My 9 Favorite Productivity Apps on My Phone

Proddy - Habits Tracker

Proddy is a habit tracker that helps me cultivate healthy habits, such as going to bed and waking up early and meditating for 15 minutes every day. The app is easy to set up, has a simple interface, and sends notifications to remind me to complete my tasks. If you want to develop good mindful habits, I recommend trying Proddy.

Refocus! - Pomodoro Timer

Refocus! is a minimalistic Pomodoro timer with a black-green color scheme that I really like. The Pomodoro technique can effectively improve focus and also helps you estimate how much time you need to spend on a task. However, it's important to remember to take breaks and get up from your desk when the timer goes off, as sitting for too long can cause mental fatigue.

Raindrop - Read Later List

Raindrop is a great place to save articles and websites that you want to read but don't have time for. The app captures the entire content of the article and allows you to keep all your favorite books, songs, articles, or whatever else you come across while browsing and highlight it for future reference.

Notion - The Second Brain

Notion is a powerful project management and note-taking tool that I use to organize my blog reading notes, Instagram posts, and other miscellaneous information. I also use it to track my progress in reading books, watching movies, and content planning, publishing, and sharing.

Google Calendar - Event Planner

Google Calendar is where I record important future events. When I have a lot on my plate and my mind is cluttered, I block out a whole day to do everything I need to do. This helps to minimize time lost and gives me a sense of direction.

Audible - Audiobooks

I recently started using Audible and listen to audiobooks during my commute, while working out, and even while eating. I have already listened to five chapters of "The Magic of Thinking Big" in the last month and have gained a lot from it. I also find that listening to audiobooks is like a form of meditation that helps me relax and calm down.

Apple Music - Study Music

For me, it's a good investment to have music that helps me focus and relax while studying.

Google Podcasts - Listen to the world while working

It's good to multitask while coding. Instead of listening to attention-seeking YouTube videos, I use Google Podcasts to subscribe to channels that I'm interested in. For example, I listen to...

App Placement Strategy

I place these apps on my phone's home screen for two reasons: one is that I use them frequently and need quick access to them, and the other is that I want to use apps that can help me grow. By consciously exposing myself to good apps, I am more likely to use them. The features of these apps serve as "visible cues" to remind me to spend my time on meaningful activities.

Conversely, I place apps that I need to avoid on the last page of my phone (if I can't delete them). For example, my social media apps (Instagram/Facebook) and YouTube are placed further back, while Amazon Shopping is on the eighth page. By increasing the resistance, I can reduce the time I spend on these apps. Small changes can lead to big benefits.