The 5 Best Apps for Staying Productive

The 5 Apps I Use to Beat Procrastination and Stay Productive

Productivity is crucial if you want to get things done right. But if you're anything like me, procrastination is a constant battle. To win that fight, I’ve built a system around five core apps that help me capture ideas, stay on track, and keep my projects moving forward.

Here’s my personal productivity stack, from initial idea to final execution.

1. Todoist: The Brain Dump

Every great idea, tiny task, or random thought has to be captured before it’s forgotten. For this, I use Todoist.

It’s my digital inbox for everything. The moment something pops into my head, it goes straight into Todoist. While the app has powerful features for categorization and project folders, I prefer to keep it simple: everything goes into the main inbox. This frictionless process means I never hesitate to write something down. I can sort through it all later.

2. Notes: The Idea Expander

Once an idea is captured, it needs space to grow. That's where a simple notes app comes in. This is a step up from a basic reminder—it's where I begin to flesh things out.

• Video Concepts: I might start drafting potential titles or outlines.
• Project Details: I can add more specific information that doesn't fit in a simple to-do list.

Think of it as the bridge between a fleeting thought and a structured plan.

3. Reminders: The Hands-Free Capture

You might be thinking, "another reminder app?" And yes, while it feels a bit redundant, the native Reminders app on my phone serves one crucial purpose: voice commands.

When I'm driving or away from my keyboard, I can use Siri to add a reminder without missing a beat. This is perfect for those "aha!" moments that strike at the most inconvenient times. While I’d love to migrate everything to a single app eventually, the convenience of voice-activated capture is too valuable to give up right now.

4. Notion: The All-in-One Workspace

This is where everything comes together. Notion is the final stage where ideas become fully-realized projects. My workflow generally follows a clear path:

Todoist (Idea) → Notes (Expansion) → Notion (Execution)

In Notion, a simple idea can evolve into a full video script, a project plan, or a detailed article. I use it to gather references, embed images, and structure all the necessary information in one place.

But it’s more than just a writing tool. I use Notion for everything:

• Work: All my job-related notes and tasks.
• Personal Website: It acts as a headless CMS for my site's databases.
• Life Admin: Travel plans, shopping lists, and even a movie tracker where I rate what I’m watching.

It’s the central hub for both my professional and personal life.

5. A Custom Calendar Widget: The At-a-Glance View

This last one is special because it's an app I'm building myself. It's a calendar widget that provides a clear, at-a-glance view of my entire month.

The best feature is a visual heat map that shows me my most eventful days, making it easy to see when I’m busy. Tapping on any day takes you directly to the schedule, allowing for quick event entry. It’s incredibly convenient to see my whole month without having to open a full application. This project is still a work in progress, but it has already become an essential part of my daily planning.

Those are the top five apps that form the backbone of my productivity system. What tools are you using to stay on track? Let me know—I'm always looking for something new to try.