5 Free Online Productivity Tools That Actually Work
Image via whatleydude
A lot of the money I make is thanks to my online business. While the internet is great for finding information on just about anything you need, it can also be a huge distraction. How many of us spend hours stalking people on Facebook instead of actually working? I am pretty sure that if Facebook had never been invented I wouldn’t have had to slave over some simple college papers for hours on end. Since my work has been primarily online for a few months now, I have encountered the same problem.
My inability to focus while working online led me on a quest to find productivity tools. Below you will find a list of some of the tools that have worked for me thus far. So whether you are trying to finish that research paper, studying for a test, inputting information into your company’s database, or simply trying to write a blog post, these tools will help you get more out of your time.
Evernote – As someone who has multiple projects going on at once I cannot live without Evernote. Evernote makes is easy to remember things from your notable life by using your computer, the internet, and even your phone. Many times I will stumble upon a webpage and think “Woah! That would make a great blog topic!” or “I should really learn this for my business.” Instead of just bookmarking it and forgetting it, I clip it to Evernote. I can then see it from my desktop, their website, or my phone whenever I need it. The best part is that everything that you capture is automatically indexed and made searchable.
StayFocused – This Google Chrome extension is brilliant in its simplicity. StayFocused allows you to stay productive by limiting the amount of time you can spend surfing time sucking websites like Facebook or YouTube. Once the allotted time has been used up for the day these websites will become inaccessible. Let’s say you have set up StayFocused as follows: from 9 to 5 Monday through Friday you are only allowed to be on Facebook for 10 minutes. Once your surfing time has expired instead of surfing to Facebook you will see a webpage with huge letters that says ”SHOULDN’T YOU BE WORKING?” I have to admit that I giggled the first time I saw that.
Google Reader - Google Reader is the best thing to happen to me since sliced bread. You see, I read a lot of blogs on varying topics. I’m talking over 100 blogs dealing with business, freelancing, writing, Gen Y, politics, productivity, finances, green living, fitness, crafting, cooking, and anything that I may find useful at this point in my life. In fact, it is because of many of these blogs that I am able to share awesome resources and tips with you guys. Google Reader allows me to see all of these RSS feeds in one place while organizing them into corresponding folders.
Remember the Milk - To-do list enthusiasts, rejoice! Remember the Milk is an easy to use online to-do list that features a robust reminder system that includes SMS, IM, email, offline task management, integration with Google Calendar, and mobile apps. Basically, Remember the Milk makes it impossible for you to forget anything.
Bubbl.us - I love mind maps! I use them all the time when I’m teaching and they also help me come up with organized articles and blog posts. As a visual learner I actually like to see what I’m doing. As a language instructor I can attest to the fact that mind maps help people pick new concepts up faster because they can actually see them. So the next time you feel stuck in your own thoughts, try making colorful online mind maps with Bubbl.us.
That’s all for now. Feel free to share any productivity tools that help you stay focused!
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Tags: free, online tools, productivity, software
The real adventure starts after college. Grad Meets World is post grad life seen through the eyes of language instructor and freelance writer, Amanda Abella. This blog hopes to provide practical tips for career, relationships, personal development, productivity, health, and more in order to make your transition into the real world a little easier.
just wanted to say, as a new reader, that I love your blog! so many good tips!!
I’m glad that you like it
Feel free to shoot me an email if there’s anything in particular you would like to see on here!
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Evernote and StayFocused look like two things I could really use. I’m always leaving Internet tabs open when I come across something I’d like to go back to later, and that in and of itself can be distracting. As for procrastinating? That’s what I’m doing right now by reading your and others’ blogs haha. Might have to look into StayFocused. Must get to work on a paper so I can enjoy my weekend!
Haha, well since you just read about productivity tools maybe reading my blog balanced out your procrastination. As for Evernote and StayFocued, I have no idea how I ever lived without them.