Tech productivity tools to help you work like a tech professional

Staying organised

The whiteboard filled with colourful sticky notes is a favourite in the tech industry for project organisation, and Trello is the digital version. A trello board is usually organised into three columns: what needs to be done, what’s in the process of being done, and what’s completed. You can create and rename columns as you wish.

In each of the columns are what’s known as cards, and yes, they can be colour-coded, just like the real-life post-it notes. Each card lists a task and who’s in charge of it. Cards can be moved in and out of columns with a simple drag-and-drop using the mouse.

Besides being really easy to use, Trello also integrates with many third-party services such as Slack, Twitter, Github, and Survey Monkey. The Trello board thus gives the team an easy overview of what everyone else is working on and what’s the progress of each task.

2) Evernote (opens in new tab)

When it comes to taking notes, sometimes it’s easier to record an audio reminder. Sometimes it’s easier to snap a photo of what you want to remember. Sometimes a sketch paints a thousand words. And sometimes the best way is just to type a few words.

Evernote allows note taking in all those forms. It is also able to recognise text in pictures, meaning it can read and process handwritten notes that you scan into the app. All your notes are synced across your devices as well, although the free tier allows just two devices.

3) IFTTT (opens in new tab)

This automation tool takes care of small, mundane tasks that you’ll otherwise be wasting minutes on. How does it do so? Well, the clue is in its name IFTTT, which stands for “if this, then that”.

So you can create custom automations such as “if there’s a new post published on my WordPress site, then share it on Facebook”. Or “if the weather forecast says it’s going to rain, text me a reminder to pack an umbrella”. Such automations can be made either through IFTTT’s web-based service or mobile app.

Before plunging straight into building a customisation, checking out the pre-built customisations on the IFTTT website may save you from reinventing the wheel. Oh, by the way, the pronunciation of IFTTT rhymes with “gift”.

Staying Focused

1) RescueTime (opens in new tab)

This tool does what its name suggests and rescues your time from being wasted. It does this by automatically tracking the time you spend on different apps and websites, and then categorising them from “very productive” to “very distracting”.

The result: A precise dashboard of where the time drains are that you need to get rid of. The shock factor alone of how those tiny Instagram breaks add up to hours upon hours might just be the motivation you need to cut back on social media. RescueTime also comes as an app so you can track your phone usage to see if you’re being productive or consuming too many mindless videos.

2) StayFocusd (opens in new tab)

Ok, so you’ve tried tracking your online activity in a bid to kick the procrastination, but it’s not working.

It’s time to take things up a notch by using the StayFocusd extension. Block certain sites once you’ve reached a limit – say, 45 minutes on Instagram – or put those temptations off limits during periods set periods of time.

Yes, if you’re truly determined to waste time, then this is but a speed bump. You could always pick up your smartphone or open another browser. But at least you’re blocking the muscle memory of heading to these sites and giving productivity a fighting chance.

3) Pocket (opens in new tab)

If you’re the type with countless tabs opened on your internet browser because you just keep stumbling upon another interesting article/tweet/video that you just don’t have the time for now, then Pocket is for you.

Pocket enables you to save these content for later and you can even download content for offline consumption. That way, you can keep the distracting content for later, save in the knowledge that you can get back to it once you’ve finished your tasks at hand. And if the content lived up to your expectations? Share it to another user’s Pocket!

Tech is for everyone

We sometimes think that working with tech must entail a steep learning curve and picture multiple screens of code, inscrutable to all but the most technical people. In reality, mass-market tools that come with easy-to-use, point-and-click interfaces are now readily available for everyday users.

We’re now living in the boom times of tech, so even if the tools above are somehow not to your liking, it’s highly likely there’s a similar product from a competitor that may be better suited to your needs.

So go forth and be productive!