assignments, plan out articles, write down recipes—the list is endless.

I'll admit that, upon downloading the application, it looks really intimidating. There's a lot that you can do with the app, which can be overwhelming. However, there's also so much potential, and I promise you, once you learn how to use it, it will completely change how you organize your life.

To make it easier, I'm sharing the workspace that I created for this semester for you to use. You can download it here.

Notion has gained a lot of traction in recent months, and as a result, there is a surplus of other templates that you can download and integrate into your own workspace if you don't like this one. I've written little notes explaining the purpose of each page throughout the workspace and how to use them. If you're new to Notion, I recommend looking up tutorials so you can alter it should you need to.

Forest

This app is honestly the one thing that keeps me on track and away from my biggest distraction (and I'm sure yours, too): my phone.

It's so easy to reach for your phone and scroll through social media when you hit a road block while working. Many of us do it mindlessly and don't even realize we are until we're five minutes into scrolling and liking Instagram photos of people we don't even know.

While having your phone near you in the case of an emergency may seem reasonable, it's really not. With notifications going off every few minutes, signifying a text or an email, it's very easy to get distracted and lose track of what you're doing, inevitably preventing you from ever really getting stuff done. This is where Forest comes in.

Forest is a unique timer app that allows the user to choose a tree and set the timer for however long they want to work for. Then, once they hit plant, the user can't leave the app or else they risk killing their tree. With each tree that is successfully planted, coins are earned. These can be used to buy more trees—and trust me, there are some pretty cool ones.

But, if you earn and save 2,500 coins, Forest provides the option to instead plant a real tree in an impoverished area. Not only do you save yourself time procrastinating on your phone and actually get stuff done, you can turn those efforts to focus into something that'll have a positive impact on the environment. It's pretty amazing.

I turn on Forest all the time now, because even though I study from home pretty much every single day, I'm still working. Forest helps me set the boundaries I need to be productive during my work hours by eliminating any chance of procrastination through my phone. It holds me accountable and is truly a time-saver because I'm no longer wasting the time I could be getting work done by scrolling through social media.

If you have the latest iPhone update, you can put a widget on your home screen that shows all of the trees you've planted and how many hours you've spent doing work. Not only is this a great incentive/reminder, but it's really nice to see all of the pretty trees you've planted throughout the day.

If you have any productivity or organization apps that you love and live by, please share them in the comments. I'm always looking for ways to optimize my day and new apps to try out.

Also let me know if you download my Notion template. I'm head-over-heels in love with it, especially the Studio Ghibli themed course pages.

Originally posted on rachelandherramblings.com on January 18, 2021