Every week apps are launched that promise to make us more productive, to streamline workflows, bolster our efficiency and somehow turbocharge our day. The nagging sense that we are not getting enough done prompts us to seek magic solutions. Technology has made countless attempts to come to our rescue – with varied results.
Among the current crop of acclaimed apps are a time - tracking aid called Forest, a to - do list manager called Taskade, and Notion, a project management tool. But the list of apps that seek to pave our way to a better - organised, happier future is a mile long.
“There are so many, ” says Francesco D’Alessio, who runs a popular YouTube channel called Keep Productive. “It’s ironic that I spend much of my spare time reviewing productivity apps. But it’s because I know there’s a need for them. ” That perceived need is greater now than ever before. Back in the early 1970s, the Swedish economist Staffan Linder coined the phrase “harried leisure class” to describe people in wealthier countries making futile attempts to make their time more productive. But 21st century life involves many more competing pressures on our time.
“Things are speeding up around us, ” says Ed Lamont, co - founder of Next Action Associates, a consultancy that helps individuals and businesses improve productivity. “We’re under tremendous pressure to do more to keep up. But our core human needs, such as being loved and respected, don’t respond very well to that speeding up. ”