13 Productivity Tools I Can’t Live Without

I’m a sucker for all the online tools that promise to help you be more productive or creative and that can make you feel like you’ve got your s*it together. Tell me about the latest ‘can’t live without it’ app and I will try it.

Sure, often it turns out that they create more distraction than focus (happened to me with Todoist for example) but some has been real game changers.

So, without further ado, here are the 13 productivity/creativity tools that I use in my work on almost daily basis (no affiliate links, promise):

Self Control – a must. Blocks access to chosen websites so I can focus on work instead of going down the Pinterest rabbit hole. It’s simple and doesn’t have a glamorous design (although I love the skull logo) but it’s free and does the job. Only for Macs, if you’re Windows user try Freedom.

Omm Writer – my favorite writing tool. Elegant, simple, with neat functions like different keyboard and background sounds. Make a one-off payment of around $7 (they let you decide how much you want to pay) and you’re good to go.

Typing.com – I always wanted to type like a pro – fast and without looking at the keyboard. Thanks to this great free typing course, I do. Give it 10-20 minutes a day and soon you’ll be a typing master, promise. I often redo some of the lessons just because it relaxes me.

Noisli – I don’t like working in total silence but the music distracts me. Enter Noisli, background noise generator. Rain, wind, coffee shop, forest… you can mix and match so options are endless.  You can also use it as a distraction-free text editor. Free!

Mind Meister – with this you can create all kinds of mind maps. It’s a perfect tool for brainstorming and creating projects, especially if you’re a visual person. A free version is limited to 3 maps,  $4.99 per month gives you unlimited access.

Evernote – good old Evernote… I have a free version and it’s all I need to keep my notes, links, screenshots in one place. It syncs with an app on my phone so I have access to all that stuff whenever I need.

Last Pass – as someone who usually forgets the password literally one minute after creating it, this is a life-saving tool. Stores all my passwords and the autofill option works really well. Their site makes you think it’s minimum $3 per month but you can sign up and use it for free.

Canva – basically lets you create professional looking designs without having to complete a Ph.D. in Photoshop. Get a free version or pay $12.95 per month for more advanced features. They also have a phone app, but I think the iOS version has more functions than the Android one.

Notegraphy – neat tool to create cool looking, stylized text notes. Great to make those Insta quotes really stand out. Free.

Grammarly – fixes all my grammar mistakes, what more can you want? ;)

Momentum – I like the beautiful photos, the welcoming line (Good morning, Dominika!) and the “what is your main focus for today?” question. Free for Chrome and Firefox.

Tomighty – I’m a big fan of the Pomodoro Technique and this is the timer I use. I tried many others and found this one to have the cleanest, most hassle-free design.

And last but not least…

Alarmy – if, like me, you’re a professional snoozer, then this app will change your life – an alarm clock that forces you to get out of bed. Just take a photo of an area in your house and set up the alarm. When it starts ringing, the only way to make it stop is to get out of bed and take a photo of that registered area. It can be a photo of a shower or a coffee machine, or if you want to go hardcore, your neighbor’s front door ;) Anything but the view from your bed of course! Free for iOS and Android.

So that’s my lucky 13! I would love to know your go-to tools that make you work faster and better. Please share!

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