Ready to make major strides in both your personal and professional life? Whether you need to increase focus, become better organized, find a little inspiration, or connect and collaborate, there’s an app for that. As an agency, we are always looking for better ways to save time and boost productivity, so we have tested a variety of applications. Below are our top twelve apps we use daily to keep us in the loop and on the ball.

For Focus

Why we love it: If you’ve ever experienced being in a “flow state” while working on a task or project, you know how amazingly productive it can be. Focus@Will helps to put you in that headspace by improving concentration with scientifically curated music personalized to you. Bonus: Use the timer to stay distraction-free and focused for however long you choose.
Cost: $69 per year

Why we love it: From less stress and anxiety to increased focus, meditation can do wonders. Headspace facilitates the process by offering guided meditations specifically for improving focus, staying on task longer, and enjoying your tasks more. Too busy? They even offer bite-sized meditations for those always on-the-go.
Cost: $12.99 per month or $69.99 per year

For Organization

Why we love it: Managing projects from start to finish can be a challenge – especially when there are many team members involved. Asana is Smarty’s go-to project management tool to launch projects, create timelines, assign tasks, and keep the entire team in the know. Whether you need to update a due date, give a project status or loop an additional team member in, Asana can do it all. We actually haven’t found anything that Asana can’t do to fit our needs. While setting up a new project is fun and exciting, there’s nothing better than clicking that green checkmark when something is complete. 
Cost: Varies based on account type and team size

Why we love it: Last year, we created over 3,000 pieces of content across all the brands we service. How did we keep it all organized? Airtable. A content calendar, publishing calendar, and database all in one, this awesome tool helps us stay on top of our content plans and keep a record of everything we’ve created. It’s like Excel, but way more intuitive and lots of beefed-up functionality. Our favorite part? The image previews to easily view content and find assets quickly.
Cost: Varies based on account type and team size

Why we love it: Sick of losing notes or, even worse, not capturing inspiration when it strikes? Evernote can bookmark websites, hold notes, scan documents, and more – all to ensure you never miss (or forget) a thing. 
Cost: Free to $14.99 per user per month

For Collaboration

Why we love it: The days of having multiple versions of documents are over (or it should be). Our agency relies almost entirely on Google Docs to ensure edits are made in real-time, and everyone can be viewing and making changes to the same document simultaneously.
Cost: Free to $25 per user per month (for GSuite)

Why we love it: When it’s time to create a comprehensive new marketing plan or business pitch, it’s all hands on deck. That’s why we use Keynote on iCloud – so all of the key team members can collaborate in real-time on the deck. The result? A presentation that perfectly showcases all of the strategic thinking from the Smarty team.
Cost: Free

For Communication

Why we love it: To keep all of our department teams working together, communication is key. With team members spread from coast to coast (and even as far as Australia!), we rely on Slack for everything from project updates to good, old fashioned water cooler chats. (Well, sort of.) 
Cost: Varies based on account type and team size

For Accountability

Why we love it: Ready to rock those goals this year? Put a creative twist on the process with a paper or digital Commit30 planner. Set goals, make plans, create vision boards, and more – all with a focus on what you can accomplish in just 30 days. 
Cost: Varies based on planner

Why we love it: Best Self Journals offer the framework for accomplishing your goals in 13 weeks with tools backed by “science and success psychology.” Make a plan, stay productive, and get ready for a successful year ahead. 
Cost: Varies

For Inspiration

Why we love it: Sometimes, you just need a good jam session or podcast to get inspired. Our team relies on Spotify for it all. Check out what we’re rocking out to on Smarty Social Spotify.
Cost: Free (with ads) or $14.99 per month ad free

Why we love it: It doesn’t matter what type of inspiration you’re hoping to spark, Pinterest has it all. When it comes to dreaming up the look and feel for a new brand or campaign, we use Pinterest to help build a digital mood board. 
Cost: Free

Now it’s your turn. What productivity tools do you swear by? Leave us a comment so we can check them out!