Productivity tools are like gym memberships—they’re only good if we actually use them.

In a recent productivity study, students checked their smart phones for non-class related reasons over 11 times during class per class. In another study, one quarter of workers reported feeling increased stress and poor health because of the information they’re required to process for their daily work.

Here are five tools I use to help conquer distractions and focus on what’s most important.

The Five-Minute Journal

Remember Stephen Covey’s seventh law?

Sharpen the Saw.

We have to take time to preserve and enhance the greatest asset we have—ourselves.

Few tools help me sharpen the saw better than the Five Minute Journal. I first discovered this tool via Tim Ferris. It made a lost of sense, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

My time with The Five Minute Journal is one of the most worthwhile activities of my day.

Try it for seven consecutive days and tell me it doesn’t elevate your perspective and gratitude. (I have yet to lose this wager.)

Datexx Miracle Cube Timer

Struggle staying on task? Try blocking your time with the Datexx Miracle Cube Timer.

Flip the cube to one of the pre-selected countdown options and do nothing else (no phone calls, no texts, no Facebook) until the timer hits zero.

Not finished yet? Flip the timer and keep going.

Evernote

One way to separate the signal from the noise is to make a record of the most important signals.

For me, Evernote is one of the best tools out there. I use it several times a day, maybe even hourly.

While there’s a lost more functionality I won’t go into here, the concept is simple.

You create a note. That note syncs across all of your other devices. So, when you need access to that information, it’s always there.

Yes, there other tools out there that perform a similar function. However, Evernote has been around for ten years and evolved to serve me like few other products.

Here are 15 starter ideas for tips on how you can leverage Evernote.

Notion

I’ve been trying out the Notion app per David Pierce’s WSJ rec earlier this year.

As productivity apps go, Notion Labs has created a simple, clean way to manage your To Do List.

When you complete a task, Notion strikethroughs the text of your task. This renders the text still readable, but also tells you you’ve completed the task. I want to relish the completed task until I decide to archive it for posterity. It’s simple, but I’m a huge fan of this.

The app is far more powerful than I’ve described. However, for what it does for me, I’m all in. Moreover, it’s free on mobile, so try it out.

Varidesk

Until I pulled the trigger on my own Varidesk, I didn’t know what I was missing.

Even if the science behind standing versus sitting at work is evolving, for me, the standing desk is a mindset thing.

One, standing gives your whole body and mind an elevated energy level. It’s the difference between starting a race poised in a starting block or on your heels.

As the day goes on, sure, take a seat. However, thanks to my Varidesk, those first few morning hours are all standing these days.

Secondly, if you’re on the phone a lot, standing up is much better for preventing wear and tear on your voice.

If you’re slumped over at a desk—hey, by 4:30 it happens—our spine, shoulders and larynx get crunched up over the keyboard into a little spinal crescent moon. Not good for the health of your vocal cords.

Instead, by standing, our body is aligned to give support to our vocal cords and our speech.

Those two reasons are good enough for me, but if you need more, here are additional health benefits to consider.

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Enjoy the tools. If you have one you can’t live without, drop me a line at hello@strengthslauncher.com.

Also, if the post headline feels familiar, send me an email and tell me why. I’ll send you a little something to help you turn your natural talents into true strengths. Hint: Clemenza.