A yearly tradition on this blog at the end of the year is a round-up of the top apps that I found to be indispensable. Some apps stay on the list, and then new ones get added. As 2015 is coming to a close, here's my list for this year.
1. Evernote
My love for Evernote is clear to
anyone who reads this blog, and this year I expanded the way I use it. I already
used this app, both on my laptop and my iPhone to keep track of recipes,
articles I wanted to come back to, and my lists for planning work. This year I also
used Evernote to save versions of my author bio and other aspects for my book
promotion efforts. I was able to save a lot of time keeping the frequently used
documents I need in Evernote. One of my favorite uses is to tag notes I use
over and over as a shortcut. Being able to create separate notebooks for each
book and each aspect of the publishing process made everything easier, as I branched
out with more promotional efforts this year.
2. Buffer
This tool, available both as a
downloadable app and through your favorite web browser, has become another
indispensable tool. I schedule most of my social media promotional efforts
through Buffer, and the ease of use of the tool as well as the helpful tips and
articles provided by the team make it one of my favorite apps. I keep finding
new ways to use it and ways to save me time and hassle that never occurred to
me earlier. I definitely recommend the excellent Buffer blog (link) for tons of
social media marketing advice.
3. Wunderlist
This year I finally read David
Allen's productivity bible, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity and I decided to
implement the system. I tried several new list management apps, and ended up abandoning
each after a month or so. I returned to
Wunderlist, and implemented my own version of GTD. I love Wunderlist because it
is simple. I created separate lists for each type or function of work, and
created specific Someday lists for these functions, so I can save ideas that
occur to me, but don’t need to be done right away. I have found this system has
been working remarkably well for me recently, and I have been getting more done
with far less stress. Wunderlist allows you to make more lists than you will
need, and you can modify your favorite productivity system to suit your needs
and match it with Wunderlist.
4. Scannable
For the first time on this list,
Scannable is an app for the iPad and iPhone that captures paper through the
camera, and scans it into a high-quality image that can be emailed or stored in
Evernote. I use it to scan work-related checks and receipts easily, or keep an
image of a document that I need. It is incredibly easy to use and the resulting
scans are very high quality. The app can also be used to scan business cards
and convert them into contacts, but that is a feature that I have yet to use. I
very rarely have access to an office scanner, but with Scannable, lately I have
never found that to be a problem.
5. Scribd
Scribd is an e-book subscription
service, with thousands of books by both indie and traditionally published
authors, as well as an impressive audiobook collection. I found using the
Scribd app allowed me to make the most of all my travel via public transport,
and I ended up reading far more books than I would otherwise. I like to read
4-5 books at a time, which is easy with the app. The app also keeps track of
which books were read in which month, and as I recently updated my 2015 reading
list, this data was pretty useful. If the idea of a subscription service
appeals to you, the Scribd app is pretty great.
6. Honorable Mention –
Fitbit
While the list is technically for
the top 5 apps, I had to mention Fitbit. I believe that fitness is really
important to being more productive and creative, and my Fitbit app keeps me on
track, ensuring I get more exercise than I might otherwise. The iPhone app is
quite handy, and I have completely given up using the desktop application. You can
track your steps, activity, food, water and sleep using the app, although I only
use it for automatically tracking my steps and sleep quality. Not everyone
needs or appreciates so much life data, but I kind of got hooked on the idea of
seeing trends and using the patterns from the data to make improvements in
one's life, and now I love the idea of having as much personalized data about
my activities as possible. If you like that idea, the Fitbit app is
well-designed and works well. The only grouse I have is with the design of the
tracker – charging it requires removing it from the band and I end up needing
to replace the band pretty often. Other than that, I love my Fitbit.
I hope this list inspires some of
you reading this post to try out a new app. All of the apps mentioned above are
either free, or have a free package (Scribd comes with a 14-day free trial), so
it doesn’t cost anything to try. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a
productive and wonderful new year!
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