It literally seems like there’s an app for everything. People ask me all the time about the time management and productivity apps I like best. I’ve tried out a LOT and have narrowed it down to a few that I use consistently that help me to be productive, spend my time more efficiently, and stay accountable to the goals that matter most to me.

• Remember the Milk has been around for ages, and I used it even before I had a smartphone when it was just a web based tool. RTM helps me to keep track of all of my to list items for work and my volunteer commitments. You can have multiple lists, so that you can organize your various tasks in a way that makes sense to you. One thing I really love is the ability to view your Incomplete list, as well as your Completed list. This really helps, especially when completing weekly reports for work.

• Cozi Family Organizer is an awesome app for sharing to do lists, grocery lists, and calendars with family members. It was voted #1 App for Moms by Moms, but is an app that is ideal for anyone who wants to stay on the same page with a family member or significant other. I use the grocery list the most, adding items as we run out. Because my husband also has the app, he can even add items to the grocery list as I’m driving to the store (and vice versa). I also use the To Do List functionality to manage all of the tasks for the kids and things around the house that need to get done. My husband and I each have a list; we have a shared to do list; and we even a home improvement list where we keep track of various home projects we’d like to tackle. Lastly, the calendar is helpful because you can sync other calendars, such as Outlook and Google, and keep everything in one place.

• Mint helps me to keep my finances organized and is vital if you want to stick to a budget. I see this as an extremely important accountability app because it helps you to always have a visual of what you’re spending. One of the best features is the ability to set a budget; Mint even emails you when you go over budget for the month. Mint helps with seeing trends in your spending and can keep you focused on the financial goals you’ve set for yourself.

• 30/30 is great because it times the tasks you’re working on, which can be helpful with maintaining focus for a specified timeframe. Have you ever set aside a certain amount of time to work on a project and then worked on 4 other simultaneously? Inevitably, this approach slows you down on ALL of your projects. 30/30 helps me to focus on the task at hand until my time is up – less attempting to “multi-task,” which is really just a fancy word for procrastinating. 30/30 lets you set up a list of various tasks, each with a designated amount of time to complete them. Start the clock, and when it runs out, it will tell you to move onto the next thing. Brilliant!

• Google Drive (formerly Google Docs) is absolutely essential to my productivity and goal achievement in a number of ways. Most importantly, I keep my list of Top 10 Goals, as well as my Dream List (a.k.a. Bucket List), saved in Google Drive so that I can see them daily, whether from my iPhone, iPad, or computer. “Google Drive lets you store and access your files anywhere — on the web, on your hard drive, or on the go.” I get so much more done because of Google Drive because I can work from anywhere and share my work with multiple collaborators. 

• MapMyFitness is the best app I’ve found for keeping track of my workouts. The fact that it’s a local, Austin-based company sweetens the deal! MapMyFitness was an integral part of training for my first triathlon, a 65 mile bike ride, and a 10 mile run, all in the last two years. This app has helped to keep me on track, and it even sends what I like to call “slacker emails” if I haven’t logged a workout in awhile. There’s a whole suite of apps to choose from depending on how you like to exercise: MayMyRun, MapMyRide, MapMyTri, etc.