If you work in, well, any job, you have likely encountered productivity tools and software. These tools have been created to try and make our lives easier, and us more productive in the workplace. Very quickly the concept became popular, with many companies adopting at least one of the programs and encouraging its use among employees.

In order to be effective, you have to actively use the tools and make sure you integrate them into your everyday work habits. This may take a little time at the start of each week, or each day, but in the long-run the hope is that they ultimately inject more time into your day. However, if you have to schedule in time just to sort out your productivity tools, maybe they aren’t really making you more productive?

With the market for productivity tools becoming oversaturated, some people have found themselves managing 3 different task planner tools, all with slightly different roles, in a bid to be more organised. If anything, this sounds counterproductive. Now, we are certainly not claiming that you should ditch all of your productivity solutions for a good old fashioned pad and pen. However, scaling back to a level where ‘Update Productivity Tools’ isn’t something on your daily to do list, will likely benefit your task completion rates and their quality.

Everyone has their own habits and mindset when it comes to work, and if you happen to find a tool that fits into your routine, then by all means use it. However, if forcing yourself to use productivity tools is taking away from you focusing on the task at hand, maybe it’s not for you! The best question to ask is, what value does using this tool deliver add? If the answer is that it genuinely helps you keep on top of your work, stay focused during large-scale projects and reminds you of those tasks you always forget, then it is likely worth sticking with it.

If you’re looking to start using a productivity tool, there are some great ones on the market. However, it is important to shop around before committing, as setting up some of the tools can take time. Todoist is all around crowd favorite, offering a more basic ‘To-Do’ style platform, where you can establish different projects and tasks within them, and assign them to yourself or others.

You may be also looking for something that integrates the tools you already use, rather than introducing a whole new one. Platforms such as Zapier offer free integrations with some of the most commonly used workplace tools, including Gmail, Slack, Google Calendar, Todoist and thousands of others. Zapier allows you to create tasks or actions based off trigger, so that you don’t have to remember to do it yourself!

The tools we mentioned above are a small selection of what is available in the marketplace. So if you’re interested in adding a productivity tool to your daily routine be sure to do your research and find the best fit. However, if you find yourself stressing about the thought of sorting out your productivity tools at the start of every workday, maybe it is time to reconsider exactly how much value they are adding.