“Men have become the tools of their tools.” – Hendry David Thoreau

There is no escaping the black screen in the 21st century, it follows us whether we like it or not.  As social creatures we have a need to be plugged into this vast network of people and information.  From the time of spears and locomotives to the internet and mobile phones, skeptics have warned us of our relationship to technology.

Their message is simple but profound:

 Understand that, we shape our tools and in return they shape us.

The understanding of this cyclical relationship we have with the things we create, is the first step to being able to manage it.

This is a large topic that I have no wish or energy to get into at the moment, so for now I will keep it simple.

Here is a list of my favorite productivity tools for phones & computers.  I have tested and tried dozens of applications over the years and have come to a short list of what I find the most useful to save time, organize my life and improve my health.

1.

Freedom – For the easily distracted. Freedom allows you to block applications, websites and even the internet while you get your work done.  It’s a great productivity tool that I’ve used for the last few years when I need to get something done and I find myself wasting too much time.  It has great options for allowing you to schedule a session when you can work and turn off what you need. Freedom comes as software  you download on your computer but can also be used on your phone and tablet.

2.

Diigo – Without a doubt my favorite tool.  It allows you to highlight any text on any website, add notes and allows you to come back to the website with everything intact.  The best feature is that it saves all your annotations under your account and allows you to tag and easily search them.  Since I do a lot of reading and research online, I have yet to find a better and more useful tool.

3.

F.Lux – A small piece of software for you computer that calibrates the lighting on your monitor to suit your eyes.  As the regular blue light of the monitor is great for doing work during the day, it actually hurts your eyes once night falls.  F.Lux uses your location to slowly dim the lighting at night into an orange-ish tint that’s easy on your eyes.  There is a great equivalent app. for your smartphone called Night Mode that I use as well.  Both applications have options to turn of the lighting, adjust it or simply disable it for a certain period of time.

4.

Wunderlist – This is a easy, simlple yet effective To-Do application to have on your phone and mobile.  You can create folders, you can set timers/due-dates and add notes, pictures and links to each To-Do item.  I find it much better and easier to use than Evernote, it requires less memory to run, making it faster.  It also has a great option that quickly syncs between your computer and your mobile.  It also plays a great song once you check off an item as “completed” that really gives a small boost (just like crossing off an item on paper).

5.

Keeper – If you have too many cards, passwords, log-ins and accounts that you are constantly wasting time trying to figure out the right one, this application is for you.  It provides a small database where you can store all of the above and a master password (or fingerprint in the premium version) to protect it all.  Basically all you need to remember is that one password.

The company does claim it is fanatical about security and keeping your data safe.  I had my doubts because data breaches happen, but a close associate who has a large business used it and recommended it, so I was sold.  I am still thinking of getting the premium version which offers, back-ups, fingerprint recognition and 24/7 support for $30 per year.

6.

MyFitness Pal – One of the more popular calorie counting programs out there. I use it on my mobile phone to check the nutritional value of a large database of food and track my macro-nutrient and weight goals.  It’s perfect for when you’re trying to lose or gain weight or even simply eat healthier.  The weight goal and tracking option is a neat little feature that charts your progress (or lack of).  One warning about the app is that it can get a little addictive to log your food, so I suggest shutting it off and not worrying about your eating habits so much once your goals are accomplished.

7.

Goal tracker – This is a simple app on your mobile phone to help you track your goals or instill a new habit. For each goal or habit you can check off the day with a big blue Check mark or a big RED X (depending on what your preference is for noting a completion).  It’s easy to use and a helpful visual aid so I highly recommend it.

8.

Reebee – This neat app on my phone allows me to check for the cheapest deals on groceries in my city.  I can then add it to my basket on the application and use it when shopping.  It’s very clever, always updated and can save a lot of trees.

What could once be achieved with a calendar, pen & paper, highlighter and a great memory is now under one roof for easy use.

I’ll leave the judgment of whether that’s a good thing up in the air, but it does make it easier to understand that we do have some power over how we use this technology!