Affiliate Disclosure
Introduction
Time and project management tools are crucial aspects for more efficient work and to complete tasks effectively. In these extremely fast-paced times, especially as a self-employed person, you can no longer afford to work slowly and inefficiently. Because the competition never sleeps. And thanks to the rapid development of AI or AI (artificial intelligence), we can currently do much more in less and less time. Most tasks require clear structuring and planning to be completed successfully. Thankfully, there are plenty of great tools that can help us with this. In this blog post, I’ll introduce you to my current favorite tools for time and project management.
Trello
Trello is a well-known and popular project management tool that is used by individuals to large teams. It is easy to use and allows users to organize their tasks in one board. Trello has an intuitive interface that makes it easy to create, organize, and delegate tasks. Trello allows users to create cards that represent tasks and organize those cards into lists. This represents a so-called Kanban Board .
A few weeks ago, I already presented this project management method in more detail, you can read the entire article here . Trello also allows users to set deadlines for tasks and track progress. Trello is very flexible and can be customized to meet the needs of different projects and teams. There is a browser, desktop, and mobile app version. I find the latter variant in particular very practical and basically use it permanently as a to-do list. Everything that comes to my mind on the go, I write down on one of my Kanban boards in the Trello app. And the best part is, Trello integrates with Notion. Which I’ll talk about in the next section.
Notion
Notion is an incredibly powerful tool that allows users to organize and manage tasks and projects. It’s especially useful for individuals or teams looking for a centralized platform to organize their work. Notion offers a variety of features, including to-do lists, calendars, Kanban boards, and databases, basically everything you could possibly want to work more efficiently. Users can also create pages to organize and share information. Notion is highly adaptable and can be adapted to the needs of different projects and teams. It also offers integrations with many other tools like Trello, Slack, and Google Drive. I think Notion has a real addictive potential. It is so extremely versatile and flexible. You can structure your entire company, studies or even private life in one place. At Notion , I have a work area that includes, for example, all my studies, documents and tasks, as well as a section for my travel plans.
Since you can also embed pdf files at Notion , it is also possible, for example, to insert my booking confirmations directly there. So I have everything right at hand without having to search for it in my mailbox. In addition to the browser and desktop version, Notion is also available as an app, so you always have all the necessary information with you. In addition, Notion is very clear, intuitively understandable and has integrated AI assistance!
Not only can you make your workspace beautiful with your branding, you also have a built-in personal assistant with you. And you can use the Notion AI at absolutely any point in your workspace. Press the space bar and the AI is ready to process your request. It doesn’t get any better than that, I think. In any case, Notion inspires me every time anew. The possibilities at Notion are so immense that I will write a separate article about it, with a lot of more detailed information. So if you have specific questions about Notion, feel free to ask them in the comments and I’ll answer them.
Metricool
Metricool* is a social media management tool that allows us to manage our social media accounts from a central platform. The tool offers a variety of features, including analyzing posts, scheduling posts, and monitoring social media metrics. We can also create custom reports to track our social media performance over time. Metricool* is especially useful for individuals or teams who need to manage multiple social media accounts at the same time and is also one of my top favorites for working more efficiently.
I’ve used other similar social media management tools in the past, but none were as comprehensive and clear as Metricool*, I think. Not only can you integrate popular platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, but also Twitter, LinkedIn, your own website and much more! And at the same time, Metricool* is even cheaper than the competition. The tool that I used before I knew Metricool* basically cost twice as much at 30% performance. Metricool* is an incredibly helpful tool to keep track of things if you want to be active on multiple platforms.
WPML
WPML is a website translation plugin that allows users to automatically or manually translate their website into multiple languages. The tool is especially useful for companies or individuals who have a global presence or target an international audience.
Which, let’s face it, is actually true for most people these days. At least if you don’t have English as your source language, I think. Some time ago I also used other plugins or tools for website translation, but no other tool worked so convincingly well for automatic translation and basically caused almost no additional work for me. Or I can decide for myself how much I translate or edit manually. In addition, the translated content belongs to you and is not just “rented”, so to speak. Unfortunately, there is no free version, but it is comparatively cheap.
