The best time management apps & tools

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Do you ever wish you had a few extra hours in the day? For most of us, it always seems like there’s too much to do and never enough time to do it. The truth is, you have all the time you need to get the things you value the most done. However, you might not be using your time to the best of your ability. Achieving the outcomes that matter to you is not an issue of having more time, but simply a question of focus and clarity.

If you are a manager, business owner or otherwise leading a company, it’s even more important that you utilize time effectively. This is key to your leadership skill set, as it gives you the opportunity to provide guidance and set the right example for those who look up to you.

Mastering time management isn’t about checking off your to-do list every day. True success means breaking down what you really want – determining your long-term goals and creating a path that will take you to them. The best time management apps can help you manage your daily tasks, but they won’t assist you in your long-term efforts or change the way you look at yourself. 

As long as you recognize that true change comes from within, these time management tools can help you get a handle on the everyday tasks you need to take to reach success. 

Using time management apps

The modern era has made scheduling and other types of time management easier and more accessible than ever thanks to cellphones and on-the-go devices like tablets. You can use these apps wherever you are, and you can often connect them across devices. Though being on your phone can turn into a big time-suck, using it to access these time management apps can help you keep track of your day.

To-do app: Any.do

How it works:

Any.do is one of the best apps for time management available. You can use it with Android, iOS and Chrome, on your own or with a team. It works like many other to-do apps, but it has one special feature that distinguishes it from the others: the Any.do Moment.

Why it works:

The Any.do Moment is why this app works so well. It allows you to review your daily tasks every morning – as well as rearrange things if necessary. The app lets you focus on what’s most important rather than get caught up in busy-work.

How it can help you:

Any.do is one of the few time management tools that can actually help you train yourself to form new, productive habits.

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Focus app: Focus Booster

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How it works:

Based on the Pomodoro Technique, Focus Booster is a time management app that helps you stay focused on specific tasks for a limited amount of time. 

Why it works:

By using easy time tracking and a simple dashboard to aid visualization, Focus Booster helps you limit distractions and evaluate where your time is being wasted.

How it can help you:

Focus Booster helps those who are easily distracted focus on the task at hand. 

Chunking app: Clear

How it works:

Clear is not specifically designed for chunking your tasks, but it may as well be. It’s compatible with iOS and OS X.

Why it works:

Clear lets you organize your goals into manageable categories so you can tackle them more easily. It also provides notifications so you can prioritize your tasks appropriately, and it syncs with your iCloud account.

How it can help you:

Clear can help you group your tasks in convenient, appealing chunks so you can better visualize your progress and knock items off your to-do list.

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Note organizing app: Evernote

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How it works:

Have a hard time organizing all of your ideas in one easy-to-access location? Evernote tops the list of online time management tools in the organizational category by helping you keep everything from images to lists and even voice attachments in one convenient place.

Why it works:

Many of us waste precious time looking for notes we’ve scribbled on envelopes, told someone about or otherwise filed away for later. Evernote cuts back on those “lost hours” by letting you jot down and save the thought as soon as it happens. 

How it can help you:

An ideal app for brainstormers and creative types, Evernote makes sure you never lose a great idea or point of reference. If you are constantly trying to dig up notes you took weeks ago or frequently stress over things you’ve forgotten, Evernote can be your one-stop reminder.

Thought-tracking app: Moodnotes

How it works:

Moodnotes lets you track your moods and thoughts over time so you can avoid negative thought patterns and encourage healthier thinking habits.

Why it works:

This app is easy to use and is based on actual cognitive behavioral research. An elevated mood means enhanced mental clarity as well as better focus, all of which help us maximize our time.

How it can help you:

Moodnotes helps you see both positive and negative patterns in your thoughts and moods over time. This is valuable in helping you to more easily identify what is causing limiting beliefs or negative patterns and it allows you to understand ways you can change your thought processes.

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Time management software

Though time management apps can be very helpful for individuals, companies can also benefit from software designed to be used on a desktop and shared with the entire company. Here are the best time management tools in this area:

Project management/collaboration tool: Asana

How it works:

This is a collaborative workplace management tool a team can use to stay on track and develop better corporate communication. Don’t need it for the office? It also works for individuals who need to keep track of their own projects, or anyone else looking for collaboration, accountability and visibility for group tasks.

Why it works:

Asana is one of the online time management tools that lets you see you’ll be working on in the coming days, weeks and months. You can also share your progress with others and prioritize your next steps individually or as a group.

