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The five best productivity apps for 2019
08 Jan 2019
As Australians increasingly turn to their smartphones to organise their workload, meals, and generally run their lives, a good mobile productivity app can help curb the stress of everyday life in the digital age.
The question for consumers is often a simple one - which combination of productivity apps will work best for your unique needs?
The truth is, there may not be a single app that handles everything, but there’s now an incredible selection of quality apps that can streamline the process and help increase your productivity; here are five of our favourites to help make 2019 a cracker of a year!
![Focus Focus](/adobe/dynamicmedia/deliver/dm-aid--ba733009-14d1-4fe3-8d3c-2e77fae4ad8c/focus.png?quality=85&preferwebp=true)
1. Focus - Time Manager
Are you someone who likes to work in short bursts? Focus-Time Manager might be the perfect addition to your daily routine.
This free app uses the Pomodoro Technique and places individuals in “Focus Sessions” for 25 minutes at a time. During the 25 minute working period, users focus on a task and try to get as much done as possible.
After the session ends, users can choose to take a short break. Once the individual completes four 25 minute sessions, they’ll get a 15-20 minute break to do whatever they want.
This handy task manager also allows you to keep track of the work you’ve completed throughout the day, so you can quickly check what still needs to be done, providing an awesome option if you’re looking for a bit of extra structure and motivation.
2. Overcast
You may not think a podcast app deserves to be on this list, but I’d personally beg to differ.
When used the right way, podcasts can prove to be a tremendous addition to your daily routine, especially during the moments in your day where you wouldn’t be doing much else.
So why Overcast? It has a clean and intuitive interface. It also allows you to create unlimited customised playlists and includes a smart speed feature which gets rid of gaps and pauses. Oh and did we mention that it’s free.
The only slight downside? It’s only for iOS users; sorry Android fans!
![Trello Trello](/adobe/dynamicmedia/deliver/dm-aid--f0a10007-a39f-47dc-b0c6-4443f432d0c5/trello.png?quality=85&preferwebp=true)
3. Trello
Trello is extremely user-friendly app, that features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to visually organise ideas and lists.
Trying to think of things you want to achieve throughout the year? Jot down your goals on a Trello card, then drag them into lists and group similar ideas.
It’s a tool that can help you at every stage of your planning, all the way from ideation through to completion.
Trello offers a freemium account, while business accounts start from $9.99/month and is available on all operating systems.
4. Done
Willpower is sometimes limited. That’s why we need habits.
Done helps you create healthy routines by allowing you to set goals, track progress, and motivate you to keep going.
Unlike other habit-forming apps, Done lets you set a goal and track it multiple times which can be super handy
After setting tangible daily, weekly or monthly goals, Done will help also allow you to track habits and activities and will notify you once you've met your goal. Done also keeps track of your streaks when you've met your goals in consecutive periods.
![Google Keep Google Keep](/adobe/dynamicmedia/deliver/dm-aid--e84bbba5-8389-4503-8aa5-65f7ce0884d2/google-keep.png?quality=85&preferwebp=true)
5. Google Keep
Google Keep is billed as a de facto Post-It Note for your mobile device.
The app, which is free of charge, creates quick ‘to do’ lists, generates reminders, creates voice memo's, and sorts your digital notes by color, label or name.
Google Keep is ideal for people on the go who need to jot down things quickly; like your best mates’ guacamole recipe, or the paperwork you need to bring to your accountant the next day,
It's simple to use, and like most other Google products, is really effective.