There is no end of productivity tools and they keep coming. It is best to keep things simple. I have tried many and these are my top three organizational tools.
I may be lacking many social graces, but I am organized. There are many tools and software programs out in the world to keep you organized, and most of them are incredible. But there is one small problem – you have to use them regularly to make them work. And the more tools you use, the more unwieldy and time-consuming getting organized becomes.
There are three tools I used every day to help keep me organized. To be completely honest, I use more than three, but these are my MVPs, the ones that I cannot live without.
Full Focus Planner
I have been using this planner for over a year now, and I am OBSESSED. The Full Focus Planner is set up for goal achieving with the added benefit of self-reflection. The planners run on a quarterly cycle, so that means four planners a year. Each new book scratched my new notebook/planner itch that I get every couple of months.
Since you have to re-setup your planner each quarter, you have time to think about your goals and accomplishments and adjust your outlook to fit your needs currently. So you are not bogged down by the goals you set for yourself while buzzed on champagne at the NYE party.
Google Calendar
I use a shared GCal with my hubby for all our non-day job-related appointments. You will find everything from Dru’s vet appointment to when bills are due. Since Jesse and I have weird work schedules, I schedule them all out in the calendar too.
I have been using GCal for years, but getting Jesse on board was a game-changer. He is not much for pre-planning and if he is making plans with a friend or picking up shifts; he can quickly check the app on his phone to see if we already have plans or if I am off work that day.
Notion
I am a huge fan of task management software. I love me a task list and a kanban board. This means that I am always trying to find the next best thing. So I spend so much time moving projects and tasks from one system to another that I don’t actually get anything done.
My planner helps with this (see above), but so has using Notion. Notion pulls task lists, note apps, wiki, and calendars all in one place. I have a workspace set up for blog stuff, personal things, and school projects. I have a kanban board set up for our remodel projects, a recipe database with links for all of my favorite recipes from around the web, a general task list where I can dump items that pop into my head before I forget them and, well, you get the idea.
The options are endless, and the part that I love is that you can create a wiki or a kind of homepage that will link all of our calendars, boards, and task lists for you on a beautiful and tidy page.
They have a pretty robust free version. It is worth checking out.
The easiest way to stay organized is to keep things simple. And with these three tools, I can keep myself and my life organized and on track.
PS – Four things I have done to simplify my life.
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