13 productivity apps that’ll make time-wasting a thing of the past

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June 26, 2018.

When you’ve got so much to do, it’s hard to keep track of it all. With these top productivity apps, “getting things done” will be right at your fingertips.

Feel better, work better: Standing boosts productivity

There’s an app for almost everything these days, and we thank the many techie innovators for that. But before you sit down and get to downloading to make your workday easier, consider tackling your workload standing up.

Recently, standing desks have become popular in offices and in schools, for good reason. Texas A&M University researchers discovered in 2016 that not only do these versatile desks support calorie burning while reducing the risk of obesity, but they can help to increase productivity. In schools, students using standing desks have seen improvements in their attention and cognitive function. In workplaces, adults using standing desks have seen changes to their productivity. After examining two groups of call center workers over six months, researchers found that those who used workstations with standing capabilities were roughly 46 percent more productive than those sitting at traditional desks.

If your office has a wellness program, all the better. In 2017, University of California Riverside researchers also learned that corporate wellness programs benefit both companies and team members by improving productivity. Corporate wellness programs, already known to cut down on sick days and lower health insurance costs, yielded one extra productive workday a month for the average team member who participated.

Really, we’re all about you. Read our Cornerstone mission statement.

Want to increase your productivity? Try one of these apps

Beyond standing desks and taking care of yourself (which we highly recommend), apps can make the most mundane tasks seem easier.

From an app that tracks your business expenses to an app that helps you create holiday cards with photos you’ve taken with your phone, this list has it all:

1. Business Card Reader Pro

Instantly import contact information from a business card right to your iOS Contacts; seamlessly integrates with Salesforce and Evernote. (iTunes, $6.99)

2. Canva

Create awesome designs with the app’s photos, fonts, and images. (iTunes, Free)

3. Evernote

Take notes, track your tasks, clip things you find online, and sync across phones and computers. (iTunes, Free)

4. Ink

Mail real cards using your photos right from your phone. (iTunes, Free; cards start at $1.99 including postage)

Just like your favorite app, we’re here to make home buying organized and easy. Use our LoanFly app to prequalify on the fly.

5. Mint

Track all of your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investments all in one place. (iTunes, Free)

6. MyFitnessPal

Manage your nutrition, exercise, and weight loss goals. (iTunes, Free)

7. Notability

Write notes, sketch ideas, mark up PDFs and photos, record meetings, and sync notes to your iCloud. (iTunes, $9.99)

8. Outlook

Connect email accounts, schedule your day, view and attach files from multiple platforms, and be more productive on the go. (iTunes, Free)

9. PDF Converter

Convert anything (documents, photos, web pages) into PDF. (iTunes, $4.99)

10. Qapital

Set up and manage a savings plan for your dream vacation, that new car, or that new computer. (iTunes, Free)

11. Smart Merge

Clean up your address book by merging duplicate contacts. (iTunes, $2.99)

There’s probably a Cornerstone office near you. We’re lending in 38 states (and the District of Columbia).

12. Trello

Collaborate on projects with ease, at work or at home. (iTunes, Free)

13. Wunderlist

Get more stuff done, add reminders and due dates, share lists and assign tasks, and so much more. (iTunes, Free)

Bonus: Home Design 3D

Take charge of your new home before you even move in by using this interactive app to design and remodel in 3D. (iTunes, $5.99)

Inspired by all of these awesomely intuitive productivity apps in our back pockets, we set out to do the same thing for buying a house. Our free LoanFly app makes it easy to search for houses, get prequalified for a mortgage, and manage your home loan documents, all in one place. God bless technology.

Cornerstone Home Lending is not affiliated with, nor sponsored by, any of the apps and app developers listed herein.

For educational purposes only. Please contact your qualified professional for specific guidance.

Sources are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.