Do you seem like you never have enough time to complete your tasks? 

Guess what? You are not alone! 

Being able to beat deadlines on assignments can be daunting, especially when you have a lot going on. However, if you prioritize and organize your tasks better, you will become more productive and surprisingly, get more time on your plate. (Sounds too good to be true, right?)

Think about this for a second…

If you can manage your time well by taking away things that distract you from your work, you’re highly likely to achieve more milestones in your day. 

What if you reduce the time you assign to each task to give it more focused attention, do you think you could achieve more? 

“Work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion.”

Parkison’s Law

So, how do you take charge of your time to be more productive? I’ll share with you 6 effective tools that can assist you to get rid of distractions and make you more focused on your tasks helping you achieve your goals.

Get Organized

Being organized is the backbone of becoming more productive. 

When you’re organized you get clarity on what you need to do, when you need to do it, and how you will do it. What’s more, you can prioritize your tasks according to their importance and urgency. You’re also able to track your progress and adjust your plan as needed. 

Being organized, ultimately, helps you save time, reduce stress, and achieve your goals more effectively. 

When I speak of getting organized, I know you instinctively thought of a pen and paper. (Great, that’s a good starting point). However, in this age of technology, there are more tools now to help you manage your tasks more efficiently. 

For example, you can use a calendar app to schedule your tasks and reminders, a note-taking app to capture your ideas and notes, or a project management app to collaborate with others and track your progress.

Some of these tools will be discussed in this article. To start with, I will focus on project management tools for individuals and teams. Here are two of my favorites:

Asana

Asana is a web-based platform that helps you manage projects and tasks for yourself or with your team. 

Whether you want to plan an event or write a blog post, his platform can help you organize your work, communicate with your team, and track your progress. 

“How can Asana help you do all this?” You may ask. Here’s how. The tool allows you to:

• Create projects as lists or Kanban boards.
• Assign tasks to yourself or others.
• Set due dates and start dates.
• Use forms to collect work requests from others.
• Leverage the timeline to see how your project fits together and adjust as things change. 
• Add rules to automate repetitive actions. 

The cherry on top, you can integrate Asana with over 100 other apps and tools to streamline your workflow.

More to this, Asana has many benefits for people who want to stay on top of their work and achieve their goals. This tool helps you:

• Save time and avoid confusion by keeping all your work in one place
• Stay focused and motivated by seeing your progress and milestones
• Collaborate effectively with your team and stakeholders by sharing updates and feedback
• Learn from your data and improve your performance by using reports and portfolios

Of course, Asana is not perfect. Some of the cons of this platform are:

• It can be overwhelming at first to learn all the features and options.
• It can be expensive if you need more advanced features or more users.
• It can be distracting if you get too many notifications or comments.

Overall, Asana is a powerful and versatile platform that can help you manage your work better and faster. If you want to try it out for yourself, you can sign up for free. 

ClickUp

ClickUp is a productivity platform that lets you manage your tasks, projects, and goals in one place. Whether you’re working on a personal project or a freelance gig, ClickUp can help you stay organized and on track.

Here are some reasons why ClickUp should be up your alley if you want to achieve productivity:

• The tool is highly customizable and flexible. You can choose from different views, templates, widgets, integrations, and features to suit your workflow and preferences.
• It is easy to use and intuitive. You can sign up for free and start using ClickUp in seconds. You can also access help docs, tutorials, and support if you need any assistance.
• It is powerful and scalable. You can manage any project from start to finish with ClickUp’s robust analytics and reporting tools. And when you need more from the platform (think: storage, automation, or advanced features), you can upgrade to the paid plan.

Even though ClickUp is a great tool, it has some pitfalls:

• It may have a steep learning curve for some users. Because of its many options and settings, ClickUp may be overwhelming or confusing at first. You may need to spend some time exploring and experimenting with the tool to find the best way to use it for your needs.
• It may not integrate with some of the tools you use. Although ClickUp has integrations for some of the most common tools in modern work stacks, such as Zoom, Google Drive, and GitHub, it may not support some of the tools you rely on. You may need to use a third-party service like Unito or Zapier to connect ClickUp with other apps.
• It may have some bugs or glitches. As with any software, ClickUp may not work perfectly all the time. You may encounter some errors, delays, or crashes while using the software. You can report any issues to the ClickUp team or check their status page for updates.

