Our world is moving really fast, and we always have to stay on top of things. Most people deal with tons of work assignments and everyday tasks. Sometimes it might be hard to fit all these activities into our day. There’s never enough time to do it all. Or does it just seem like it?
The answer to all these concerns is effective time management. Proper distribution of tasks across the day helps you maintain a balance in your life. There are so many technological solutions that can be useful for that purpose. We recommend you try out some time management apps. We will tell you about the best alternatives available now. So, keep reading!
1. Todoist
The first alternative we want to mention is Todoist – a task management app. It is versatile and easy to use. You can employ it either for personal tasks or work projects.
It offers three packages — Beginner, Pro, and Business. The first one is free. The other two are $5 and $8 per month accordingly.
Below, we outlined the main features of this app.
Intuitive Task Organization
Todoist has a clean and user-friendly interface. With its help, you can easily
- Add tasks in a few taps;
- Set due dates;
- Assign labels;
- Categorize them into projects.
Also, its drag-and-drop feature allows you to rearrange assignments effortlessly. So, you can always keep your to-do list updated.
Priority Levels
Some of your activities may be more urgent than others. This app allows you to assign priority levels, ranging from 1 to 4. This feature helps you focus on what matters most.
Project Management and Collaboration
You can use this app not only for individual tasks. It may also become a great project management tool. You can create projects and break them into smaller pieces. Plus, it allows you to track the progress of each initiative.
Moreover, you can share projects with others and communicate within the app. It is particularly useful for team activities or family to-do lists. For those working on Windows systems, integrating a windows time tracker can provide additional insights into how time is spent on different projects and tasks. This can help team members and project managers better understand time allocation and improve overall productivity.
Integrations
Todoist integrates with various apps and services. For instance, you can combine it with Google Calendar or Slack. It allows you to sync your assignments across platforms and automate workflows. The tasks you assign here will automatically appear in your calendar, which will help you plan the day.
Karma Points
This app offers a unique feature – Karma system. It gamifies your productivity tracking. Basically, when you complete a certain action, you can earn Karma points. This feature adds a fun and motivational element to your work.
2. RescueTime
RescueTime can also be really helpful in terms of time management. It’s an automatic time-tracking app. This app runs in the background of your devices. It monitors how much time you spend on different activities. You can use a free version or get a premium plan for $12 monthly.
It tracks your work, social media activity and even scrolling through websites. This hands-free tracking allows you to focus on your work without constantly starting and stopping timers. Here are some other features this tool can offer you.
Detailed Reports
This app breaks down your time usage into categories, like
- Productive;
- Neutral;
- Distracting.
It allows you to understand your daily and weekly habits. This can help you identify areas where to improve your focus.
FocusTime Sessions
This feature helps you concentrate on your work. It blocks distracting websites during designated periods. So, you can reduce interruptions and stay more effective. Plus, it gives you alerts if you get distracted too much.
Goal Setting and Productivity Score
RescueTime allows you to customize your goals. For instance, you may set them to reduce time on social media or balance work and leisure.
Plus, it assigns a daily productivity score based on your activities. This score can help you track your productivity and identify areas for improvement. Also, use a time calculator for instant time conversions.
3. Habitica
Our next recommendation is Habitica. It’s a unique productivity app that uses gamification. It can help you develop positive habits and complete your tasks. Here, you create a character that grows and earns rewards as you accomplish something.
Just like the two previous apps, it offers free and premium versions. There are different subscriptions from $4.99 to $47.99. Which features does Habitica have?
Task Organization
It allows you to divide your activities into three categories:
- Habits (recurring behaviors you want to reinforce or avoid);
- Dailies (tasks you need to complete every day);
- To-Dos (one-time assignments with a set deadline).
Character Development and Rewards
When you complete something, your character will gain XP or gold. XP helps it to level up and gold is for buying in-game rewards. You can even set custom rewards for yourself, like taking a break or enjoying a treat.
Social Component
You can team up with others to complete goals or compete in challenges. For example, you might join guilds and go on quests with friends. This feeling of support makes it easier to stick to your habits.
