I'd like to think of myself as an organized person. But one look at my computer desktop and actual desk will tell you that's just not the case. Because I'm so busy, I'm constantly looking for ways to stay organized. Being a living, breathing human in this day and age, I'll just take a humble guess that you are too. While technology may be in part to blame by throwing all sorts of distractions and clutter in our direction, there are quite a few technological advancements we take for granted. Like those nifty little icons on our phones. Oh yes. Bless the apps.
I mean think about how cool they are for a hot second. With just one tap, we're able to connect, share, be entertained, and gain access to an endless library of information that puts that Beauty and the Beast library to shame. And beyond that, apps just do things for us. There are some pretty revolutionary apps that are changing the way we live for the better. When we can't find the time or the mind-space to send that email or even remember our reminders, there's an app for that. Check out seven of my favorite apps to keep you organized so you can keep killing the grown-up game of responsibility.
1. Boomerang
Because sometimes it's 2 a.m. and you just remembered that email you have to send to your boss, but don't necessarily want that middle-of-the-night timestamp attached to it. You could write up a draft and save it for the morning. But what if you forget? Well, Boomerang is an awesome Gmail plugin that lets you schedule when you send and receive emails. All you have to do is draft up your email, specify when you want it sent, and hit "send later." It also acts as a great follow-up reminder for those time-sensitive messages that may slip through the cracks. Plus, you can clear out some of the inbox clutter by marking important messages you may not need now; Boomerang will whisk them away and bring them back to the top of your inbox at the right time you need them.
2. Key Ring
Alright, all you loyalty card lovers and coupon collectors, here's a must-have app to tame that bundle of cards weighing down your key ring. The Key Ring app allows you to scan your cards and organize them all in one place on your phone. You won't have to worry about which wallet you left that card in or be struck with the horrific visual of the coupon sitting on your kitchen counter as you're on the checkout line. This way, you can be sure to save at every possible opportunity. Just keep your phone charged!
3. Dragon Dictation
Dragon Dictation is like your phone's voice recognition or Siri on steroids. This app, created by Nuance Communications, recognizes and transcribes anything you say, and it gets it down super quickly, increasing in accuracy the more you use it. If you're on the go, have your hands full, or you're anything like me and your mind sometimes runs way faster than you can keep up — the dragon app's got your back.
Once downloaded, you can select your language and region, sync your contacts, and link your social media accounts. Then all you have to do is hit record and start speaking. Afterward, you have the option to review the text, make any corrections, and send it out as an email, text, tweet, status update, or paste it to your clipboard and use however else you please! No more excuses for texting and driving, friends.
4. Evernote
Advertised as the workspace for your life's work, that's a pretty on point description of what Evernote is all about. This app allows you to store and organize almost anything and everything you come across. It may sound pretty vague and overwhelming, but as Whitson Gordon wrote on Lifehacker, the Evernote trick is to add as much as you can. Take advantage of all it has to offer. Use it to store anything from handwritten notes to photos to web articles to menus. For anything you want to save, rather than shoving them in the dusty desk drawer crawling with the tangled cobwebs of neglect, or bookmarking things in your mess of a bookmark bar, dump it all in this app and it'll organize it for you. With its neat search and tagging tools, it makes everything easy to access and keep track of.
5. LastPass
For when you have to remember your 459,384 different passwords you created to fulfill all those obnoxious security requirements, LastPass does it for you. You can add whatever sites you want into the app, store the password, and every time you log into the site after that, it autofills it for you no matter what. LastPass also gives you the option to see all your accounts in its "vault" feature, so any time you want to update some info, it automatically syncs.
This works with any online payments you want to make as well. The best part? It's secure. As Lifehacker put it, because LastPass is a security-focused app, all of its efforts are more specifically geared toward solid safety measures. A hack scare back in 2011 prompted the app to notify users immediately and force a master password change. And if you're still feeling a little paranoid, you can use the two-factor authentication it offers for that extra security.
6. ReQall
ReQall is like the Andrea Sachs to your inner Miranda Priestly for when you need to get sh*t done. Or for those who don't get The Devil Wears Prada reference, it's your personal assistant that knows where you are, what you have to get done, what you have coming up, and doesn't let you forget it. I can't even tell you how many times I've come home from the grocery store, feeling mighty satisfied with my purchases, only to realize I totally forgot to return my close-to-overdue book at the library right next door. It functions like any other to-do list, but it proactively brings the tasks to you at the right time. Because it's a location-aware app, ReQall knows if you're at that favorite coffee shop of yours, and will remind you to pick up that dry cleaning that's just down the street.
7. FullContact
A great contact management tool, FullContact is another Gmail plugin that takes all your contacts and syncs them with any available information for wherever you need them. It automatically updates any social media profile information and photos so you can have a full picture of who you're corresponding with for different purposes. It's not as creepy as it sounds, I promise. I mean especially because we're all so connected with so many different people, it can be easy to lose track of who's who. FullContact takes complete care of that.
See? Organization can be right at your fingertips. It's only a download away.
Images: Giphy (7); Pexels
