There are so many things to plan in life!
From the moment of birth, people are planning things for us. A few short years later, we begin to plan for ourselves.
We plan for fun things, for work, for self, for family. We plan so we won’t be surprised. We plan so we can surprise others. We plan big and small, grand and simple.
List makers, that’s what we are.
I love lists! Let me count the ways I list, and types of list I have:
- to-dos
- calendar items
- work tasks
- call and email lists
- personal plans
- travel arrangements / documents
- gift lists
- financial tasks
- shopping lists
- appointments
and on and on and on…
Besides lists, I love personal assistants. I don’t have a human assistant, I have a digital one. This is the one I currently use: 24me It can sync with your other planning helps, financial sites, your list apps, your social apps, your calendar, and will bring everything together in one place. It can even find help for you, via TaskRabbit (TaskRabbit is a freelance service provider site.) I’m new to the app myself, so I’ll be reporting on how it works for me.
For lists, I use Apple Reminders, Apple Notes, and Wunderlist. They each have their strengths and purposes.
I like Reminders for simple lists…grocery and quick to-dos that don’t require additional notes or alerts or calendaring.
I like the Notes app for jotting digital stream of consciousness…when I have a sudden inspiration and want to write a bit more than a word or two…this is where I get a bit more wordy, I typically write in paragraphs here rather than bullet points.
Wunderlist allows me to create custom lists and add comments, due dates, alerts, and prioritize items. I use this for recurring lists and lists that are more intricate in nature. There is a paid and a free version.
Evernote is another app I’ve used, and I like it too. It also syncs across devices, and there is a free version and paid version available. Many of these apps are robust, and can do a lot more than you might ask of them. Explore enough to know which features are worth using, worth learning, and which apps have basic features that will suit your needs.
I sometimes pay for an app, or upgrade to the fancier, paid options an app offers. But often, the free version is just fine, and will do as much as I need.
The beautiful thing is that these apps sync with my digital assistant, and they sync with my phone, so I’m never out of step, whether I enter something on my phone or my laptop.
Many of these apps and planning tools offer similar features. Choosing what’s best really comes down to individual tastes and preferences.
And all of it reduces to your personal style…how much of a lister are you? Are you a sticky note type or a fan of all things digital? Techie or old school?
Please share your tips and strategies in the comments below. I’m always excited to try a new app, find a new tool to make life easier and better organized!