Get the Right Things Done Faster!
Ready to take control of your time and not only get more done, but do the right things? These resources will help!
1. Getting Things Done
The ultimate guide to greater productivity, this classic book by productivity master David Allen has led countless people to—as the title says—get things done.
Allen’s no-nonsense approach includes tried-and-true advice such as the “two-minute rule” and “weekly reviews,” all of which will help you determine what needs to be done and when, so you can take control of your time again.
Cost: From $8 and up, depending on format.
2. Google Calendar
No other calendar app is as flexible as Google. It easily integrates with 3rd party scripts to allow appointment systems such as TimeTrade and Acuity Scheduling to create appointments for you. Because it’s cloud-based, you can access it anywhere from nearly any device, so you’ll never be without your most important time management tool.
Not only that, but you can take advantage of multiple calendars to keep work and your personal life separate, share calendars with your VA or other team members, and even track tasks and due dates from within your email.
Cost: Free
3. Toggl
A cloud-based time tracking tool, Toggl makes keeping a time diary as easy as clicking a button. You can create projects to track time spent on various business tasks, and even add entries for notorious time-wasters such as social media or email.
The reporting features let you see at a glance where your time goes on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, so you can make better use of your time to get the right stuff done.
Cost: Free for a basic account
4. Scrivener
If you do a lot of writing, you can’t do better than Scrivener for managing your projects and your time. By keeping everything—even your research—well-organized, Scrivener allows you to focus on your writing without hunting everywhere for that quote you wanted to use, or the statistics you just had in your browser.
In addition, Scrivener features a very handy “focus” mode that opens in full screen with everything else dimmed, so you can work without distraction.
Cost: $45 – available for Mac and Windows.
5. Facebook Purity
If you must spend time on Facebook as a part of your daily work, then you’ll definitely want to install Facebook Purity (a Chrome extension) to better manage your feed.
Facebook Purity allows you to sort your feed by posting date rather than Facebook’s own internal algorithm, so you won’t have to wade through last week’s content to see what’s new. It also automatically blocks ads, games and other distractions. You can even block posts by keyword, so if political arguments are heating up your feed, you can block them!
Cost: Free, but they do take donations
6. TimeTrade
Put an end to those back-and-forth emails just trying to schedule an appointment. Give your clients and staff the power to set their own
appointments at the times that are most convenient for you with this calendar app.
TimeTrade integrates with Google and other popular calendars, so all you have to do is decide which times you are available, and then send your link in an email. Clients and staff can access your calendar and choose that time that works for them. No more long email trails just to schedule a meeting!
Cost: Free for the basic plan, $50 / year for the pro plan.
7. Coach.me Habit Tracker
Habits are the cornerstone of better time management, but building a solid habit can be tough. If you need a little encouragement—or even a lot—then the Coach.me Habit Tracker is for you. Just choose your habit, publish your intent, and check in daily with your progress. You’ll enjoy lots of virtual high-fives and plenty of gentle nudges in the right direction from this community of like-minded people.
And if you need a little more help, you can hire a habit coach for as little as $15 per month!
Cost: The basic plan is free with upgrades of $15 to $249 depending on your choice of coaching options.
8. Rescue Time
Not sure where your time goes? Rescue Time will tell you.
It runs quietly in the background recording time spent on all your tasks, so there’s no need to stop to write down what you’re doing or start your timer. All you have to do is concentrate on your work, and Rescue Time does the rest.
At the end of each week, it will email you your results, let you know if you’ve improved over prior weeks, and even tell you where you rank among other Rescue Time users.
Cost: Free for the basic plan, $72 per year for the premium plan.
9. 30/30
This timer app might just be the best thing to ever happen to time management. Set it up in the morning with the tasks you need to get done, and the time you think it will take, and 30/30 does the rest. It will remind you what you should be working on, as well as let you know when it’s time to move on to the next task.
