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Productivity is what keeps your freelancing business going. At the same time, most of us are not as productive as we know we could be.

Who hasn’t forgotten to do a task or felt distracted during the work day? Unfortunately for freelancers, there’s a direct relationship between productivity and income. That’s why it’s important we get any productivity problems we have under control.

Fortunately, there are apps out there that can help you get more done.

In this post, I share ten great productivity apps that can help you become more productive. I also include a quick guide to choosing the best productivity apps for your needs.

If you liked this post, you may also like 22+ Five-Minute Business Boosters.

Productivity Apps for Freelancers

New productivity apps come out all the time. It’s easy to overlook the good ones.

Here are ten productivity apps you may not be aware of. (This list is in alphabetical order. Prices are current as of the time this post was written and may change.)

1. Asana. Do you work on a project with more than one team member or collaborate with others? This app helps you organize and track tasks. The free version can accommodate up to 15 team members. The premium versions allow for more team members. (Android and iOS)
2. Audible. This tool from Amazon lets you listen to Audiobooks while you do routine tasks or while you drive. Instead of wasting time, you’ll be busy learning new things. After the free trial period, Audible costs $14.95 a month. (Android and iOS)
3. Clear. This colorful and easy-to-use app lets you create a list of tasks and then track them. This is a modern and elegant take on the traditional to-do list that uses iCloud technology to store your lists. The iOS version costs $4.99. (iOS and Mac)
4. Donna. If you need a personal assistant to help you get organized, this app may help. It reminds you of your meetings and other tasks. It can also perform simple tasks like dialing the phone. Currently free. (iOS)
5. Editorial. If you currently use a plain text editor, you’ll want to take a look at Editorial. Since I often use my iPad for writing when I travel, I’ll be giving this app a closer look. The current price is $4.99 (iPad)
6. focus@will. Does music help you focus? If you like to work and listen to music, this app helps you listen to the right type of music, music that will help you focus and not distract you. Free version is currently available. (iOS and Android)
7. Google Keep. This app from Google lets you quickly take notes about anything (images, articles, etc) and even color code them. If you have sticky notes everywhere, this can help. Currently free. (Android)
8. IFTTT. Set up this app so that you can stay on top of relevant social media. Use the app’s recipe system to scan 78 social channels and perform specified actions. The iOS app is free. There’s also a desktop version.
9. Sociidot. Your personal goals are important too. But most of the time they get pushed to the side. Make time for the important stuff and document your successes with this unique goal-setting app. Currently free. (iOs)
10. Unstuck. Everybody needs help making decisions sometimes. If you need to look at a big decision objectively, this app can help you organize your thoughts through a series of questions. Currently free. (iPad)

How to Select a Productivity App

If you’re like me, you see a list like this and immediately start downloading the apps to your smart phone to look at later. I don’t blame you. After all, they all look interesing.

Unfortunately, later never comes and pretty soon your smart phone is filled with apps you never use.

There’s a better way. Here are five easy steps to help you choose productivity apps you’ll really use:

1. Start by listing the productivity problems you have. Are you constantly forgetting to do tasks? Are you having trouble with focus? Whatever is keeping you from getting your work done is a problem you need to solve.
2. Look at only the apps that can solve your productivity problems. Read a few reviews. Select the app(s) that seem most likely to solve your problem.
3. Limit yourself to downloading one or two apps at a time. You can always come back and download additional apps later if you need to.
4. Make an effort to really study the app as soon as you download it. Don’t put this off, or the app is likely to become just another tool you never use.
5. Commit to using the app daily for a week. At the end of that time, you should be able to tell whether the app is actually helping you to become more productive.

Your Turn

What productivity apps help you the most? Share your answers in the comments.