Top 8 Apps for Overcoming Procrastination and Achieving Your Goals in 2023

How relatable is this scene? You set out to get stuff done on your phone, and then that one Instagram notification pops up, and the next thing you know, it’s 3 hours later, you are scrolling aimlessly on Instagram, and you are no longer in the mood to handle business. 

This is a clear case of procrastination.

If this is your story, well, there is the good news and the bad news. The good news is that you are not alone. According to research, about 20% of adult humans in the world today are chronic procrastinators. So, maybe you can find some peace in the fact that you are not going through this alone. Now, the bad news is that procrastination is a rabbit hole. Falling into it can be very dangerous, and if you do not make intentional efforts to knock out the habit of procrastination, it becomes a lifestyle in a very short time. 

Brief Overview of Procrastination

Procrastination is a cankerworm that is very predominant in humans today. Contrary to what you might be thinking, there is a psychological explanation for procrastination. According to research, Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo pointed out that procrastination can be associated with negative emotions. This means that people tend to use procrastination as a substitution for facing negative emotions. Where either of these two emotions, fear of failure or perfectionism, is present, procrastination is not very far away.

People tend to procrastinate when they are waiting for everything to be perfect before they act or when they are afraid that they might fail in whatever activity they are about to venture into. 

Productivity Apps for Procrastination

Several modern technologies are emerging to help curb some of the battles we face, including the battle of procrastination. One of the ways that technology has come into this battle is through productivity apps. Since their invention, productivity apps have been very useful and beneficial to users.

Productivity apps can help you stay on track with your goals, increase your general productivity, and help you manage your time effectively. This apps function in different ways. Almost all of them use reminders and motivation to spur you to keep working towards your goal. Others include features that block out notifications from social media and other pop-ups and prevent them from showing up on your screen until you have completed the project at hand or at least hit a milestone.

There are numerous productivity apps in use now. Not all are effective, but in this guide, we have given you a comprehensive description and review of the top 8 apps for overcoming procrastination.

1. Akiflow

Something big hit the productivity app industry, and it is called Akiflow. Akiflow is known as the Ultimate time blocking platform. It provides a seamless flow for users all day long by connecting favorite tools and granting access to all your tasks from a single platform. It also lets you plan your tasks and drop them in your calendar to let you keep track of your schedule. It is a personal task manager that can be used by both windows and mac systems. With Akiflow, your productivity rate increases. 

One of the best ways to improve productivity is to fight the enemies of productivity. This is what the Akiflow software is designed to do. Its features help avoid distractions and prevent overloading, context switching, and over-scheduling. It leverages shortcuts to take you directly to platforms where you need to be with a single click. 

Features:

• Collaboration tools
• Chat platform
• Activity tracking
• Access control
• Progress tracking
• Real-time notifications
• Task scheduling
• Third-party integration
• Email management
• To-do list
• Many more

Pricing:

• $15 per month
• One-off yearly payment of $12.50 per month, adding up to $150 yearly.

There is no free plan. It has a free trial and subscriptions. 

AkiFlow integrates with Slack, Gmail, Asana, Trello, ClickUp, and Zapier.  

2. Notion

Notion was introduced sometime in 2018 and has since retained its popularity in the productivity industry. Several teams use Notion to collaborate on deadlines, set goals, and get tasks completed. It is an all-in-one tool that can be used for a variety of productive purposes. Notion finds its uses among team members in the workplace, students in classes, and individuals in their daily life. 

Features:

• Managing complex projects 
• Goals tracking 
• Automations using APIs
• Content management
• Idea organization
• Creating design systems.

Pricing:

Notion has four plans, each with different features. This gives users the flexibility needed to fit into any plan they need.

The plans are as follows;

• Free: Free plan with limited features
• Plus: $8 per month billed annually or $10 per month billed monthly
• Business: $15 per user per month billed annually or $18 per user per month billed monthly
• Enterprise: Contact Sales

3. Focus @ Will

This productivity app helps you tune off distractions and stay focused. One of its selling features is that it plays cool music to help you stay focused. Anybody who loves listening to good music while working will certainly love Focus @ Will.

This app helps you monitor your effectiveness, retain information while working, and minimize distractions. 

Features:

• Unique tracks
• Productivity boost
• Progress tracking

Pricing:

• Monthly plan: $7.49 per month
• Annual plan: $52.49 per year
• Bi-annual plan: $89.99 billed at $45 per year.

4. RescueTime

This tool is very popular among freelancers, developers, and designers. It works by tracking the amount of time you spend on certain websites and apps and classifying this time. With this information, you can get a detailed analysis of the time you spend and where you spend it. 

Features:

• Activity tracking
• Employee database
• Access control
• Milestone and time tracking

Pricing:

It has a Lite version which is free, and a premium version, where you pay $9 per month and $72 per year. If you choose to pay per year, you get four months free.

5. Forest

If you have a problem with the vicious cycle of procrastination, Forest can help you solve it. It utilizes amazing visuals and reward strategies to keep you motivated and focused on your goals. When you are about to work, you have to plant a tree on the app, and if you use your phone after then, your tree dies. Every environmentally conscious person essentially understands the benefits of this app.

Features:

• ADHD management
• Progress monitoring
• Time management
• Creation of an allow list
• Offers incentives and upgrades

Pricing:

Android users have access to a free version and can upgrade to the paid version for $1.99 per month. However, IOS users have to pay the $1.99 upfront before getting access to the app.

6. 1-3-5 List

This app helps you stay productive and avoid procrastination by helping you prioritize. You get to choose 1 big thing, 3 medium things, and 5 little things to be accomplished every day. These little, intentional steps keep you from procrastinating.

Features:

• Daily to-do tasks list
• Time management
• Pre-defined priority
• Team collaboration

Price:

• Basic account (free)
• Premium ($2.50 per month)
• Premium ($25 per year)

7. Freedom

If you are looking for something a bit harsher to deal with your procrastination, then Freedom is for you. It works by blocking apps and websites that are synced to it from distracting you. If you set it to an offline task, it can block your access to the internet until you have completed your task. 

Features:

• Website blocking
• Synced devices
• Advanced scheduling
• Locked mode 
• Session annotation

Pricing:

• Free mode
• Premium version for $2.50 per month

8. Momentum

It uses an aesthetic approach to keep you focused. It puts your goals, schedules, and plans in one place. 

Features:

• Calm technology
• Loving expertise and coaching
• Techniques guided by science
• Project linking
• Regular reviews
• Priority and emergent tasks

Pricing:

• Free trial for 30 days
• $10 per month 
• $100 per year (20% discount)

How to Use a Procrastination App Effectively

These apps will help you only if you are willing to put in the effort required to help yourself. To get the best out of a procrastination app, commit to it completely. By committing to the app and following instructions, you will thrive using it. Also, try using the pro versions, as this gives you access to all the features of the app. 

Here is how you can use these apps effectively:

• Set clear goals and priorities: Outline your goals in the order of priority and ensure that they are achievable.
• Track progress and set reminders: The more you accomplish, the more you are motivated to accomplish. Try tracking your progress as you go. Also, set reminders to keep your head in the game.
• Staying motivated and accountable: Keep yourself accountable. Get an accountability partner if you can. Most of these apps allow more than one user to access this feature, so you can get your friends and colleagues to join you on this journey.

Staying motivated can be a drag, especially in this present time when there are so many distractions around. 

These top apps, led by Akiflow, will keep you motivated and get you out of procrastination. 

You can choose to keep going around the vicious cycle of procrastination or to stop procrastinating and start being productive. Ready to take control of your productivity today? Try out these apps committedly and start seeing notable progress.