The 5 Best Workflow Apps to Improve Productivity

While some work days are uneventful enough for pen-and-paper to make do as a task list, there are other days that demand a to-do tool that extends beyond typical convention. This is where workflow apps come in.

Workflow apps center around the basic sentiment that it’s easier to get things done when guided by a checklist of sorts. Especially for individuals with dozens of required tasks per day, these apps ensure that one can address every task, at the very least.

Whether an app provides time-based suggestions for completing a task or tracks your working trends, workflow apps can improve productivity considerably.

Below are five of the best workflow apps that can help improve your productivity.

1. 30/30

30/30 is a visually friendly, easy-to-use workflow app that allows you to allot specific times for tasks. It’s typically best used for daily events, like making coffee or walking to lunch, but has the ability to track both one-time and daily tasks.

With a large visual-friendly timer and the ability to add minutes at will, 30/30 is a stress-free workflow app that can improve the efficiency of daily tasks.

2. My Minutes

If you notice that you’re having increasingly less time to do tasks, My Minutes is a great way to identify which daily tasks are taking you longer than they should. This app emphasizes time budgeting, so you can set a minimum or maximum amount of time to complete a task. For example, you can set to spend “at most” 45 minutes checking emails or “at least” an hour working out.

With consistent use of My Minutes, you’ll eventually be able to efficiently identify the ideal amount of time to spend on a task.

3. Unstuck

When consistently using workflow apps, you’ll notice your free time becoming more abundant. As a result, you’ll ask yourself what to do with this free time.

Using Unstuck is a good answer, since it will provide you with productive ideas that you can carry into your work time, such as helpful articles telling you how to “fix your worst money mistakes” or what the “secret to better brainstorming is.” Many of their articles are must-reads for those aiming to improve their productivity and workflow management.

4. Idea Bucket

A busy person will have dozens and dozens of ideas circulating throughout their head in an average day. An app like Idea Bucket enables them to organize their thoughts using a variety of sliders, custom reports, and flexible organization.

The app is very useful for a variety of situations, whether it’s comparing ideas from a business meeting concerning your business’s rebranding strategy or divvying out your personal criteria for buying a new car. For visual learners who enjoy viewing every possible idea, from bad to good, Idea Bucket is a no-brainer app for optimizing productivity.

5. EISENHOWER

The EISENHOWER app is based off the former president’s belief that one’s tasks can be easily organized by assigning each task to one of four quadrants: 1) urgent/important, 2) not urgent/important, 3) urgent/not important, and 4) not urgent/not important.

For both business and private tasks, EISENHOWER allows users to easily move tasks between quadrants, in addition offering to a focus mode designed for urgent tasks that allow you to focus on only one task for 30 minutes (with a ticking sound if you prefer, to make you move faster). You can also use the app to schedule and delegate tasks to co-workers and friends via email.

There are a variety of workflow-related apps available, but the five above have drawn acclaim for their accessible interfaces and effective features. Whether you’re seeking a workflow app to create more free time for yourself or to ramp up productivity across an entire office, the options above should result in a very noticeable difference for the better.

Image by JESHOOTS