Productivity app recs?

I am looking at different productivity apps, task reminders, etc. So many choices, and I am having a hard time figuring out which one to choose. Also, I really don't want to spend more money, as I have tried a few, but they just don't motivate me. What have you found that works? Getting behind and feeling like I'm caught in a vicious circle of 'fails' is not fun. Or what other tools do you use to help with paralysis and time blindness?