Let’s face it: whether you are a student, an office worker, a businessman, or even a CEO, most of your work will require you to sit in front of a computer. With an excessive workload or a tight schedule, it might be very easy to get tangled and end up not getting anything substantial done at all.
Your computer is your livelihood but it is also your comeuppance unless you learn how to use it correctly. Don’t worry, with the apps listed here, you’ll be back on track in no time.
1. Cortana
Cortana is one of the most underutilized apps on Windows 10. Used properly, this app can save you some precious hours. Initially launched to rival other voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa, this handy tool has now become the go-to voice assistant for all Windows users.
When Microsoft decided to pull the plug on Cortana for Android and iOS devices, speculations were ripe that the same would happen for Windows. However, all of these speculations were put to rest when Microsoft announced that it would be investing more in the research and development of voice recognition and controls software.
Microsoft soon introduced several new updates integrating Cortana closely with the Office 365 Productivity suite. This has allowed users to use several features of the Microsoft productivity apps without installing any third-party app. Here is a glimpse of what you can do using this versatile app:
- Get daily briefings using Cortana. This includes reminders, notifications, and email alerts. This can be done by integrating Cortana with the Microsoft To-Do platform.
- Use voice commands to schedule, start, or end meetings on MS Teams.
- Open apps, do calculations and get quick weather and traffic updates—all via voice commands.
Download: Cortana (Free)
2. Productivity Burst
If you’ve got a lot of tasks on your hand, and task management is not exactly your forte, Productivity Burst will prove to be a good addition to your digital arsenal. Productivity Burst allows you to jot down all of your tasks and focus on them one at a time.
The Time Burst feature of this app allows a suitable time slot for each activity on your to-do list. It also keeps track of your progress, allowing you to evaluate your performance at the end of each day.
Another feature of this app, the Chain Burst motivates you to complete your daily tasks by sending you gentle reminders. And that is not it; it will also applaud you once you get done with your daily tasks.
These productivity techniques have are not new; they have stood the test of time. Productivity Burst has simply digitalized these popular productivity techniques to help you manage your workload more efficiently.
Download: Productivity Burst (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. Remind Me
For better or for worse, we are glued to our screens. More often than not, we get so engrossed in the digital world that we end up forgetting very important things. If you’ve also been the victim of this problem, then Remind Me will come in handy.
Remind Me is an alarm app and a reminder app merged into one. You can use this app to remind you when to take short breaks, or when is the time to work out. You can view all of your reminders at once using the Remind Me widget. The Quick Reminders & Tasks feature will prompt you to get your tasks done as per your schedule.
What’s more, you can add voice notes to your reminders and tag reminders to various categories such as birthdays, pills, workouts, appointments, and so on. The app is available on the Chrome web store and can be installed on your PC as an extension.
Download: Remind Me (Free)
4. Resultivity
Imagine this: you looked up something on Google, and it took you to an interesting webpage on Facebook or Instagram. Now that one-minute Google search turned into an hour-long session of useless internet tab diving.
These distractions are common, and without a shred of doubt, they are poison for your productivity. However, don't fret; help is on the way.
Resultivity is a time management app that will put an end to any such distractions. This innovative app has a timer that you can start once you get on with your work.
If you are on a break, the idle mode will calculate how much time you’ve wasted. Similarly, you can schedule breaks to replenish your energy.
If you stick with your routine and get your work done on time, you earn Resultivity Points. You can use these points to unlock more productivity techniques.
Download: Resultivity (Free, in-app purchases available)
5. Focus To-Do
The Pomodoro technique has recently become quite famous among people, especially teens. This technique is one of the most successful methods to increase productivity, and developers have created many apps around it. Focus-To-Do is one such app.
Focus To-Do is a user-intuitive task and time management application that helps you complete your tasks timely and efficiently. After downloading this app, you will be asked to create a profile. Once completed, you can use this profile to use this program on any device.
With this app, you can start a project, add tasks to a project, and tick mark each task as it gets done. Once you start the timer, you will be given 25 minutes to get each task done (a Pomodoro lasts for twenty-five minutes), followed by a five-minute break.
The basic version of this app is free and has more than enough tools to keep you productive and organized all day long.
Download: Focus To-Do (Free, in-app purchases available)
There Are a Lot of Productivity Apps, So Find the One That Suits You
All of us are built differently. What works for us, might not work for you. According to research, in an eight-hour day shift, the average employee is only productive for three hours (two hours and 53 minutes to be precise).
That's right: you're (most likely) only productive for around three hours a day even though you spent much more time working. By using the app that suits your lifestyle, you can substantially increase your productivity and achieve more at the same time.