Tools to Keep You Organized

It’s hard to stay organized in today’s busy world. With busy schedules packed with activities from work, home, school, church and community involvements, it’s easy to get behind. If you’re having trouble keeping up with what needs to be done at work or around the house, chances are you could use a little organization tune-up. How about we get started with some powerful tools to keep you organized so you become more productive pronto?

If you often find yourself wondering what you’re supposed to do next or forgetting an important task, don’t get down on yourself. It happens to even the best of us. The good news is that there are many tools out there to help keep you organized. Whether it’s a simple planner, an app for your smartphone, or a computer program, these tools are designed to keep you organized so you can make the most of your time. You may not be able to afford a personal assistant, but I bet you can afford more than one of these to help you work smarter instead of harder.

Daily Planners

There are some really great daily planners on the market with many options to choose from depending on how detailed you want to plan your days. You can choose to break your days down to the hour, by blocks of time or by tasks if you’d like. Find out what method of planning works best for you and stick with it. Use your planner to organize your goals, tasks, meetings, appointments, special occasions and more. When you take the time to plan your days out in advance, you’ll find yourself staying on task and accomplishing more each day. With ultimate organization of your day, you can knock those tasks off your to-do list easily. You may even find a little extra free time on your hands.

Online Calendars

Online calendars are a must for anyone that wants to skip the traditional planner. Not only are you able to use them on your computer, but you can use them on your smartphone as well. This allows you to take your calendar on the go. You can even set some, such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, to alert you on your smartphone of important events. Never miss an appointment again!

Apps

There are also a lot of apps out there for organization and many of them are free. You can find apps for your smartphone, tablet, and even your computer. The best option is to choose apps that you can sync and use on a variety of gadgets with one account. This allows you to access them at any given time. Some great apps to choose from include Evernote (keep track of notes), Dropbox (access your documents and share with colleagues), LastPass (a must for those that forget passwords), and Out of Milk (organize shopping lists).

Bulletin and Dry Erase Boards

Sometimes nothing beats the classics. Bulletin boards are perfect for family message centers and have remained popular in many homes for a reason. A bulletin board is a great tool for organizing a project, keeping important notes where everyone can see them, and it even works as a reminder of what you’re working so hard for by allowing you to create a dream board. Dry erase boards are great for calendars, brainstorming ideas, jotting down daily notes, and so much more.

Camera

Last, but not least, your camera is one of the most forgotten tools when it comes to organizing your thoughts or tasks. For example, let’s say you’re a writer and you get great ideas while you’re out and about. Simply whip out your smartphone, take a couple pictures, and link them to notes in your Evernote app. Need ingredients for a recipe but you don’t have time to write them down before you head to the store? Take a picture of the recipe and you’ll never need a grocery list! Pictures speak a thousand words and can often tell you so much more than a few notes, so think smart and use this powerful resource for something other than a selfie. 🙂

Being organized doesn’t have to be hard. There are many useful tools available to help you get your work and/or personal life together. Find out what tools work for you and use them to get organized once and for all. Tell me, what organizing tools would you add to this list?