2022 is coming in less than four months while the country has been in a game of snakes and ladders versus the pandemic for almost two years now. While we are in the same pandemic, our individual experiences of the situation vary from each other. For the majority of the working class, the work from home (WFH) setup has its own pros and cons. Pros like less time spent in commute and more time with the family; and cons like dogs barking while on virtual meetings. With the changes that keep on coming, we need to maximize every time and resource that we have. Let me share the best productivity apps that have been very useful for a lot of people.
Microsoft To Do
As an avid user of Microsoft Office apps and software, Microsoft To-Do is my go-to app when consolidating my meetings, calendar, flagged email, and tasks. The UX/UI of the application is pretty simple and can be used by any person regardless of their inclination towards technology. MS To-Do is very customizable depending on the needs of the user. The best feature of this app is its My Day section. Apart from the scheduled tasks, you can add notes and sub-tasks that can guide and remind you to complete. Completed tasks do not only provide you that feeling of accomplishment but MS To-Do also gives off an adorable bell sound that really sets the atmosphere to be more energetic and productive.
Bixby Routines
Bixby is Samsung’s personal assistant (PA) app. Three years ago Samsung also launched an extension feature call Bixby Routines. In this app, users can create a series of commands for the phone to perform once a routine has been triggered. The first and most basic routine that I ever made was called “Work”. In the routine, I restricted all applications that can distract me from work (such as Tiktok and Facebook). The only apps left usable were Spotify, email, and messaging apps like Viber and MS Teams. Of course, at the beginning of the new habit, it was very challenging to keep the routine running especially if you were very heavy on consuming online content. I’ve been using it for more than a year now and I can confidently say that there is a healthy balance between work and personal time. Users can explore the app and customize routines. The app can also be used on smart devices like Google Home, smart lights, appliances, and devices (Tony Stark feels). After my budol phase, I was left with a lot of smart tech for home - things like vacuum robots, dimmable lights, and a cool sound system which I was able to integrate with Bixby. This made my condo living really easier and more enjoyable and the condo design better considering that we’re given limited options and activities.
StayFree (Android & IOS)
Time being a valuable resource, we must use it efficiently and accordingly. Just like budgeting, we need to assess our “deserve ko ‘to” budol finds if we’re spending too much of our hard-earned money. StayFree is a screen time tracker that keeps tabs on how you spend your time. With the data provided by the app, you can see where you’re spending too much or too little time. After facing the truth, resolution, and execution are important. The app also presents the data mainly in a form of a pie chart. Being a visual person, just one look can really help me and be reminded to shift my focus on other important things.
Google Text-to-Speech
Google text to speech is one of the most useful tools that you can maximize while working on the job at home. For example, this particular paragraph regarding Google text to speech was not typed but made using the tool. It’s also good when participating in meetings where you can keep track of the speaker notes and later go back to them for review. Living in a condo also gives a number of benefits as it provides a good atmosphere in doing meetings and recordings If you're a student, you can definitely use this for lectures, especially when the teacher or the professor is discussing topics that are not shown on the slides. The downside of this, is sometimes the words are not set clear enough, so there will typographical errors, but that's OK as you can edit it later on. The good thing is that your thoughts are being captured in real-time. If you are a person pressed with time, this tool can save loads of time.
Trello
Next, we also have Trello. It’s is a paid app, but there are also free basic features that are very useful, especially when you work in a team and with multiple projects you have. Basically, this is what you see is what you get (WYSIWIG) collaborative and shareable dashboard for individual and team purposes. Back when I was in college, Trello was used by my group of friends in my block. We created different folders for notes per course with shared tasks and reminders.
Canva
Canva is one of my favorite apps both back in college and up until now. Like any good app, this is also an in-app purchase and subscription type. Canva provides its users the fastest and most efficient way to create materials, decks, and presentations with exceptional and captivating quality. Canva is an app that is easy to learn with ready-to-use templates. If you’re a student, go check with your school if Canva is accessible with your school email. If you work or have a small business, they have corporate packages that can be used by your team and employees.
With a wide variety of apps offered online, any productivity app is generally a good choice adding in your daily mix to organize your routines. It is important to remember that all of these are tools that can be sharpened and maximized. You can’t cut down a tree if you don’t use the ax properly. You can also cut a tree faster and easier if you invested in a good chainsaw. Make it a good habit to ask yourself “How can we do things better?”.
Vista Residences is the condominium arm of the country’s largest homebuilder, Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc., which offers ready for occupancy and pre-selling condominium projects in Manila and Quezon City that are strategically located within inner-city areas, in close proximity to premium universities and developed business districts.
At Vista Residences, unit owners can take advantage of the property’s centrality. The properties of Vista Residences are strategically located near the country’s premium universities and CBDs, making them an attractive investment for both local and foreign investors.
Vista Residences has ready for occupancy condo projects in Manila such as Vista Taft, Vista Heights, Vista GL Taft, 878 Espana, and Crown Tower University Belt. It also has pre selling projects in the said area which include Vista Recto, Plumeria Heights, Tennyson Heights, Bradbury Heights, Sky Arts Manila, and Kizuna Heights.
Living in Vista Residences enables you to enjoy convenience, where everything is pretty much within walking distance or a few minutes away from the property; comfort because the project features and amenities are designed to deliver comfort at all times, which makes condo living a worthy investment; security that is 24/7 and CCTV monitoring, which makes the residents safe and secure within the property.
In line with Vista Residences’ thrust to offer convenience among its residents, it also features an AllDay Convenience Store and Coffee Project in all its projects.
For more information on Vista Residences, email [email protected], follow @VistaResidencesOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, or call the Marketing Office at 0999 886 4262 / 0917 582 5167.
