5 Mistakes You Are Making With Productivity Apps

Are you making any of these?

When I first became obsessed with being more productive, the first thing I did was download a lot of different productivity apps. I think I downloaded 10 different ones on that same day….

Today, I only use 2. And those 2 apps that I use, weren’t even in the 10 I downloaded.

One of the things that I’m grateful that I learned early on was that productivity apps aren’t 100% reliant. They weren’t going to fully improve my productivity.

And there were mistakes that I learned early on about using productivity apps.

That’s what we’ll be going through in this blog post.

This blog post is going to go through the 5 mistakes that you are probably making with productivity apps. And don’t worry, I’ll include what to do to avoid those mistakes, and other alternative solutions.

This blog post is for anyone who is using any sort of productivity apps right now! It will get you thinking about the current apps that you’re using, and whether they’re benefitting you at all.

And after you finish reading this blog post, you can also read the other blog posts to enhance your productivity. You can learn of the other productivity mistakes you want to avoid making, how to build a successful foundation for your productivity, and other productivity tips to apply for other areas of your life!

So I also want to know, what productivity app(s) are you currently using? What is helpful for you? What app have you tried but isn’t quite working for you? Let me know in the comments! (I only see the comments, so you can be as open as you like!)

Now, let’s dive in!

1 – Trying to Track All Apps

Here’s the problem with having so many productivity apps… there are so many to track!

There are so many notifications, things to do, and things to check in on.

Of course, the sound of that does look so overwhelming.

Instead of improving your productivity, it actually negatively impacts your productivity. Because you’re constantly getting distracted by all these apps, you’re not able to focus on the things that actually make you productive.

What to do instead: Instead of having a lot of productivity apps downloaded, stick with one or two! Too many notifications from many apps will bombard you!

2 – Downloading Apps You Don’t End Up Using

Think about this, how many productivity apps are you actually actively using?

Continuing on from the first point, having many productivity apps derails our focus because of how many things we have got to check.

But how many of those apps do you actually use?

That’s why, like the last point, you want to only stick with one or two productivity apps that you’ll actively use.

Think of the apps that you never open. If you haven’t used it in the past few weeks, then it’s most likely that you’re not going to use it again.

Delete the apps that you don’t use, and just stick with the one or two apps that are helpful fo ryou.

What to do instead: Just like with the last point, stick with one or two apps and delete the rest.

3 – Spending too much time planning than being productive

Another mistake with productivity apps is spending more time doing planning, making to-do lists, and everything else MORE than actually being productive.

Productivity apps are supposed to improve your productivity, not take your time away from doing the things that are important to you.

Truthfully, you only need to make a to-do list once.

You only need to plan what to do once.

Then after that, you simply just work on it.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time to plan. But most importantly, you only make progress if you take action from that plan.

Because having a plan without taking action from it is kind of useless right?

If you find that a productivity app is indeed useful, by all means use it! Just make sure that you’re not spending too much time there.

If you find that a productivity app is kind of useless, and you’re spending time there doing things that aren’t contributing to anything, it’s time to delete it!

What to do instead: Only use the productivity app as a way to assist you. Then after that, go do the work!

4 – Thinking that many apps will quick fix productivity

Here’s the truth with productivity apps…

They are not a magic quick fix for your productivity.

They aren’t miracle workers to improve your productivity.

I used to be guilty of this -> downloading a productivity apps in hopes of it fixing my time management skills, and then feeling upset when it doesn’t fix it immediately.

How many of us are guilty of this too?

While there are many apps out there that are helpful, we still have to do some work on our end too!

Productivity apps aren’t meant to be a tool to assist us with our productivity. They are not meant to immediately fix our poor time management skills, organisation, or ability to be productive.

And also, we can’t solely rely on productivity apps to improve our productivity. We still have to do lots of work on our end.

5 – Choosing Apps That Cause More Stress Rather Than Be Helpful

Then, last but not least, the mistake you could be making is downloading apps that make you feel more stressed.

For example, the notifications you receive from a certain apps gets you annoyed.

Or it becomes a hassle to always check in on the app.

Or maybe you just avoid using it altogether because it gets annoying.