Despite these bottlenecks, you can be sure that this tool can help you save time and increase productivity. By using one app for everything, you avoid switching between multiple tools and platforms. What’s more, the tool also allows you to automate repetitive tasks, set reminders, and track your time.

This platform also allows you to improve collaboration and communication. You can ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals because the tool allows you to work with your team in real-time with Chat, assign comments for action items, and never miss a beat with notifications that bring everything in one place.

With Clickup you also get to achieve more with less stress. You can manage your workload more effectively and efficiently with a clear overview of your projects, tasks, and deadlines. Furthermore, the site’s Goals feature allows you to set and track your personal or professional objectives.

ClickUp is a versatile and comprehensive work management platform that can help you streamline your workflow and optimize your performance. If you are looking for a powerful solution for all your work needs, you may want to give ClickUp a try.

Manage Your Time Better

Time management is the art of intentionally making your precious hours, minutes, and seconds count. It is not just about setting deadlines and sticking to them, but also about finding the right balance between work and play, urgency and importance. 

When you manage your time better, you’ll be able to achieve your goals and enjoy a stress-free life.

I’ll share with you some of the tools that come in handy when you want to manage your time more effectively:

Clockify

Clockify is a time-tracking app that helps you keep track of how much time you spend on different tasks and projects. You can use this tool to improve productivity and efficiency for yourself or your team.

With Clockify, you can:

• Create and assign tasks to yourself or your team members.
• Start and stop timers or enter time manually.
• Generate reports and analyze your performance.
• Set hourly rates and bill your clients.
• Sync your data across devices and integrate with other apps.

More to this, the platform is free for unlimited users and projects, which is a relief if you want to add extra features and more customization. It’s easy to use and has a simple interface where you can start and stop timers, add notes, edit entries, and view reports.

It integrates with many popular apps and tools, like Trello, Asana, Google Calendar, and Slack, so you can sync your data and track your time across different platforms. 

You can access this tool from the web when browsing and as an app on your desktop or mobile. It also has a browser extension. This means that you can access your information from any device and any location.

And it has various reports and charts that help you analyze your time data and see where you can improve your performance and profitability.

Even with its amazing features and capability, this tool has a downside:

• It doesn’t have a built-in invoicing or billing feature, so you’ll need to use another app or tool to create invoices and send them to your clients.
• It doesn’t have a Pomodoro timer or a distraction blocker feature, so you need to use other methods or tools to stay focused and avoid distractions.

Despite the downside, the platform allows you to improve your time management skills and habits, since you can see how much time you actually spend on different activities and tasks.

You’re able to increase your productivity and efficiency because you can identify and eliminate time wasters and optimize your workflow. Moreover, you get to boost your income and profitability, since you can track your billable hours and charge your clients accurately for your work.

Clockify is a powerful time-tracking app that can help you achieve more in less time. If you’re looking for a free and easy way to track your time and improve your results, give Clockify a try. 

Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a time-tracking app that helps you monitor the time you spend on different tasks and projects. This app can help you improve your productivity since you get to understand where your time goes, how much you earn, and where you need to improve.

More to this, the tool:

• Is easy to use and has a simple interface.
• Works on multiple devices and platforms, so you can sync your data and access it anywhere.
• Has powerful reports and insights that help you analyze your performance and optimize your workflow.
• Is free for up to 5 users.

But Toggl Track is not perfect. It has some pitfalls, including:

• It gets buggy and slow sometimes.
• There are limited features on the free plan.
• It can be addictive and stressful to track every minute of your day.
• It may not work well for team collaboration.

Overall, Toggl Track is a great tool for anyone who wants to improve their productivity and efficiency. So, is Toggl Track worth it? That depends on your goals and preferences. 

If you want to try it out, you can sign up for a free trial and see for yourself. 

Eliminate Distractions

Do you find yourself easily distracted by social media, email, or cute cat videos when you’re supposed to be working? Do you wish you could focus better and get more done in less time?

If so, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with distractions and procrastination, and end up feeling guilty for wasting valuable hours of their day. 