In my opinion, it is worthwhile to include something like this right from the start, when the website is still small.
Wordfence
Wordfence is a powerful WordPress website security plugin. It’s especially useful for individuals or businesses who want to protect their website from hackers and malware. Wordfence offers a variety of features, including real-time monitoring, firewall protection, and malware scanning. The tool can also help users identify and fix vulnerabilities in their website to improve its security. Wordfence is highly adaptable and can be adapted to the needs of different websites and users. Particularly practical is the additional 2FA (two-factor authentication), which should basically be used. Especially in connection with the possibility of immediately blocking attempted logins with the wrong username. Wordfence also has a free version, which is already quite extensive.
Woocommerce
Woocommerce, the classic when it comes to online stores, is a powerful e-commerce platform that allows users to create and manage an online store. It’s an extension for WordPress and offers a variety of features, including product listings, shopping carts, and payment processing. Woocommerce is highly adaptable and can be adapted to the needs of different online stores and users. It also offers integrations with other tools like Mailchimp and Google Analytics. Various POD (Print-On-Demand) providers also offer an interface to Woocommerce . So far, I can’t say too much about Woocommerce , as we at Linen & Quince are just switching from external marketplaces to our own shop. But so far everything is going well and I don’t think it’s too complicated even for beginners.
Scrivener
Scrivener was a real game-changer for me when I discovered this tool at some point, making it one of my favorites for working more efficiently. Before, I had countless individual files in different folders, for all my blog articles and books that I regularly write. Of course, this was super impractical and confusing. Scrivener is a writing tool for authors who need to create long and complex documents. It’s especially useful for writers, scientists, and screenwriters, but also for bloggers or anyone who writes a lot.
Scrivener offers a variety of features, including a clear structuring of chapters and sections, as well as a flexible presentation of the document. Basically like Notion, only specifically for written texts and books. One can also add notes and reference materials to better organize the work. Scrivener also offers a variety of export options, including exporting as an e-book or PDF, and it can already edit your book in a variety of ways, which takes a lot of work off your hands. Scrivener is only available as a 30-day trial free of charge, after which you need a paid license, but this is permanent. I compared some other similar programs with Scrivener and all the others had subscription models that are significantly more expensive in the long run.
Procreate
Procreate is a neat but powerful tool for digital art on the iPad. It’s especially useful for designers, illustrators, and artists, or if you like to take notes or sketches with the iPencil. Especially if you like to work on the go, tools for the iPad are very handy, I think. Procreate offers a variety of features, including tons of brushes, layers, stamps, textures, and effects. You can also create your own custom brushes to personalize your work. Or you can buy bundles with many more brushes online. Procreate is highly adaptable and can be adapted to the needs of different projects and artists. It also offers integrations with other tools like Dropbox and Adobe Creative Cloud. For a very long time I used Procreate almost exclusively for my designs. In the meantime, I also use the Affinity Designer, but Procreate is still a tool that I like to use regularly.
Affinity Programme
Serif’s Affinity apps are an excellent alternative to Adobe’s Creative Cloud apps. Somehow, I never liked to use the latter. I find the Affinity programs much more appealing, more reliable and since you can purchase them with a permanently valid license, they are much cheaper than the Adobe subscriptions in the long run. They’re especially useful for designers, illustrators, and artists who need a powerful yet affordable creative suite. The Affinity programs include Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher.
Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer is a vector design tool that allows you to create logos, icons, and other graphics. It offers a variety of features, including an extensive collection of brushes, shape tools, and effects. It’s also highly adaptable and offers a variety of export options.
Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is a powerful photo editor that can definitely compete with Adobe Photoshop in terms of functionality and performance. As I said, I think it’s even better than Photoshop. It offers a variety of features, including an extensive collection of brushes, filters, and effects. Affinity Photo is also highly adaptable and offers a variety of export options. You can also switch to Affinity Designer in the program while editing. As a result, the three tools complement each other perfectly.
