This Gmail App Helped Me Become Way More Productive as a Freelancer

An app can make a surprising difference in your productivity.

As a freelance writer who runs my own small business, I have a ton of stuff to keep track of. I have assignments from different clients that I work with. I have invoices to keep track of to make sure payments end up in my bank account. And I have a ton of business expenses that I have to track for tax purposes.

A lot of this comes through my email. And figuring out how to keep track of everything in my Gmail inbox was something I struggled with for years. I tried using Gmail's "Multiple Inbox" feature, organizing with folders and labels, and practicing "Inbox Zero." None of it ever worked for me.

Then, everything changed. I found an amazing Gmail app and it has changed the way I work, making me more productive than I ever imagined.

This Gmail app made all the difference

The Gmail app that changed my life is called Sortd. It allows me to turn my emails into a Kanban board. If you aren't familiar with that, it's a project management tool that allows you to essentially create cards that are arranged in different columns.

For me, for example, I have a big "To Do," column with all of my work for the month, then I have a "Do Today" column for the work I plan to do that day, and then I have a "Done in Month" and "Done in Year" column where I can keep track of the work I've done during the month and year respectively.

Sortd allows me to automatically turn emails I receive into cards, and I can also manually create cards. I can add deadlines to each card, color code them, and add different tags so, for example, I can label something that's time sensitive. I can also add custom properties so, for instance, I can include a check box to show when something has been invoiced or has been paid.

Not only did I create a Sortd board for these work tasks, but I also have others where I manage promotions I receive via email, and tax-deductible expenses. When I get an email with a deal, I can create a card for it and add it to a column for deals to take advantage of later. And when I get a tax-deductible expense, I can move it to a board where I manage tax stuff and create a card for it as well.

I've been able to organize my entire life with the app, and I've used it for well over a year with great success.

Freelancers need to find the right tools

If you're a freelancer, or you simply want a great, productive way to organize your inbox, giving Sortd a try is probably worth it.

But, whether you love this app or not, the important thing is to keep trying until you find the tools that work for you. I went through lots of methods before I discovered Sortd, and I wasn't afraid to reject them and keep trying. The right programs and apps can really make a difference, so don't give up until you find a system that makes sense given the way you work.