I literally carry my office on my shoulder and in my pocket. Almost all the work I do is done either on my laptop or on my smartphone. This allows me to work on trains, during flights, or while just standing in line. There are a few apps that makes it all a whole lot easier. They allow me to sync all my files between my devices, so I can access all my work and files from my phone, at home, on my laptop, or from an internet cafe across the globe without any issues. They allow me to work out and get healthier no matter where I am. They allow me to become more productive and focused, getting more done in less time.
Here are 5 apps I can highly recommend, helping me immensely in both work and daily life.
1. Evernote
One of the apps I use the most is definitely Evernote, which is both available on Windows, Mac and mobile devices. It’s an app that allows you to make notes, share them across all your devices, organize them in different notebooks, clip information from the internet and much more. I’m using it every day for writing down ideas, planning, writing out business strategies, writing article sketches etc. It automatically syncs to all devices I own, as well as all people I’ve shared the documents with. That means if I get an idea for something while sitting on a train, it will automatically be waiting for me on my laptop when I get home. It will also be instantly available to all my business partners the moment after it’s written. You can also make to-do lists, reminders, snap a picture into your notes, and clip info from websites – all features that helps me incredibly in my workday.
2. Calm
Calm is my everyday meditation app, featuring amazing atmospheres and a wide selection of guided meditations for different purposes. Highly recommended for a quick mindfulness and meditation break in your day. There are a lot of categories to choose from, as well as a lot of longer meditation programs you can try out. Among the single sessions, you can choose among a lot of themes such as anxiety release, motivation, focus, creativity etc. You can choosing guided sessions from 2, 5, 10, and up to over 30 min, making it perfect for whatever needs you might have, even if you’re only able to squeeze in 2 minutes into your day. The 7 day and 21 day programs are also amazing, making it really easy to get into a good habit of meditation with very little effort, following a pre-setup program that takes you through different subjects and steps, day by day. Another great thing about Calm is that you can choose and download a lot of different sceneries and background music tracks, and new ones are added all the time. The interface is also extremely simple, intuitive and pleasant to use, making it perfect for my daily meditation breaks, whether I’m on the go or at home.
3. Freeletics
When it comes to doing quick high intensity workouts anywhere, anytime, with no equipment whatsoever, Freeletics is the go-to solution for me. You get a lot of workouts to choose from for free, and for less than one small Starbucks Coffee a week, you get the “coach” function, creating the best programs specifically for you – it’s like having a personal trainer in your pocket. I recommend this app highly – it’s some of the best and most effective workouts I’ve ever had. The best part is that it works perfectly for busy people and people on the road who don’t have time to go to the gym. You can do a lot of these workouts in just a few minutes, but they are some of the most intense sessions I’ve ever had, and they give results!
4. Any.do
I’ve been using a dozen “to-do” apps, however I couldn’t seem to find the perfect one for me – something that I could use long term. One of the main reasons for that is that I found it hard to sync most of them perfectly between all my handheld devices and my computers, or found them not too user-friendly. This is an important part for me, as I need to use my to-do apps both while executing tasks on the go, or while working my way through the list of things to do on the computer or in the studio. Not having everything updated on all my devices is a big no for me. Luckily, Any.do offers a super sleek interface that works seamlessly on both smartphones and computers – always synced. The interface is sleek, very easy to navigate, and makes it easy to set both daily, weekly and monthly goals.
5. Dropbox
Dropbox is a must have for anybody who needs to share files across devices or with others. Perfect for entrepreneurs who collaborate with others, designers, music producers and people who want to be able to access their files from anywhere. Dropbox makes me able to instantly share my files with others, access audio files that I for example saved from my studio in Croatia, update music projects I worked on in Spain while I am in a hammock in Thailand – as well as instantly store all the photos I take with my phone, so I can access them anytime, anywhere. File sharing, image storage and access from multiple devices couldn’t be easier. For example, all the articles, photoshop files, images, audio files and video content for our website is stored in a shared Dropbox folder. It’s constantly available to everyone involved in the company – allowing seamless collaboration. For free, you get 2GB of space, but for only €9.99 per month you get 1TB of space available, which is more than enough for most people.
I highly recommend to check out these apps if you’re not familiar with them already, as they will help you greatly in improving your health, productivity, and workflow wherever you are on the planet.
