If I know one thing it is that there is a plethora of apps and tools out there…all vying for our attention. Another thing I know is that there are a lot of distractions out there (take this gif for example…). So when I observed twenty-something developers and programmers plugged into their computers and hard at work in our office I couldn’t help but ask this: How?! Curiosity took over and I needed to find out what tools our tech-savvy employees depended on for staying organized and productive at work. The list was large, so here are a few favorites.

 

1. No matter what you’re planning, Wunderlist makes it super easy to get stuff done. Set due dates and reminders, assign to-dos, share and work on projects with colleagues and access your lists across all major devices. Wunderlist is great for keeping track of personal and work goals and tasks all in the same place.

 

 

2. Google Drive stores all of your important files, pictures and videos in one place that can be accessed from any smartphone, tablet or computer. Go ahead and share files easily with others and allow others to contribute to a document.

 

“Google Drive eliminates emailing attachments back and forth, making collaboration easy and fast. I can’t imagine working without it.”

 

3. Flycut is a clipboard manager for developers (but non-developers may find it useful, too). Every time you copy something, Flycut stores it in history. Later you can paste using Shift-Command-V and go through previous copies to select what you want to paste.

 

 

4. Workflowy is like your notebook full of lists – minus the messy handwriting and distracting doodles. With Workflowy, you can organize your ideas and notes in a simple bulleted list, add tags to easily filter your lists, and share lists with others.

 

“Workflowy is awesome for note taking and making lists. I use it every day.”

 

5. Find an interesting article or video that you want to save for later? Put it in your Pocket. Save pretty much anything from your browser or from apps like Twitter, Flipboard, Pulse and Zite for later with the push of a button.

 

 

6. TextExpander saves your fingers and your keyboard (and your brain!) by expanding custom keyboard shortcuts into frequently used text and pictures. You can turn addresses, signatures and common typos into keyboard shortcuts that automatically expand.

 

 “TextExpander is the most useful app I have ever used. Hands down.” 

 

7. Trello is a project management tool that lets you make lists, create tasks, and add comments and due dates to help organize any project and make collaboration easy. The drag and drop format makes editing tasks and organizing calendars fast and simple.