So what’s best? I leave you here with what I think are three solid systems for boosting your productivity. With two other outside-the-box apps. They really take this gamification idea seriously. Two are dedicated apps with good cross-platform support. The final option is to look at how all of the tools work so well together. If you want to stop forgetting things and feel more control over life. The productivity side of it, anyway, check out these options.
Todoist is All About the Zen
If you want to go all-in with one app for boosting productivity, my top solution is Todoist. The app does what I was looking for in terms of thinking beyond just making lists. Todoist is designed to assist with time management, prioritization, and motivation through its newly revamped Zen feature Android app. Todoist analyzes your productivity and boosts your Karma score as you get things done.
The time management part comes from how the app. Makes it easy to sort your to-dos by assigning them to a date. Which lets you glance at the week or month ahead. This also means you’ll get pinged on your watch about impending events. Categorizing capabilities also means you can craft more of a system based on different projects or areas of your life. Still, at some point, you’ll run up against restrictions on what you can do with a free account. The app is more powerful if you enable voice access. Make Todoist the voice action for OK, and take a note. You can direct your watch app to send by using voice.
Todoist is free, but several advanced features require a $29 annual subscription. From my perspective, the filters and other add-ons are more suited for a team. But less valuable if you want to ramp up your productivity. Almost every service on the planet requires a subscription. You have to think twice about the value ten years from now. Will you be glad you spent $290 on a productivity app?
One reason you might say yes is how well Todoist has built apps for every central platform. Native apps are available for OS X, Windows 10, Chrome OS, and extensions for most major browsers. This enhances the Android Wear experience because you can tweak your items from anywhere. And be confident they’ll appear on your watch.
Wunderlist is Another Smart Tool
It’s easy to see why Microsoft decided to plunk down some cash to buy Wunderlist. File the design isn’t quite as sharp as Todoist. The app also embarks on it’s all going to be ok philosophy on getting things done.
Generally, it’s a more lightweight tool, which is sometimes the best system for helping you achieve task completion. Show the content, then get out of the way. The Android Wear app is the most substantial batch. You can swipe through your list and then mark items off as finished. Or launch them on your phone for more details.
Wunderlist has a smooth design, so you can think about a scenic background even if the task isn’t pleasant. Wunderlist also uses smart due date detection, looking for keywords like next week or tomorrow. I like snoozing items, throwing a star on a crucial to-do list. Choosing which list shows up on the Android version, like travel, groceries, or work.
While Wunderlist doesn’t have the data analysis zen-like tools of Todoist. Its simplicity and cross-platform strength make it a viable companion. Like Todoist, Wunderlist has a paid model. For those who want the app for business use or all the available features. Like setting due dates, organizing content by hashtags, and commenting on one another’s to-dos. Pro-business upgrades are $5 per month or $50 per year.
Crafted Its Own GTD System
You have to cobble a few pieces together, but it has built a sound get-things-done system. And there’s excellent Android Wear support.
To start, you want to put to work all those voice commands. You can say, OK, remind me to email Thomas at 10:00 AM. Which will instantly appear in Now, Inbox, and Calendar.
On the watch, I still experience times when I get the dreaded try that again message. Because something got in the way of transmitting the data to Google’s cloud. It’s rare but annoying when things don’t work.
The app pings you with time-based alerts and lets you zap them away with one swipe on your watch. Before I discovered Todoist, this is what I really used. And in some ways, I still do. I use Inbox, Keep, and Now. So much that it just makes sense to use these services for reminders to take advantage of Google’s machine learning. The only downside to a dedicated system is no reward method of one, focused space where your tasks are located. Follow you through all your services, but that also means they’re in the clutter of all your assistance. I think it’s a great system, though, particularly if you want to keep everything you do searchable in Google’s cloud.
A New Hope With Gamification
Suppose you want to go outside the box. Another method is to further engage in the gamification department with two other apps I like: Habit Calendar and EpicWin.
EpicWin is like an RPG meets a to-do list. You craft a character with several traits that get stronger as you do your chores. It’s fun, but getting the Undead before conquering the laundry wasn’t any more motivating. I still had to do the laundry.
EpicWin will have you wielding a sword to slash your way through the laundry and other chores.
I preferred Habit Calendar a little more as it had a better design that helped me focus on the tasks. The rewards were also a little more fun. I liked the ability to set up some habits, so there was a recurring list of daily activities.
Neither app has an Android Wear component. But if you want to tap into your inner geek for slaying tasks, these could be the way to go.
An Android wear watch is a personal device that lends itself to a customized task management system. A lot of good in each of these three setups. Try them to see which is the best. Ultimately, I’ve learned that such technology is at its best when it’s doing more than just keeping track of stuff. But helping you get through those items with reminders and helpful motivational nudges.
