Our revelation came about six months ago, thanks to a number of blog posts by Michael Hyatt. A colleague of mine was buzzing about the use of three separate yet integrated productivity tools to transform and organize our team. I thought he was nuts; ranting and raving about not one, but three additional online accounts that I’d have to sign into every day and manage, much less understand their integration and what that meant for our team.
Not 20 minutes into the first platform, I was sold.
Whether you choose any one, two, all three, or none of the following platforms, there are concepts embedded in these programs that will bring your productivity to the next level. They will keep you focused on actionable tasks and clean out the clutter in your life. Use these tools at work, at home, and on-the-go to ‘simply get everything done.’
Without further ado, here are the three productivity tools that I would be lost without, and insight into the concepts that make them work:
1. Nozbe
There are plenty of task management programs out there, but none measure up to Nozbe. This program was built on a set of general fundamentals that are guaranteed to improve your productivity. Even if you skip the software, there are great concepts to be learned in a series of videos found here.
Nozbe aims to clear out the clutter and keep you focused on your actionable items. The group collaboration features are undeniable. The user interface is interactive, clean, simple, and almost fun to work with. Structurally, your organization is based on projects. Projects are meant to be broken out into objective and concrete tasks. This concept makes it simpler to complete more tasks, which keeps your projects moving while giving you a strong sense of accomplishment.
Nozbe is great on-the-go via a mobile device or tablet. As you’re out and about, the voice recognition feature allows you to add a task in seconds. This feature means that you have one single to-do list at your disposal, 24/7.
2. Evernote
While Nozbe organizes tasks and deadlines, Evernote acts as your digital working journal. Meeting notes, travel itineraries, grocery lists, and web clippings of website design ideas are just some of what you’ll find in my Evernote library. These items are called ‘Notes’ and are easy to edit and interact with. What’s nice about Evernote is that you don’t have to download or open a file to view the contents and make changes. Plus, the search functionality makes it painless to find something specific.
I highly recommend installing the Evernote Web Clipper to your browser. See something you like on a website? Clip the entire page into your Evernote database for quick reference down the road.
Just like Nozbe and Dropbox, Evernote works great on all of your devices. No more emailing yourself a link from your home computer! All of your notes are available to you on all of your devices.
The possibilities are endless for Evernote; here are 12 unique uses, by Michael Hyatt. Still not convinced? Here is a blog post by CIO with some other ideas about how Evernote can boost your productivity.
3. Dropbox
You may already be familiar with Dropbox, but if not, it’s a great option for cloud-based file sharing. Dropbox makes it easier than ever to share files across devices and with others, regardless of whether they’re Dropbox users.
In addition to their unique productivity-boosting characteristics, these three programs work together to bring you even more capabilities. From Nozbe, you can attach a Dropbox file or Evernote note to a task. Need a colleague to proofread your paper? Upload it to Dropbox, create a Task in Nozbe, and link the Dropbox file so your colleague doesn’t have to go searching for it.
While these programs are great, no single system will work for everyone. It is the logic behind their design that makes them truly valuable; concepts such as a clear inbox every week, efficient team collaboration, compatibility across devices, and the ability to focus on actionable tasks.
Have I converted you? Are there other platforms that help you work more efficiently? Let me know by commenting below!