What Are The Best Productivity Tools?

I’m a tool Zombie on the hunt for the next best productivity software. 

My ADD brain craves the distraction. 

I'm like a dog who sees his new chew bone. Mine-mine-mine. 

The software by itself is garbage. 

I experienced this illusion again when I was looking to streamline our sales activities. I reached out to a software provider, as it looked like they had everything we needed. 

The sales guy I spoke to was my test. I'd determine how he used the software he was selling to convert me as a client. 

He was automated, unorganized, and used scripts that had no impact on what I needed.

I concluded that the software wasn't the problem; it was our process.

I didn't try this new tool, and instead, focused on updating our sales process, and it's had a tremendous impact on our team, thus far. 

Tools do not keep you focused on what's most important. 

They can help organize information, but more often than not, over time, the tools get clogged up with garbage.

The best productivity tool you can adopt is implementing a productivity strategy that makes you stay focused on your top goals.

Have ten goals your pursue each year in various domains of your life, then work them religiously quarterly, weekly, and daily. 

Whatever tool you use to track your goals is up to you. Paper is perfect for all I care. 

Setting goals that are improving your life domains is an essential part. The tools that help you store this information is a bonus. 

I've used Evernote but recently switched to Apple Notes.

Think about ten goals you want to achieve. Write them down and be SMARTER with how you create them. Your goals must be:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Actionable

• Risky

• Time Keyed

• Exciting

• Relevant

Once you have goals established, pursue three of them this quarter and execute on them in your weekly and daily priorities.

No more getting distracted! You know what's essential and you'll work the plan.

Tools cannot create goals for you. 

If you need help creating goals, read Michael Hyatt's book "Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals."

Schedule time blocks for your most important activities. 

Tool alert! Your calendar It's one of the best productivity "tools" you can use. 

The idea isn't to toss tasks on your calendar, but instead schedule uninterrupted time blocks. 

• 9 am - 11 am is time to focus on a critical project. 

• 12 pm - 1 pm is time for one-on-ones with your direct reports. 

• 1 pm - 3 pm is time for you to work on sales targets. 

Being intentional about your time and blocking it on your calendar will help you become more productive. 

What gets scheduled get's done. 

A long list of things to do in your task software doesn't help you achieve this.

Label your priorities so you can stay focused on what's most important.

If you stepped in a pile of crap, what would you do? 

That's right, hose it off. 

Your task list is no different. Over time you'll have a pile of tasks that need to get washed away. 

Everything isn't necessary. 

Gary Keller's book "The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results" goes into depth about this."

It's easy to get distracted. I get it. 

That's why you'll use these two tools to label your tasks and get rid of the dead weight that has no impact on your life. 

Use the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix will help you sort on what's most important. 

Remember, most of your tasks should contribute to something more significant, like your goals, passions, or helping someone on your team achieve their goals. 

If you can honestly say, "nothing will happen if I don't complete these tasks," it's a sign of crappy tasks. 

Use the matrix to help you identify your most important tasks. 

Do, Delete, Defer, Delegate, Or Design Out

Once you've classified how important your tasks are using the Eisenhower Matrix and if they contribute to the bigger missions in your life, you have some decisions to make.

Use these classifications to put your tasks in the right buckets: 

• Do it: you'll do the task now or schedule it for the near future. 

• Delete it: it doesn't contribute to your goals or have any importance.

• Defer it: Take a look at it in the future. There may be a better need to do it then. 

• Delegate it: Assign it to someone else as it fits better within their area of responsibility, skill set, or goals. 

• Design out: Figure a way to update your procedures or use technology to automate it, so you don't have to do it. 

The best productivity tool is your mind and how you focus relentlessly on your goals. 

Don't get distracted by technology. Instead, focus on creating impactful goals and pursuing those goals every day.