Productivity Tools

Productivity Tools I Couldn't Live Without

Today, there is a constant barrage from notifications and feeds, from advertisers who are in vigorous competition for your attention and clicks.

It's now normal to work from home, surrounded by distractions, and without accountability. You're a prime target for these shiny websites to sink their teeth into your goals and dreams.

My recommendation to solve this digital problem by using even more technology may seem counter-intuitive at first. But disconnecting isn't a simple option when your business is online.

Before I started using these tools to manage my productivity and online business, my life was a mess.

I was always busy working, running late, in a hurry, tired, drinking coffee - and never getting anywhere.

Since I've started using these tools, my life has dramatically improved. They've helped me get more done while working less than ever.

The value that I produce today makes my former 40-60 hour weeks look like a ridiculous waste of time. (And in reality, it was. If only I knew this sooner!) The only "new" thing that I learned was how to use my time better.

Now I have more time than ever to put into what I *really *enjoy in life, and spending less time "grinding" or "hustling". My work is easier to do now, and I get better results while spending less time getting them.

I'll give you a few tips on how I use each of these tools to improve my productivity.

So without further adieu: here are the tools that I use every day for peak productivity and accountability.

Productivity Challenge Timer

Mobile app
Timed work sessions (Pomodoro-style)
Project-based stats

I've been a huge fan of this app for quite some time now.

At its core, it's a 25 minute timer. You press the button and the timer starts and the screen gets a red border. When it's done, it turns green and gives you a 5 minute break timer until the next round.

The stand-out features are "Projects" and their accompanying statistics. You select a project before you press the start button. This shows you how many work sessions a project took you to complete over time, giving you an objective look at how much time you *really *worked on it.

**How I use it: **Set up a "project" for each project/client I'm working on. Then I use this timer every time I work on the project. This forces me to focus, and also tracks how much time the project actually takes me. Then I can figure out if I'm charging appropriately and using my time well.

Newsfeed Eradicator

Completely block your Facebook newsfeed
Eliminate the possibility of distractions!

This Chrome & Firefox extension totally replaces your Facebook newsfeed with any inspirational quote you want.

The newsfeed is carefully designed to suck you in. It's better to avoid the temptation entirely.

If you **really have **to look at Facebook, to look at what you WANT to look at, instead of what the algorithm decides to show you.

**How I use it: **I installed the extension, it removed my newsfeed, and I never looked back.

Blocksite

Block distracting sites on Chrome
Set redirects for your blocks

Block site is particularly useful because it's tied to your Chrome profile. No matter what device or whose computer you are using, your blocks will remain consistent.

I like this tool because it's cross-device. It works on anything that uses Google Chrome, so my Macbook & Windows desktop both get along with it. It can work based on a timer, schedule, or you can just turn it all the way on like I do.

You can set up redirects to add a level of focus. My setup redirects me to Freedcamp whenever I try to visit a distracting website on my list. This stops the compulsive habit at its source, and the redirection helps keep me focused and reminds me what's important.

**How I use it: **I keep this turned on to prevent access to a few websites. Reddit has a particularly effective feed that will suck me in. If I'm able to open it in a tab, there are decent odds that I'll blink and the clock has moved forward an hour, leaving me wondering where that time went.

blocksite.co (Free Chrome Extension)

Focus Timer

Website & app blocker for OSX
Focus timer
Work scheduler

This is similar to Blocksite, but it only works on OSX, and I use it a bit differently.

It lives inside of your top status bar and lets you set timers that you can activate with just a couple of clicks.

Then it will change to a countdown timer, so you can start working and see how much time you have left.

I use this when I'm really having trouble focusing and finding myself opening things that aren't a typical "distracting" site like Gmail. When I really need to focus, I'll lock all of the distractions down for the 30-60 minutes that I need.

**How I use it: **When it's time to get some work done, I use this to block everything distracting. This is different than the way I use blocksite, because generally speaking, I'm "allowed" to use any website on a responsible basis.

But if I need to focus on important work, then the easy access must be stopped at the source. These feeds are carefully tuned to capture your attention, and it's harmful to your productivity to leave them open.

Heyfocus.com ($19, one time)

Rescue Time

Track how you use all of your devices
Time Tracking (Cross-Platform)

Rescuetime is one of the most life-changing applications I've ever used, and like the rest of these, I've been a fan for quite a while.

It's a simple concept: track the time you spend on different apps and websites. Then they display this data in a way that makes sense so you can act on it.

Being able to visualize how much time I spent on activities that don't add value to my life is priceless. Especially in a time where things are moving faster than ever - it's hard to keep up.

Remember, "What gets measured, gets managed"

How I use it: I install Rescuetime on all of my devices so that I can track how I use them. I don't look at this data very often, but when I do need it, it's absolutely invaluable.

If I'm feeling like I haven't been getting much done but have been very "busy", then I'll check my stats out to see where that time has been going.

Maybe you find out that you spent 2 hours inside of your text editor, versus 10 hours on various social media sites. Now instead of a vague feeling of busy-but-not-getting-anything-done, you know exactly what your problem is, and your solution reveals itself.

Rescuetime.com (Free Software)

Freedcamp

100% Free Project Management
Amazing and simple interface

I've used Freedcamp for the better part of a decade now.

It's a well designed project management platform that you should absolutely check out, even if you already use a different platform.

Planning out & ticking off the boxes for a project you want to get done is a time-tested proven method to getting it done.

The free features are more than enough to handle all of my own project management needs.

**How I use it: **You can find a short guide on how I use freedcamp here.

Freedcamp.com (Free Webapp)

Keyboard Maestro

OSX Macro Recorder
Automate repetitive tasks

If you're new to automation, the ways to use it might seem kind of limited at first. Once you get used to the software, it'll become second nature to break your tasks down into processes.

Then you'll start to find even more ways to use it. If you come across anything you can't automate, then you'll have a process ready to outsource to a human, or to a developer for a software solution.

For example, there is a specific process that I previously did by hand to make a swipe file of competitors for a particular niche or offer. I needed to get their ad copy, landing pages, URL's, screenshots, target keywords, among other things. It took a long time to do, and was a recipe for carpal tunnel. I created a macro to handle this work as much as I could, but I ran into a roadblock involving some tricky calculations & moving parts.

So I gave my macro + further instructions, and a day later, I had a new tool that handled this entire process automatically, with more accuracy and a fraction of the time investment, and even better, my clients and team could DIY the process now.

**How I use it: **Here a few examples. Simple tasks like Sharing my zoom link, sharing my calendly link, scraping for dropped domains. More complex tasks like keyword research, taking screenshots of a list of pages, unfollowing people on facebook, and much more. Your imagination is the limit here.

Keyboardmaestro.com ($36, OSX Only)

How To Get More Done In Less Time

Most entrepreneurs & freelancers have a pretty good idea what needs to get done, but the problem is the doing-of-the-thing.

In the next post, I'll show you actionable steps to eliminate distractions and enable you to focus on the things that really matter.

You'll learn specific ways to use these tools in order to reign in your distractions and get more done, without using strict schedules or routines (that nobody actually sticks to).

Keep an eye on your inbox if you're on my personal list, or sign up for a free Analytic Advertising account (Available for a limited time), and you'll get an email update once the next post goes live.

Accountability Program (Coming Soon)

If you want to improve your productivity and get some accountability alongside it, I'm going to be launching an accountability program soon.

It's a four week program to build a habit of productivity and personal accountability over the 28 day span.