Modern technology had been busy catching all those time thieves for quite some time now. Time tracking had even evolved so much that it is sometimes to separate time management tools from project management tools (they’re kindred spirits I think). There is no one-size-fits-all formula task organization and time management especially when you’re not in control (who is?) of everything’s that’s happening in your waking hours. This is especially a challenge if you’re a part-time reskinner, just wanting to be productive by trying out some time management strategies we learned from the previous article and then you accidentally forgot the time – losing yourself into the wonders of some app reskinning blog.
This is when time management tools come in handy. Everything can be automated; from the tracking of your habits, timer for your tasks and of course, the classic to-do lists are also now comes in electronic form. Check out some of these tools and be the judge if they really help ease out your time woes.
Time Management Apps
Making the most of the time you have:
RescueTime
This app can run on Mac, PC, Linux, Android, and Web. It tracks the time you spend on the computer – or rather, where you spend your time on the computer. It rates your productivity throughout the day by classifying the websites you visit as “productive” and “unproductive”. You will then be able to access the results of the apps assessments that come in chart form. If you upgrade to a premium account ($9/month), you’ll be able to avail of FocusTime, a function that blocks any website it deems distracting (make sure to include websites necessary for your work on the important list); there would also be email alerts and automatic tracking of your time offline.
Stop wasting your time forgetting things:
Remember the Milk
You can’t dare forget with this tool available almost everywhere: it’s in iOS, Android and can also be synched with Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter and even on Siri! You can also receive reminders through email, SMS and several instant messaging platforms. You can then be reminded anytime, anywhere of tasks and its due dates.
Save time on task execution:
Mind42
This is an online browser-based mapping tool that not only manages your ideas but also aids in the collaboration process especially when brainstorming for new reskinning projects.
Focus@Will
This tool is basically a music service that delivers an exclusive instrumental music library that can aid in focus by soothing your limbic system so that you can concentrate and tune out any other stimulus.
Schedule your projects, define your goals:
Swipes
Swipes is a free task scheduler available in Android, iOS and in the Web. It allows you to snooze tasks that overlap with other tasks so that you can do it another time. It also watches out for tasks on your Evernote account and syncs it to your phone.
Doit
This GTD tool is available in Android, iOS, Windows, Web and Mac. It has several way of sorting things out. Tasks can be categorized according to their tags, due date or projects. You can also journal your productivity output, set tasks or projects into short and long-term goals.
Keep your team on track:
Toggl
Toggl is especially designed for teams. It can be used to track time, tasks and productivity. It’s available on Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS and various web browsers. You just need to specify what you are working on and then the tool will immediately track your time. The entire team’s time can then be assessed and organized in timesheets by project, billable/non-billable entries, etc. You will be able to see how each time was spent and how productive team members are for that week.