Quests and Boss Battles
Also, Habitica offers different quests, where you can participate with your party members. You have to complete tasks to defeat bosses and earn rewards. This cooperative gameplay element adds a fun element to completing your to-do list. It encourages you to finish everything on time to help your team succeed.
4. Teamhood
Teamhood is a visual task management tool that features robust time tracking features. The advanced Kanban setup allows you to easily visualize even the most complex processes and categorize your work with ease.
Plan and visualize your work, collaborate with the team, and set up integrations with other tools you use daily. Teamhood also carries a good selection of project management features such as Gantt charts, workload management, and portfolio overview.
The free version is available for up to 10 team members. Paid business pricing starts at $9 per user/month. There is also enterprise pricing for larger organizations.
How will Teamhood benefit your time management?
Automated or manual time tracking and editing
With Teamhood you can choose how the time is tracked. Simply track on the task card while you work or enter time logs manually after the fact.
If a mistake was made, you can easily adjust the time logs. You are also able to leave comments next to each time log for more accuracy in tracking.
Automated Timesheet reports
Once the work is done, review the tracked time by project, tag, or person in an automated timesheet report. Here, you can easily compare the estimates vs actual tracked time to evaluate your results.
Visual task management and collaboration
Teamhood is great for those working with a team. Visualize your tasks, processes, and collaborate on tough assignments to push them through. Working is easier when everything you need is in one place.
5. Toggl
Toggl is another time-tracking tool we cannot miss out on. Its intuitive design makes the process as simple as possible. You can start or stop a timer with just one click. It will accurately capture the time you spend on diverse assignments, whether you’re a freelancer, an event photographer, or part of a larger team.
You can use a free version for individual needs. Also, it offers a Starter plan for $9 a month and a Premium one for $18 a month per user. These alternatives are more suitable for teams.
How Toggl can benefit your time management?
Reporting and Team Management
It offers powerful reporting features. You can generate detailed statements that break down your time by project or client. You can export or customize them.
You can also use it as a project management tool. It allows you to track everyone’s progress in one place. It becomes easier to keep an eye on deadlines and resource allocation.
Customizable Tags and Labels
This app lets you categorize your assignments with customizable tags and labels. This makes it easier to spot patterns and trends in your time data. It can be helpful for workflow organization.
Reminders and Idle Detection
These features make your time tracking more precise. It will send you a notification if you forget to start a timer. Also, it’ll prompt you to adjust your time entry if it detects that you’ve been idle for a while.
6. Forest
The last productivity app we want to mention is Forest. It uses the concept of virtual tree planting to encourage your concentration.
How does it work? You plant a virtual tree whenever you need to focus on something. The tree grows as long as you resist using your phone. Over time, your focused work sessions will result in a flourishing forest.
This app is available for iOS and Android. Plus, you can use it as a browser extension. It has a 7-day free trial and then a $3.99 monthly plan. Below, you’ll find some other interesting points about Forest.
Real Trees for Real Impact
This app partners with tree-planting organizations. You can spend the virtual coins you earn here to fund the planting of real trees in different locations. This feature adds an extra layer of purpose to your productivity. Your focus will not only benefit your work but the environment as well.
Customizable Themes
This application offers a variety of tree types and themes. So, you can customize how your forest will look. It allows you to unlock new elements as you complete your goals.
For those interested in further customization, an AI font generator could be an exciting addition to such apps. It could create unique, personalized fonts based on your handwriting or design preferences, adding an extra layer of individuality to your virtual forest and making the achievement markers even more special.
Joint Activities
Also, Forest allows you to plant trees together with your friends or colleagues. You can create focus groups where everyone starts their activity at the same time. If one person gets distracted and exits the app, everyone’s tree dies. It adds an element of accountability and teamwork.
Conclusion
Proper time management is essential today. It can help you create a balance in all your activities. Plus, you won’t miss any deadlines and urgent tasks. However, traditional methods may not be as effective now. So, we recommend you incorporate technological solutions. There are so many time management apps available today. They make the process way more convenient and efficient. Try out some of the options we outlined above and maybe one of them will become your ideal solution.