Wouldn't you like some extra time in your day?
I recently read a great article on Time Money talking about how apps can make you more productive and I thought that I would share some of the apps in my life with you.
I have to start by saying that I love, love, love technology. Anyone who knows me will know that my phone is an extension of my arm! At the top of my technology love list are apps that improve my life.
On our Think Communicate Lead course we talk to our students about the importance of Time Management and Productivity. So many times we hear the same phrase "I don't have time". It's amazing how everyone has the same number of hours in their day and yet, as the expression goes "If you want to get something done ask a busy person". Why is is that some people are better at utilizing their time than others?
Anyway, I digress slightly... back to the apps. One of the apps mentioned in the aforementioned article was Trello. This app was created to bring my 90's habits (a notice board with far too many papers pinned to it) into the 00's (the desktop on my laptop covered in virtual boards and virtual papers). Trello is an app with boards, lists and cards. You can create, edit, move, import, export, merge and delete them at will. I love using this method for organizing my bullet point To-Do lists, reminders, notes, goals etc. It's a great way for me to stay organised and on top of things.
Another app mentioned was Boomerang - my husband swears that this app has transformed and streamlined his life when it comes to correspondence. For people juggling a myriad of different types of correspondence - give it a go!
Of course, if you happen to free up some time you need to think about how to spend it wisely. If I have a couple of free minutes and I don't want to/need to catch up with emails, read the latest articles etc etc I like to give myself a "mini holiday" from my work. To do this I use an app called Elevate which is a brain training app designed to help you stay sharp, build confidence and boost productivity. It has a mixture of areas of expertise so there's something for everyone.
Regularly, when I want to read articles to find out what's new in the world, without having to waste time searching for them, I use StumbleUpon. When I use this app I have the feeling that I had a child when opening a "Lucky Bag" - you never know what wonderful surprise you will find. Once you have set up your profile and ticked your interests this app suggests articles for you to read. You tick Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down and it gives you a new article. Over time it reads your interests, gathers your history and the articles become more and more tailored to your personal choices. I have read some fabulous articles which, without this app, I would never have found. Another app that is similar but has more of a "magazine" type look is Flipboard.
When it comes to quiet time, I find this much more difficult. I am EXTREMELY BAD at something that is EXTREMELY important - Meditation. Something that I find helps on my computer is the app Calm. The background reminds me of fishing trips years ago with my father (without the irritating bugs, of course!). On my phone I like to alternate between Aware, 1 Giant Mind and Headspace.
These days there is an app out there for absolutely everything - all you have to do is find it! If you have any suggestions for apps that may be worth checking out please feel free to mention them in the comments.
Have an App-y Day...