Thanks to technology and the many apps and tools available today, professionals no longer have to jump through hoops to remain productive, even when they are not working from the office. Productivity tools are not only very easy to find, but they also come with a vast array of features designed for professionals – and teams – in various fields.

Choosing the best productivity tools is a matter of finding apps and services that best meet your requirements or personal preferences. That said, there are some productivity apps that you can’t live without due to their essential features and the immense benefits they bring to the table.

1. Evernote

Having a good note-keeping app is helpful for professionals in any field and Evernote is as good as a note-keeping app gets. The app – web service – is designed for a wide range of note-taking and note-keeping tasks, including storing web pages or excerpts to be read later.

The design of Evernote and its companion apps is very intuitive. There is no need to go through hours of trying to figure out how the features work; Evernote is a productivity app you can use out of the box. While the exterior layer of the user interface is simple, however, Evernote does have a lot of advanced features. In fact, many professionals find numerous benefits in becoming an Evernote expert.

Using cloud as its foundation, Evernote also offers the ability to access the notes you’ve added to your account from anywhere. All you need is a browser; you don’t even have to install the native app from Evernote to access, edit, and store notes in the cloud. Even sharing notes with team members is easy.

2. Kanbanize

The Kanban board principle isn’t something new in business and productivity. Kanban boards allow you to organize tasks meticulously and keep track of each task’s progress in great detail. But, what is a Kanban board exactly? It is a way to map and visualize your workflow. From the definition, it is easy to see how the Kanban method can be used in many instances, including sales and project management.

Kanbanize takes the Kanban method and supercharges it to a new level. Available as a web service and a software, Kanbanize gives you the tools you need to manage everything you do and keep track of more tasks. No need to worry about forgetting to follow up a client’s request or meeting a certain deadline because everything is laid out in a visual way on Kanbanize.

3. Five-Minute Journal

Journaling is an important part of succeeding as a professional. It is an approach that allows you to be grateful for your achievements, understand and learn from your mistakes, and keep track of the things you do every day. Journaling is also a great exercise for improving your management skills while making everything feel manageable.

Similar to note-taking, there are many apps that let you write journals about your daily activities. If you want the best one to use, Five-Minute Journals is the app to go for. The app itself is very simple. You start your day by listing three things you are most grateful, three ways you can make the day a success, and three assertions.

At the end of the day, review your entry and feel the surge of positive energy as you prepare for a good night’s sleep. Repeat these steps every day. Before you know it, you’ll be improving yourself, pushing yourself even harder, and hitting the level of success you strive for.

4. Google Drive

Having sufficient cloud storage is important for professionals. Cloud storage isn’t just useful for backing up old photos and documents – it is also essential for collaborating on current work and storing documents that you need to have access to, no matter where you are.

Google Drive is still the best provider of cloud services today. Google Drive integrates seamlessly with other Google products, including Gmail and Google Docs. You can invite team members to collaborate on the same document in real-time. You can also share information with others and receive large files.

Google Drive is more than just another cloud storage service. It is a collaborative platform that offers so many features businesses can utilize. You can store versions of the same document, edit documents together with colleagues, and return to older versions at any time if you need to. There are even ways to protect files using extra security measures.

There are many other productivity tools that can make you a better professional regardless of your line of work. The four essential tools we covered in this article, however, are tools you can use to organize your professional life better. With these essential tools at your fingertips, there is not a challenge you cannot overcome at work.