Affinity Publisher
Affinity Publisher is a layout and design tool that allows users to create professional-looking documents such as brochures, magazines, and books. It offers a variety of features, including an extensive collection of layout tools, text tools, and effects. Affinity Publisher is also highly adaptable and offers a variety of export options. One of my favorite programs, by the way, which is really fun, I think.
The Affinity apps are all relatively affordable and offer a real, powerful alternative to Adobe’s Creative Cloud apps, I think. You can purchase the versions for iPad or desktop individually or as a complete bundle.
Canva
Canva is on everyone’s lips these days as the tool for graphic design. It is especially suitable for people who have no experience in graphic design. But it’s also a useful tool for advanced graphic designers, I think. The tool offers a variety of features, including templates, fonts, and images. Users can also create custom designs by combining elements such as text, shapes, and images.
You can set up various brand documents, including logos, fonts, and various palettes. The practical thing about Canva is that with just one click, you can easily apply these predefined brand attributes to any design, which I find extremely useful for working more efficiently. For example, I can create various variants with my branding from a simple template with just a few clicks and that of
Linen & Quince
at the same time.
It doesn’t get any faster and easier with any other tool, as far as I know.
By the way, Canva now also has an AI that can edit text to image. I think that this AI can’t yet keep up with the quality of Midjourney, for example.
But the results are okay if you want to use this feature. Canva is highly adaptable and offers a variety of export options, including exporting as PNG, JPEG, and PDF. The tool is especially useful for individuals or teams who need to create graphics quickly and easily, e.g. for social media posts or marketing materials. You can also post or schedule social media posts directly from Canva. However, the integration to my pintest boards always goes on strike, which is why I don’t use this function. I think Metricool is a lot better. But still, Canva can basically do almost everything you could possibly need for a successful online business.
Structured
Structured is a tool or app for notes and to-do lists that is characterized by its clear structure and ease of use. It is especially useful for individuals who want to organize their tasks and projects in a simple way and is very helpful for working more efficiently. Structured offers a variety of features, including to-do lists, notes, and calendars. Users can organize and prioritize their tasks and projects using tags and categories. Structured is also very adaptable and offers integrations with other tools such as .dem calendar or other task or note-taking apps.
You can also check off tasks there clearly. Since these are structured in a timeline, you can also see very well how much time there is between different tasks. The app clearly shows you timesand overlaps .
Furthermore, you can also create subtasks. You can customize the color according to your own taste and it now also has an AI assistant that you only have to tell briefly what it should do and it automatically plans and creates the tasks based on the tags mentioned. All in all, a very practical app that I don’t want to miss anymore. I already use this app a lot on my desktop as well as on my iPad and mobile phone. You can also use it very well as a habit tracker, I think. There is a free version and a pro version, the latter is available as a monthly subscription or as a lifetime version. By the way, I’ve been using the Pro Lifetime version for many years.
Result
Time and project management are crucial aspects in today’s working world. There are many great tools to help organize and manage various tasks. In this blog post, I introduced Trello, Notion, Metricool*, WPML, Wordfence, Woocommerce, Scrivener, Procreate, the three Affinity programs, Structured , and Canva . These tools are all easy to use, or at least quite easy to learn, and offer many features to improve productivity and efficiency. In order to find out which tool best suits your requirements, I think it is advisable to first try out various programs. With these tools, you can definitely plan, execute and organize your tasks more effectively and use your time more effectively to be as successful as possible. How do you find my favorite tools? Which tools do you prefer to use? Which tools would you like to have more information about? Feel free to let me know in the comments.
I wish you a productive week.
All the best,
“The computer works so fast because it doesn’t think.”
Gabriel Laub
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About the author
Christina Ernst is the founder and CEO of Linen & Quince. She is also a designer, writer and real estate expert. She shares her experience and knowledge not only in her personal blog on christinaernst.net , where she writes about financial literacy, business start-ups, real estate knowledge and personal development, but also on our Linen & Quince blog. There she regularly writes about interior design, fashion and lifestyle topics. She loves interior design, art, antiques as well as elegant, sustainable and high-quality fashion.