But can you get rid of distractions and save up on your non-refundable and precious resource: time? Definitely! 

You can use productivity tools to eliminate distractions and stay focused on your tasks and goals by restricting the amount of time you spend on time-wasting websites.

StayFocusd

StayFocusd as the name implies is a browser extension that helps you stay focused on your work by controlling the amount of time you can spend on distracting websites. It’s like a strict but caring parent who wants you to succeed in your goals.

It works by blocking access to those websites once you have used up your allotted time for the day. The platform gives you the option to customize which websites to block or allow, and how much time you want to spend on them.

You can set a daily allowance of minutes for each site or category of sites and it will block them once you reach the limit. You can also use the nuclear option to block all sites except the ones you whitelist for a certain period. 

Excited about eliminating distractions already?

Well, strap in because with this tool, you’ll get to boost your productivity by reducing procrastination and the temptation to browse the web for non-work-related purposes.

You’ll also be able to improve your self-discipline and self-control by sticking to your goals and priorities. And ultimately, balance your work and leisure time by setting realistic boundaries and limits for yourself.

StayFocusd has amazing capabilities to help you get rid of distractions to become more productive, including:

• Customization: you can choose which websites to block, how much time to allow yourself, and when to activate the extension.
• Effectiveness: it prevents you from cheating by opening a new browser or changing the settings.
• Motivation: it shows you how much time you have saved by staying focused, and gives you positive feedback when you complete your tasks.

This productivity tool isn’t without fault. As it helps you improve your time management skills, it can:

• Be frustrating and annoying when you run out of time and can’t access your favorite websites.
• Interfere with your leisure time or relaxation if you forget to turn it off or adjust your settings.
• Be incompatible or conflict with some other browser extensions or settings that you may use.
• Sometimes make you feel guilty or anxious about not finishing your work in time, or missing out on something important online.

Notwithstanding the downside, StayFocusd allows you to save time and energy by avoiding unnecessary or excessive web browsing that can waste your precious resources.

It helps you focus and perform better by minimizing distractions and interruptions that can impair your concentration and quality of work. What’s more, you get to achieve more and feel more satisfied by accomplishing your tasks and goals within the time frame that you have set for yourself.

StayFocusd is a great tool for anyone who wants to improve their focus, time management, and self-discipline. Give it a try today.

Cold Turkey

Cold Turkey is an app that helps you stop procrastinating and get things done. It lets you block distracting websites, apps, and games on your computer and phone for a set period. You can also schedule breaks and customize your block lists. Sounds great, right?

Well, here’s what you can expect to achieve when you use this app: 

• More focus on your most important tasks and avoid distractions.
• A boost in your self-control and discipline by making it hard to cheat or quit the blocks.
• Improvement in your time management and efficiency by helping you plan your work and breaks.
• A handle on how much time you saved and how well you followed your plans through reports and statistics from the tool.
• Motivation with motivational quotes and challenges.

Cold Turkey as the name implies can do a number on you, especially if it’s your first time using it. It can build frustration or annoyance if you need to access something that is blocked.

It may interfere with your social life or entertainment if you block too much or too often. It could also lead to dependence on the app and loss of self-control.

But if you’re willing to overlook the downside of using this app and are really determined to be more productive, you will be glad to know that the site can help you:

• Improve your time management and work-life balance by setting realistic deadlines and priorities.
• Reduce stress and anxiety by avoiding distractions and completing your tasks on time.
• Boost your creativity and problem-solving skills by focusing on one thing at a time.
• Enjoy your leisure time more by rewarding yourself with guilt-free entertainment after a productive session.

So, is Cold Turkey the app for you? Well, it depends on how determined you are to overcome procrastination and how willing you are to face the consequences of your choices. 

Can you handle the challenge? Go ahead and give Cold Turkey a try. But be warned: it’s not for the faint of heart.

How Much You Accomplish Is up to You

Although there are various tools to assist you to boost your productivity, the key to being more productive starts with you. If you are not motivated or can’t stay away from distractions, not even the best tools can help you. 

That said, these tools can be a great way to make you achieve your goals faster. They also ensure that you stay more focused on your most important tasks. 

So, go ahead and give one or two of these tools a try! Then come back here and share your experience with me.