Introduction:
I’ll start this one off with a story:
At the dawn of this century, mankind was greeted by something truly life-changing. I’m talking about the Internet, folks. At first, it was limited to supercomputers and nerdy engineers sitting in office chairs at big corpos.
However, as the tech progressed, so did mass adoption and commercialization. Soon, anyone anywhere could access the Internet on a little handheld device, and control it with a touch of their finger, in what became known as the Mobile Device.
However, the same tech that revolutionized our slow-paced life eventually became a big source of concern. Workers are no longer productive. Kids are getting more and more devoid of imagination, their little minds in a constant simulation. There’s a silver lining in all of this, despite all the concern.
Just as people struggled to adopt the printing press and the industrial era of the previous era, there were also those who succeeded and persevered. Call it the lesser extreme ‘survival of the fittest’.
Now let’s rewind and get back to reality.
You might be wondering why I was beginning to sound like a conspiracy theorist all of a sudden. That’s not the goal, however. I was just trying to paint a colorful picture to describe something that ACTUALLY happened. However, I’m one of those who seek solutions and aren’t terrified by the concerns.
In today’s blog post, I’ll be sharing with you the Top 5 productivity apps I use every day. As a creative entrepreneur, marketer, and designer, I understand the importance of staying organized and on top of my tasks. I’m also one of the people who at one point struggled with managing time and productivity due to digital apps.
However, these tools have been a game-changer for me, and I hope they’ll help you streamline your projects and become more efficient too. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Chat GPT: The Only Assistant You Need
Chat GPT is an AI-powered (or should I say ‘Overpowered’) chatbot that helps me stay organized and on top of my tasks. It’s like having a personal assistant that never sleeps! Since its launch, the app has aggregated over 1 billion users.
Heck, it even became the fastest tool to gross 5 Million Views trumping the likes of Facebook, YouTube, and many others.
And as much as I like to criticize the limitations of tools and software, Chat GPT is like a jetpack for productivity. Here are just a few of my tasks that ChatGPT has virtually automated:
- Script Writing: I can simply write a short prompt and this little bugger takes care of the rest.
- Loneliness: Believe it or not, for an introvert like me, ChatGPT is a Godsend!
- These Blog Posts: ChatGPT is my new friend when writing and structuring blog posts.
And here’s a Pro Tip from my end: Get as specific as you can. AI loves specificity and the more information and detail you provide, the better the outcomes.
Since its launch, I’ve used ChatGPT to make to-do lists, get research & facts for blog posts, create a content calendar, AND MUCH MORE! Chat GPT is also great for brainstorming sessions because it can generate ideas and prompts for me to work with.
From Chaos to Clarity: Using Notion AI for Project Management
If the existing version of Notion wasn’t as good, Notion AI has completely changed the game. Now you have a Project Management, Productivity, Note-Taking & AI all combined into a single platform. Barring the personalized nature of ChatGPT, Notion AI might be the single most powerful tool on the market right now!
Here are just a few tasks that I have Notion do for me:
- Organize Information: I tend to get a lot of information before drilling down on the important parts. Notion is great at that.
- Simplify Content: ChatGPT sometimes goes overboard with the language. Notion AI is the perfect counter to it.
- Better Personalization for the Outcome: This is a mouthful to understand. But simply put, if you take a response from ChatGPT and want to seamlessly change the tone and wording, Notion AI, in my opinion, is just a lot more powerful and effective.
Notion AI allows me to create different workspaces, pages, and databases, making it easy to keep track of all my tasks and projects. The AI feature allows me to search for specific notes or tasks quickly, which saves me a lot of time.
Google Notes: The Perfect App for On-the-Go Creatives
I’m someone who struggles with Productivity Apps. I’ve tried bullet journals and diaries quite a lot but they’re habits that tire me out rather quickly. And if you’re like that too, then Google Notes is just what you need.
Instead of opening and finding my to-do list, I’ve now made it a habit to simply create a simple checklist within Google Notes. The best part is that it just auto-reopens the next day meaning there’s not a single chance that I would forget my To-Dos for the day.
Google Notes is best if you want to:
- Take Notes on the go.
- Store ideas before you forget them.
- Pen down any important stuff if you want to revisit it later on.
Google Notes is a note-taking app that I use for personal notes and reminders. It’s simple, easy to use, and syncs across all my devices. I love how I can color-code my notes, add images, and set reminders for specific tasks. Google Notes is perfect for those quick reminders or when I need to jot something down on the go.
Collaborate Like a Pro with Google Docs
I think of Google Docs as a much more user-friendly and advanced platform for MS Office users. In my case, it has helped strengthen my productivity quite a lot. I no longer have to go into my hard drive and open up a dozen folders to search for a single document.
Google Docs are stored on the cloud (not literally) and just take a simple search to find whatever I need. In my personal experience using it, I just love how easy it is to collaborate with others on your team. With a click of a button, you can get a shareable link, adjust permissions, and collaborate on the go.
For remote teams, creatives, entrepreneurs – Basically, anyone who wants a streamlined word processing software that can be accessed anywhere at any time – Google Docs is the way to go!
Here are just a few of the tasks that I’ve excelled at using Google Docs:
- Strategy Documents & Research: I’ve created everything from Marketing Plans to Audience Personas.
- Notes: I like to learn on the go and Google Docs is the best way to document the learning process.
- This blog post: Everything in this blog post was imported from a Google Doc that I had initially created.
There’s also the fact that while Microsoft Office has many vital features, Microsoft just does a lot to gate-keep those features on the free plan. However, on Google Docs, you can take advantage of virtually every feature without having to pay a dollar.
So, if you’re looking to switch to software that is leaner, more efficient, and cost-effective, Google Docs is the way to go!
The Power of Sticky Notes for Creative Entrepreneurs
If Google Notes is the cool cousin of Bullet Journals, then Sticky Notes is the same for manual to-do lists. I like the cross-app functionality of Sticky Notes.
- It opens whenever I want it wherever I want it.
- It doesn’t take up a lot of memory and has all you need to store important ideas and notes.
- It’s FREE OF COST!
I believe that diaries in this day and age are redundant and just an unnecessary expense. Sticky Notes are the way to go for anyone looking to 10x their Productivity without spending it on a diary every single month.
Sticky Notes is the perfect tool for creatives who want to capture their ideas quickly and easily. Whether you’re brainstorming for a new project or just jotting down a quick reminder, Sticky Notes is an app that you can rely on. It’s simple, intuitive, and a great way to keep your thoughts organized.
Pro Tip – Change the settings in Sticky Notes so that it auto-opens every day. That way, you won’t forget the important stuff.
Conclusion:
So, there you have it! These are the Top 5 Productivity Apps & Software that I use every day. Each tool serves a specific purpose and has helped me stay organized and on top of my tasks.
I hope this blog post has been helpful to you, and I encourage you to give these tools a try if you haven’t already. Remember, productivity isn’t about working harder, but about working smarter!
Comment down below what other tools you would recommend for someone looking to get more out of their routines.
Zane James is a Digital Marketer who runs a freelance marketing practice alongside growing ProductivePreneur; a free newsletter for Entrepreneurs, Marketers & Designers helping them to reach peak productivity in a realistic and mindful way.