Time management & productivity apps
Love an App? Here are some Time Management Apps you might want to try (many offer free or trial versions too):
Forest: https://forestapp.cc/ (my personal favourite because there’s a great free version on Android, you get to watch a plant grow as you work, and it plays a calming rainfall background soundtrack!)
Clockify: https://clockify.me/ (super useful to work out how much time it actually takes you to do certain tasks like research, referencing and planning assignment structures so that you can learn from this and plan better for the future)
Rescue Time: https://www.rescuetime.com/
Todoist: https://www.todoist.com/
Notion: https://www.todoist.com/
Other Tools and Resources
A list of tools and for time management from a helpful colleague of mine:
🗓️ Calendar & Scheduling Tools
|
Tool |
Best For |
Key Features |
|
Google Calendar |
Everyday planning |
Time-blocking, reminders, integrations (Gmail, Tasks) |
|
Outlook Calendar |
Business environments |
Integrates with Microsoft 365 suite, meeting scheduling |
|
Fantastical (Mac/iOS) |
Apple users |
Natural language input, beautiful interface |
|
Calendly |
Appointment scheduling |
Lets others book time with you based on availability |
✅ To-Do List & Task Management Apps
|
Tool |
Best For |
Key Features |
|
Todoist |
Daily task management |
Projects, priorities, natural language, recurring tasks |
|
Microsoft To Do |
Simple task tracking |
Integrates with Outlook & Office |
|
TickTick |
Power users |
Pomodoro timer, habit tracker, calendar view |
|
Things 3 (Mac/iOS) |
Minimalist productivity |
Elegant design, tags, deadlines |
📁 Project Management Tools
|
Tool |
Best For |
Key Features |
|
Trello |
Visual planners |
Kanban boards, checklists, automation |
|
Asana |
Teams & workflows |
Project timelines, team assignments |
|
Notion |
All-in-one workspace |
Databases, notes, task lists, calendars |
|
ClickUp |
Everything in one place |
Docs, goals, time tracking, tasks |
⏱️ Time Tracking & Pomodoro
|
Tool |
Best For |
Key Features |
|
Toggl Track |
Freelancers/teams |
Time tracking, reporting, integrations |
|
RescueTime |
Digital wellbeing |
Tracks how you spend your time automatically |
|
Focus Booster |
Pomodoro users |
Simple 25/5 session tracking |
|
Forest |
Staying focused |
Gamified Pomodoro, grow trees as you stay off your phone |
🧠 Planning & Goal Setting Tools
|
Tool |
Best For |
Key Features |
|
Notion |
Long-term planning |
Customizable templates for goals, tasks, journals |
|
Evernote |
Notes + planning |
Web clipping, searchable notes, tagging |
|
Obsidian |
Knowledge management |
Networked notes, markdown-based |
|
Monday.com |
Goal tracking in teams |
Visual dashboards, automation, goals & OKRs |
🧩 Bonus: Hybrid Tools
|
Tool |
Use Case |
Why Use It |
|
Notion |
Custom dashboards for goals, habits, tasks, and more |
Flexible, but can be overwhelming to set up |
|
ClickUp |
Combines task/project/time management |
Great for teams and productivity nerds |
|
Tana / Reflect |
Networked thinking and time/task planning |
Excellent for knowledge workers |
Instant motivation & longer reads
In this section I have curated a collection of motivational or inspirational social media accounts and recommended reading (if you have time for a longer read).
Books:
Burkeman, O. (2021) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Dublin: Penguin Random House.
Covey, S. (1999) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. London: Simon and Schuster.
Social media accounts to follow:
Coach Goodman – https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/?hl=en
Growth by Visuals (Hidde Douna) – https://www.instagram.com/growthbyvisuals/
Jeff Haden – https://x.com/jeff_haden
Jude Fredman – https://www.instagram.com/diewithoutregretss?igsh=YjFxZXdhNHZlbTlo
Mel Robbins – https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/
Ross Harkness – https://www.instagram.com/therossharkness/?hl=en
The Dissertation Coach – https://www.instagram.com/thedissertationcoach/
Submit your story
I truly want this resource to grow with your input. If you’re a working parent studying in HE, or if you simply resonate with these challenges, I invite you to make contact. Share your story, your unique experiences, the strategies that work for you, and any advice you have for others. Together, we can build a stronger, more supportive community for adult learners.