Two Free Apps Which Help Me Be Productive

If you're like me sometimes you have a lot going on in your life and often struggle to keep up. Other times, when life slows down and the urgency fades, you can struggle to avoid all the distractions of life.

Here are a few apps which help me.

Self Control - Block the Internet Distractions

Like most people under the age of 35, I'm addicted to the internet.  I am absolutely one of those people who will go on hour long Wikipedia binges.  The world of blogs are even worse. The sidebar always seems to advertise some list of 25 things which really aren't important (or interesting), but in the moment somehow draw me in every time.  I don't spend hours surfing Facebook, but I do feel compelled to check it constantly.

ENTER SELF CONTROL!

It's a free app for Macs where you can block access to a list of websites of your choice for a selected amount of time.  Until the timer runs out, you will not be able to access those webpages, even if you reboot or delete the app itself.

Whenever I need to lock down and get something down, I turn on SELF CONTROL.

There are comparable free apps for PCs as well. There are also alternatives to SELF CONTROL for Macs.

Evernote - For Keeping Organized

If you've ever looked into productivity apps, you've almost certainly heard of Evernote. I'm not naturally organized, so for something to truly help me in this area it has to be easy and add a lot of benefit.

If you're unfamiliar with the program, Evernote is a multi-platform note taking application which syncs in their cloud.  In my case, I have Evernote for my Macbook, iPad, and iPhone.  As soon as I make a note (or snap a picture) on any of these devices it syncs with my other two devices.  Since Evernote is a leading brand, many apps sync automatically with it, and it syncs with most other apps.

It would take me far to long to list off all the ways I use Evernote. So here are just a few.

Weekly To Do Lists

Like many people at the beginning of each week I make a big list of all of the things I need to get done that week. Evernote allows you to easily put little check boxes next to each of your items.  As you complete a task, you can check it off.

I have a weekly schedule template which maps out my work hours.  After I've created my to do list, I then place the points in my schedule.  During busy weeks it allows me to be map out how to get everything done, and during slow weeks it forces a sense of urgency and makes it clear when I'm wasting time.

I create the schedule on my laptop, and it instantly syncs to my iPad and iPhone.

Large Projects

For large projects I create a folder containing all notes for that project. This allows me to work on any of my many projects anywhere.  I can be waiting in the dentists office waiting and pick right up where I left off writing a blog.

Sermon Writing / Brainstorming

In all honesty I don't write my sermon manuscripts in Evernote. I'm very particular about how my sermons are formatted.  However, my process of going from scripture/topic to final manuscript usually takes a very long time. I spend enormous amounts of time thinking about scriptures and topics outside of my office.  

Evernote provides a way to capture all of the great thoughts and ideas which happen at the most random times.  If I see a magazine cover which is a perfect example of a topic I'm preaching on in two months, I can snap a picture, plunk it in Evernote, and forget about it safely.  I don't have to struggle to remember things, I just put them in Evernote in the right place.

Conversations

For people I regularly meet with, I keep a note for each of those people.  When they tell me something I need to remember, I put it in that note.  When I remember something I need to tell them, I put it in the note.  It's a very simple system.

What apps help you to be productive?