Cost: Free (for iOS only)
10. Evernote
It seems like this popular app shows up on every productivity and time management list, and with good reason. It’s so flexible that no matter what your working style, you’ll find good use for it. You can store notes, plan projects, chat with co-workers and staff, and even write a book—all within this one application.
Where it really shines though—and what will make all the difference in your time-management plans—is in recording and saving quick notes.
We all have random thoughts and ideas throughout the day, but stopping to write them down can lead to lots of distractions and that time-waster, multi-tasking. With Evernote, all you have to do is jot a quick note so you can remember your brainstorm later, then get back to work! Best of all, it’s cloud based, so you can access it anywhere.
Cost: Free for the basic plan, up to $49 per year for premium.
11. Stay Focused
Spending too much time on Facebook or Huffington Post? Stay Focused will help.
This lightweight, programmable chrome extension lets you choose what your biggest time-wasters are, and determine the amount of time you’re allowed to spend there. Once you use up all your minutes, you’ll no longer be able to access those sites that distract you.
Cost: Free
12. Emergent Task Timer
If old-fashioned paper works better for you than an app or timer, take a look at Emergent Task Timer. This simple time tracking system lets you create a time diary to show you exactly where you spent your day.
Cost: Free
13. Work the System
Time management ninjas know that the key to getting more done is to systematize and automate as much as you can, and no one does that better than Sam Carpenter. You could say he “wrote the book” on business systems…and you can get it free at his website.
Cost: Free
14. Asana
If you’re managing a team, then keeping projects moving forward is a must, and there’s no better tool for that than Asana. It’s intuitive and easy to use, and allows your team members to communicate about tasks, track their time, and see at a glance what’s next on the agenda.
Cost: Free for the basic plan
15. Remember the Milk
Create to-do lists and reminders quickly and easily with this intuitive app. You can organize by project, by location, by task type—or any way that makes the most sense to you. Unlimited lists make it easy to organize your entire life, so you’ll always know what the best use of your time is.
Cost: Free
16. Coffitivity
Do you work better with a little background noise? Coffitivity has you covered! This website (and its iOS and Android apps) recreates the atmosphere of a local coffee shop with the kind of subtle, ambient sounds that help you focus.
Cost: Free
17. Focus at Will
Focus at Will puts a slightly different spin on the background noise solution, with music chosen specifically to help you…well, focus. Unlike your favorite radio stations, Focus at Will music won’t distract you with danceable tunes or lyrics that encourage sing-alongs. In fact, the scientifically designed selections are instrumental only, and you won’t hear them anywhere else, so they’re perfect for adding just a little sound to your day without distraction.
Cost: Free to try, then $12 per month
18. Buffer
Social media is an important part of any business today, but that doesn’t have to mean spending all your time hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Apps such as Buffer and several others offer automated posting systems so you can keep your social presence active without a huge time commitment.
19. Omnifocus
Considered by many to be the best of the best in terms of time management and productivity, Omnifocus helps you to stay organized and know exactly what needs to be done right now. Because the focus is on only what is available for you to work on in this moment, it’s great for those who struggle with feelings of overwhelm that a long to-do list can cause.
It’s built with the Getting Things Done method in mind, so if you’re a David Allen fan, definitely check this one out.
Cost: Free to try, $39 for the basic version, $89 for pro (Mac only)
20. Leonie Dawson’s Business Workbooks
Planning and goal setting has never been more intuitive—or beautiful. These popular planners will help you discover what you truly want out of your life and your biz, so that you know exactly where you should be spending your time.
Cost: $9.95 and up
21. Trello
Love the idea of a to-do list, but hate the cold, corporate look of them? Trello is for you.
With a graphic interface and simple drag-and-drop functionality, Trello allows you to quickly create new projects and to-do lists, incorporate checklists and color-coded tags, and even invite your team to share your “boards.” Didn’t get to that task today? No problem! Just drag it to tomorrow’s list instead!
