Apps are the NEW Daily Planner
What are the elements of a daily planner?
A monthly calendar
A place to make lists and manage projects
Notices of upcoming tasks
Deadline markers
Whether its a phone or tablet, technology assists in our daily lives. By empowering it to help us manage tasks and our time, we can help ourselves stay on task and focus on being in the moment. Here are 3 apps that are helping me wrangle the chaos around my home these days.
Alexa
If you have not started using the skills found within the Alexa system, you are missing out. Besides setting alarms and making announcements, I use Alexa to help the little humans in my house stay on track with their daily routines. I will even reward them for completing tasks before the set reminder goes off. Alexa has a skill called "Chore Chart," which makes announcements at set times to remind you of an upcoming chore. I have two chore charts for my children. They are almost identical for items like: get dressed or pack your lunchbox; however, they differ for reminding to feed the dog and get the mail.
GoogleCalendar
I have set up a family calendar to focus on appointments, who is working over a weekend, and the kids' school due dates. I do enjoy the physical calendar on a fridge for when a phone just isn't fast enough, but being out of the house making appointments in this calendar is easier. I always plan a weekly reconciliation of dates in all of the places, but a physical calendar just doesn't alert you the same way this electronic calendar can. A significant plus is that it integrates well with an Alexa Skill, so in my morning calendar report, I get a rundown of where I need to be and when and it's helpful in confirming my outfit choices.
Shift
While Shift isn't a phone or tablet app, it has been lifechanging around the office. It helps me remain organized and reduce the number of tabs I run on my computer throughout the day. I can keep my family's email address up so I can catch emails from my children's schools, keep my project management tools accessible for quick updates, and search the internet for client needed research. This app cuts down on the overwhelm that these helpful tools can create when they crowd your desktop.
I would be recommending a fourth product, but I have recently learned that the company will no longer be supporting it, as of May 2020. **quietly sobbing in the corner** For years, my husband and I have relied on Wunderlist. This magical app made sharing lists and deadlines with one and other a dream. It's a very simple app that allows us to breakdown our weekends and weekly chores into easy to manage lists. It helped us catch one another when we felt that we were falling behind. When we really used it, it helped with our communication to each other. If anyone has any amazing resources my me to test send them my way! I am eager to quickly find something to replace this app that has been such a positive asset to my marriage and family.
These are links to products that I use but am not an affliate of. I am not receiving any compensation from these links. I am only offering them to you as a quick resource to products that I actively use and have found personal success with in my life. I cannot garentee that you will find the same success by paying to use these resources, if you choose to do so.
