Skip to main content

Five Productivity Apps to Kick-Start the New Year

Apps can play a pivotal role in helping to reach new goals, form habits, or simply improve personal productivity – here's five you should consider adopting going into 2024.


Each app we've chosen for this list has a unique ability to aid Apple device users in various aspects of personal and professional development. From sophisticated task management to habit formation, these apps offer a wide range of functionalities tailored to meet the diverse needs of users seeking to make the most out of the upcoming year.


  • Things 3 ($9.99 for iPhone and Apple Watch, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac): Things 3 is a popular task manager designed for Apple devices, offering a more robust feature set compared to Apple's default Reminders app. It stands out for its elegant and user-friendly interface and powerful features like project planning, deadlines, Markdown support, and more. These capabilities make it an outstanding tool for anyone looking to bring more structure to the tasks in their personal and professional life at the start of the new year.

  • Obsidian (free): Obsidian is a versatile Markdown note-taking application that surpasses the capabilities of Apple Notes with its distinctive approach to personal knowledge management and plug-ins. Unlike most note-taking apps, Obsidian specializes in linking thoughts and ideas through a network of interconnected notes, creating a personal knowledge base that grows and evolves over time. Obsidian's ability to map out and visually connect goals, plans, and ideas could be incredibly valuable going into the new year.

  • Streaks ($4.99): Streaks is a habit-forming app designed to help users establish and maintain good habits by leveraging the psychological power of "streaks" or consecutive days of completing a specific task. What sets Streaks apart is its focus on consistency and incremental progress, encouraging users to build small, daily habits of their choosing that lead to significant long-term changes in behavior – perfect for sticking to those tricky New Year's resolutions.

  • Fantastical (free, "Premium" subscription available): Fantastical is a calendar application known for its superior functionality and user-friendly interface, distinguishing it from the default Calendar app. It offers a range of features that enhance scheduling and time management, such as natural language parsing and a highly customizable view that integrates tasks and reminders alongside calendar events. This makes Fantastical a perfect tool for anyone seeking to start the new year with better time management.

  • ChatGPT (free, "Plus" subscription available): ChatGPT is a conversational AI tool that offers users an interactive platform for various tasks and queries. It can provide assistance across a wide range of areas, such as generating creative ideas, offering productivity tips, helping with language learning, or even providing motivation and mental wellness advice. ChatGPT's capacity to provide instant, informed responses on a diverse range of topics makes it an excellent tool for anyone seeking a reliable and intelligent digital assistant to enhance their daily productivity or learning.



Are there any other productivity apps that you'd recommend to start the new year? Let us know in the comments.
This article, "Five Productivity Apps to Kick-Start the New Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums



Source: TechRadar

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c

Technics EAH-AZ60 review: Contending in stunning fashion

Technics serves notice that everyone should notice these earbuds. Technics ventured into the wireless earbuds category to go after the big dogs in the race. Think of the likes of Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser on sound quality, as well as the best you can find on design and functionality. It's a combination that comes at a price, but if done right, it gets easier to justify spending more. That's the case Technics makes with its EAH-Z60 earbuds. Its newest pair aims to take what the company has done in the past and make it even better. The results are easy to like and are significant enough to consider them as serious contenders. Technics EAH-AZ60 review: Price and availability What's good What's not good The competition Should you buy? At a glance Technics EAH-AZ60 Bottom line: Technics didn't just do one thing right with the EAH-AZ60. It covered almost the whole gamut of what makes wireless earbuds feel and sound exceptional. As a result, the p

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.