How it can help you:

Use Asana to work with others or manage the different responsibilities you have across distinct areas of your life (at the office, at home, for your volunteer group and so on). You can see work tasks, home projects and personal goals all in one place.

Team budgeting/tracking tool: BigTime

How it works:

BigTime is an operating system that can be accessed anywhere by your team. It helps you track budgets, time, staff utilization and more. It also provides real-time business insights and helps you organize workflow so your team runs more efficiently.

Why it works:

BigTime helps you accurately bill more hours, which helps you grow profits. It can also give you greater knowledge about your business, which naturally leads to more growth.

How it can help you:

If you’ve recently experienced explosive growth and feel like you’re losing a handle on day-to-day operations, BigTime can help you get back on track.

Voice recognition tool: Dragon Naturally Speaking

How it works:

Dragon Naturally Speaking is some of the best voice dictation software available. You can use it to dictate everything from letters and emails to reports and notes for upcoming meetings. The time management software then automatically sends your recorded files to your computer or phone.

Why it works:

Dragon is effective because it is highly intuitive and has many in-depth features that simplify use. There are even different versions of Dragon tailored to suit your needs such as Dragon Anywhere (perfect for use on mobile devices) and Dragon Legal (specially created for those in the legal industry).

How it can help you:

Each of us have N.E.T. time, or No Extra Time, that we can use to our advantage. We fill this time with menial tasks like being stuck in traffic, running errands and exercising. Dragon helps you by allowing you to dictate messages and reports as you take care of tasks that would otherwise occupy your time. That means you get more done during your day.

Automation tool: IFTTT

How it works:

IFTTT stands for “if this, then that.” It’s a coding term, but this time management software lets you skip the coding and go right to automating your life. For example, you could set up an IFTTT that says, “If my Google Calendar shows an event, then text me a reminder with the details.”

Why it works:

There are so many little things we do every day that we can automate – why not skip those little actions and save yourself some time? You can program IFTTT to turn on the outside light once the sun goes down, or open a file if it was sent by a particular person.

How it can help you:

Speaking of N.E.T. time, imagine how much time you’d free up if you automated as many of your tasks as you could. All those little tasks can add up to several hours a week of reclaimed time.

Time training tool: RescueTime

How it works:

RescueTime is a business time management tool available for Android, iOS, Linux, OS X and Windows that records the breaks you take, the websites you visit and the apps you and your team use throughout the day.

Why it works:

RescueTime gives you an in-depth look at your technology habits and helps you stay on track by quantifying your productivity goals. For example, you can set a goal to be on Facebook for no longer than half an hour per day, or to spend an hour or less on emails. It also blocks distracting apps and sites when you really need to focus. You can also utilize time management tools such as RescueTime with your team to help them make better use of their time.

How it can help you:

After RescueTime tracks you or your employees all day, you will know exactly how time is typically spent on a project. You can then use this information to hold yourself or your team more accountable, improving habits and eliminating unproductive behaviors. 

Email management: Unroll.Me

How it works:

Unroll.Me is a useful tool that unsubscribes you from all of those deals and newsletters that end up in your junk folder. It also organizes the ones you do want to receive so they don’t pop into your inbox or set off individual notifications throughout the day. Instead, Unroll.Me provides a summary of all the promotional materials you receive throughout the day in a single email so you don’t miss out on any relevant information.

Why it works:

Unroll.Me makes it easy to organize your inbox and only see the emails you really want. Every day it alerts you to new subscriptions and allows you to unsubscribe with a single click.

How it can help you:

As far as time management tools go, Unroll.Me leads the battle in fighting endless distractions in your inbox, and it summarizes the information you want to read through when you’ve allotted the time to do so.

With the right time management apps and software at your disposal, you have the power to stay on track. Effective time management tools will assist you in making use of your N.E.T. time, chunking your tasks so they are more manageable and making better use of the time you already have. Maximizing time, your most precious resource, is essential to living a more fulfilling life and the above tools can help you achieve greater success in this area.

Beyond time management apps

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what tool you’re using until you have an effective time management system in place. For a comprehensive guide on effective time management techniques and scientifically proven methods used by Tony Robbins himself, purchase The Time of Your Life. The strategies taught in this 10-day program will free you from your endless to-do lists, allowing you to master your time and get more out of life.

You’ll learn proven ways to make the best of your time so you can create a more fulfilling career, deepen personal relationships and learn how to still have time for things you find rewarding, like exercise, travel and spending time with your family. The Time of Your Life shifts your focus from what you think you have to do and redirects it toward what you actually want to be doing. Order this effective program today and start working toward the tangible results you desire.

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