There are several apps I use to keep me on track while working. One is Tomato Timer, which is basically a Pomodoro timer. I find the Pomodoro technique works great for me because it gives me a sense of accomplishment as I finish chunks of work time, and looking forward to a break always helps me stay focused. If you have been holding out on trying the Pomodoro technique, I highly recommend starting this. I get so much done using this method.
Another one that I use almost every day at work is Forest. It's like the Pomodoro technique, but it has the added bonus of planting trees as long as you stay focused. It's fun to see your virtual forest grow as you get work done. You can set it so that if you leave the app, your tree will die. For some reason, watching those trees grow keeps me incredibly motivated so I can usually get a huge chunk of work done when I set my timer. I also like the gamification aspect of it- as you let trees grow, you get 'coins' you can spend to add trees to your collection. It looks that when you get a certain amount, you can spend it on an actual tree, and if you stay productive they will plant an actual tree in a place that needs it. I love that, but it's pretty expensive and I haven't used it yet.
A couple of these earn an honorable mention from me- I've been a subscriber to Motivated Moms for awhile now. They have a fairly inexpensive subscription rate and it app gives you a daily checklist of chores to accomplish. You can tailor the app to your specific home and family life. I've modified and changed the checklist a few times based on life changes, but if you follow the main tasks your house will look great. (Well, if you don't have two children destroying things as fast as you clean them!) You can also assign family members chores in the app as well. I don't use this option since my children don't have devices yet, so usually I just tell them what to do.
Plan to Eat is another great option- you can manually add family recipes or import recipes from the web. When you go to meal plan, it's so easy to pick which meals you're going to use each day. When you are ready to cook, all you have to do is pull the meal from the app and the recipe is right there! I use it in combination with the Walmart delivery app. Easy peasy.
Christmas Planner is also a good one. You can set the budget you want to spend on Christmas, and as ideas pop in your head you can list it under family member so you don't forget what you're planning on getting someone when it gets closer to Christmas or ends up on sale. I actually forget about this one and probably should use it more than I do.
You can also see my Google Calendar, which I use religiously. It definitely helps me keep my schedule on track. Opal is another app that I've found recently- it uses a VPN to shut down addicting websites that take away your focus during times that you've set. Right now I have it scheduled for a few hours in the morning and before bed at night. It helps when you want to finish up a project or get something done, but can't fight the urge to check Instagram. You can also see my Walgreens delivery app. I gave up on actually going to the grocery store prior to COVID and I can't imagine going back. It's so much easier to just pick it up after the shopping is done- and saves so much time.
Well, those are the apps I use to stay productive throughout the week!
What are some of your favorite productivity apps? What tools do you use to stay focused?