My Favorite Productivity Tools

As an industrial engineer I have a natural affinity for optimization and this especially applies to finding new ways to improve my everyday workflow. There are currently so many apps available on so many different platforms to help people improve their lives and find ways to live more efficiently. However, there are so many that it can be overwhelming to pick just one without having that nagging fear of missing out on a different app that might have that one feature that would just make everything perfect. I have spent many hours (a little ironic considering I am supposed to be using these to be more efficient haha) evaluating as many of these apps as I could and have included the apps that I use on a daily basis in this post. 

To Do List App: Wunderlist

 What I like:

• Available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Web
• Very intuitive and easy to use
• Can add new to-do's by email

​Best Alternative: Any.Do (Beautiful user interface, but not as many features in the free version)

Project Management App: Trello

What I like: 

• Visual management of tasks makes project progress very easy to see
• Perfect for tracking work among teams with multiple members as you can see what everyone is up to
• Ability to create new cards by mail and to customize cards with additional checklists, attachments, and comments for team members
  

​Best Alternative: Microsoft Tasks (part of the Office 365 Suite; not as many features but works great with Microsoft's Office products)

Note Taking App: Simplenote

What I like:

• Available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Web
• It is so fast and smooth!!!
• It's minimalist design, there is almost nothing there, which is perfect when you just want to take quick notes

Best Alternative: Evernote (Offers so many options and features, but is not as fast and can be overwhelming to use if you are just looking to jot down notes. Also, limited to two devices on free account)