And here’s the thing -> if it’s causing you more stress, rather than assisting you, it’s time to delete it!

I’ve tried different productivity apps every now and then, and I’ve deleted the ones that I don’t use.

Today, I only really have two productivity tools that I use actively. The rest, I’ve deleted from my phone.

So have a good think about it. Think about the apps that you’re finding a hassle right now. Think of the apps that aren’t really helpful for you.

Here are things you can do instead of having productivity apps

So instead of having productivity apps, there are other effective ways to help improve your productivity!

Plan Your Week

I like planning my week at the start of the week for multiple reasons. One of those reasons is that I just plan just once, and I can start my week already knowing what I’ll be doing.

And also, it saves me time every night & morning from figuring out what I’m going to do the next day.

I plan my week when I do my weekly reset. My weekly reset is a routine where I reflect, reset, and make my schedule! You can read the blog post here for the steps to a weekly reset!

Develop Routines

Routines have played a BIG part in my productivity. I find that having set routines have been more effective than productivity apps.

Routines keep you consistent. Routines are automated so you do them without even thinking of it. And if the routines are filled with good habits, you’re automating good habits!

They are a good way to make sure that you’re on track, and they measure productivity better than apps.

If you need some ideas on essential routines to build, read this blog post!

Apply productivity tips that work for you

With so many productivity tips out there, it can get overwhelming to choose which one to apply.

So here’s the most important productivity tip -> only apply what is right for you!

Not everyone benefits from the 5am wakeup productivity tip or the do hard things first tip. Some people do, some people don’t.

Whenever you come across a productivity tip (like the, download this productivity app), think about whether it’s applicable to your lifestyle and circumstances. Just because it’s popular to follow, it doesn’t mean you need to apply it! Just have a think.

Productivity Tools I Use

So here are productivity apps/tools that I personally use.

And they are the only ones that I use. It took me many productivity apps to realise that these two are the only ones that work best for me. (and it may be the same for you!)

Google Calendar

This is my best friend when it comes to scheduling in my time!

As I mentioned earlier, I love planning my week at the start of the week.

And the reason why I prefer electronic calendar is because there may be slight changes along the way. It’s so much easier for me to adjust my schedule with an electronic calendar than a paperback one.

And also, my Google Calendar links to all my devices such as my phone, iPad, and computer. So whenever I need to make changes on any device, it will sync to all.

Notion

Notion is my best friend when it comes to organising everything.

By everything I mean my work, university work, blog stuff, freelancing stuff, and general life stuff.

I have many folders and note files in my notion. I’ve organised it in a way that it’s easy for me to find everything.

Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without Notion. It’s literally been a lifesaver for me many times.

Take a SMALL STEP

Here are some small steps to stop these mistakes:

1. Reflect on the productivity apps you currently use.
2. Delete the ones that you never use, cause you more stress than it being helpful, and wastes time in general.
3. Pick one or two productivity apps that you’ll stick to.

So do productivity apps actually suck?

No, of course not!

All the productivity apps that are on the app store may indeed be helpful. But they won’t be helpful for everyone.

It depends on the individual on what certain productivity apps works for them.

The only thing to remember with productivity apps is that they will only be effective if they truly assist you with your productivity, and does indeed improve your productivity.

And it’s also important to remember that you’re probably better off sticking with one or two productivity apps that will work hand in hand with your own productivity skills. It’ll be better off than having 10 productivity apps than you waste your time on because there are so many notifications and things to check in on.

Most of all, we shouldn’t be heavily reliant on them to be a quick fix for our productivity.

To put it simply, it may take a few productivity apps to try in order to find out what works best for us. And it’s okay, you’re not in a hurry to find the perfect productivity app for you. There is absolutely no rush and pressure!

If you want to improve your productivity, my Free Resource Library has a mini e-book available called Small Steps to Productivity which you can download for free! You can sign up for the Free Resource Library here, and you’ll also access many more free resources to help with your personal growth. One of those resources includes my book, Small Steps to Progression (which you can download here!)

Hope this blog post was helpful, and that you’ll also find benefit in those other resources as well!

-Lauren 😊

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Productivity Mistakes to Avoid Making

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Productivity Myths Busted

10 Actual Ways to Live a More Productive Life

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