October 09, 2011
It seems like the older you get, the harder it is to stay organized. It’s not necessarily that your brain function is starting to decline (although it sometimes feels that way); more likely you can point to a stressful job, a busy home life, and a long morning and evening commute as the culprits that distract you and keep you from getting your life in order. But with technology growing in leaps and bounds these days, it should come as no surprise that there’s a wealth of software out there to help you get all of your proverbial ducks in a row. And if you have one of Apple’s many fine mobile devices you can even take this organizing tech with you. Here are a few apps that will help the wayward soul in need of organizational assistance, and hopefully save you some time.
- Good Housekeeping @Home. The magazine that brings tips on beautifying your home to your mailbox every month can now be found on your phone. For the bargain price of 100% free you can get tips on green cleaning, organizing, decorating, and everything else having to do with your beloved domicile. A clutter-free life starts at home, so get this app to help you get your house ship-shape in no time.
- Taskwise. Another freebie, this planning and organizing software will help you to move seamlessly between the spheres of home and office, saving time and improving overall productivity. You can group tasks to switch easily between personal and professional responsibilities, view files and photos attached to specific entries, set up reminder alarms, and hide notes to keep your screen clutter-free. For the working parent on the go, there’s no better way to organize every aspect of your life.
- Dunnit. This simple to-do list organizer will help you keep track of the daily tasks that are all too easy to forget. All you have to do is punch in your list of to-dos and you’ll get auto-reminders that will help you get it all done. You can set up repeating tasks (pick the kids up from soccer practice, for example) and it even integrates with Twitter to make sure you don’t miss any updates. It’s easy to use, and best of all, it’s free.
- Schedule Planner. If you’re more interested in a digital day planner than a simple to-do list, then this free app is for you. It’s even set up to look like your old-school, paper planner, although you can also view it as a calendar. And it comes with plenty of organizational options that allow you to create, save, and select tasks, pre-set activities that are recurring, and even color code certain items so you can quickly see how your time is spent.
- 52 Organizing Missions. This app is a little pricy at $7.99, but you’ll get a targeted list of uber-organizing activities that will allow you to tackle one task a week for a year; and each one is guaranteed to take no more than 30 minutes (the app will even time you!). You’ll learn which items to trash in every room in your house, get tips for setting up storage, find ways to clean your purse or wallet, discover how to organize bill-paying and credit spending, and receive tips and tricks needed to keep your whole life in order, from home to office to personal relationships. You could pay a personal organizer or life coach, or shell out the cash for organizer software, but for eight bucks you can get the same advice in your pocket. Sounds like a pretty good deal.
