The title of this entry is making me chuckle. I haven’t blogged in 10 days and yet I’m going to talk about how productive I’ve been lately. Productive in some areas…slacking in others.

Side note: I should be working on my research paper for grad school. Instead I’m typing to all you people. Productivity? Priorities? Whatever. I needed a brain break.

The internet says we are addicted to our phones. Is this detrimental to our health, to society as a whole, and to our future generations? I think it’s a double-edged sword. I love my phone. It’s my distraction from the worldIt’s a tool I use every day to get stuff done. And currently, it’s keeping me motivated and on task.

So here’s my top 5 productivity/motivation/get-through-the-day apps!

Google Keep – I use this to keep track of my to-do list. I have separate to-do lists for general life, grad school, and work. I also use Google Keep for meal planning. I plan Monday through Friday and then as the week progresses, I start making notes for future meals. It’s also good for jotting quick notes to myself or saving links that I want to look at later.

Out of Milk – I LOVE this shopping list app. You can have shopping lists to different stores. I keep one for our Kroger store, one for Costco, and one for Target. I’m able to save categories which organizes my list by areas in the store. Faster shopping and less chance of missing something. There’s also a browser based version so I can create the list on my laptop at home in the kitchen/dining room and then sync it to my phone. You can also sync it to your spouse’s phone, but we haven’t use that option yet. Mr. Neon isn’t a huge fan of the grocery store, except for the Oreo aisle.

Momentum – This is a habit forming app. The free version only lets you track 2 or 3 habits, but the paid version has unlimited options. I’m using it right now to track water intake, meditation, and strength training activities. It really helps to see your progress.

Forest – I just downloaded this one yesterday, but so far I LOVE it. You “plant” trees (you can choose the duration from 10-120 minutes) to keep on task. If you leave the app, the tree dies. If you stay on task, you can grow a forest through the day. You get plant coins for your progress, which you can use to unlock other species of trees. The app essentially locks your phone and prevents you from going to other apps, which allows you to focus on whatever task you are trying to get done. I’ve been using it at work and at home. I used it this morning to get a bit of housework done before work and was surprised how many times I picked up my phone to mindlessly scroll through instagram or play a level on my cooking game. You can categorize your activity after the tree has grown, so you can track how much time you are spending on each task (work, school, housework, even screen-free rest).

Headspace – Meditation! Headspace is the best. Simple. Easy to use. Lots of different packs and singles. I wish I could get into this habit, instead of being so . I feel so much better when I do it. Finding the time is the hardest part. 10 minutes of quiet doesn’t sound like much, but it’s never quiet in my house. Well, it is at night, but meditating when I’m on the verge of falling asleep seems counter productive. Runner Boy asks to use my app from time to time. He was really excited when they added kid specific meditations.

Do you use any other apps to help with day to day tasks and productivity?

Stay neon!