One of the most often-used verbs when we talk about our busy lives is “juggling.” We juggle our job with family life, commitments, work …. And how do we manage to keep everything straight and have time to do it all without sacrificing sleep, a bit of downtime or sanity? Enter the wonderful world of technology and apps that recognize this problem and offer some real solutions.
For Finishing Your To-Do List
- Things (for Macs/iPads/iPhones). This is a paid app, but can help you actually get things done by breaking tasks down into manageable smaller chunks. Put in everything you need to do, whether it’s a one-time project or a weekly chore, and Things will set a daily checklist for you to get them done. You can add time limits and specify categories or larger projects to organize. It syncs across all of your Apple devices, an added bonus.
For Avoiding Digital Distractions
- RescueTime (for Mac/PC). Either free or $6/month, RescueTime helps you figure out just how (in)effectively you use your time when on your desktop computer or laptop, using a timer to tally how long you actually spend on each site, from reading a research article to getting sucked into Twitter. It puts together tables and graphs so you can easily see how you use your time. The paid version also can block your biggest time-suck sites, which you can control.
For Managing Your Calendar
- CalenGoo (Android). For a mere $6 you can use this app to sync your Android and Google Calendar with multiple calendars and schedules (e.g., your family members, a work team) so everyone can add entries…and reminders in the form of a pop-up, text or email to remind you of what’s coming up. It also has a Google Tasks
For Managing Your Business
- Freckle (Web). Whether you work as a web designer, have a small business or work for yourself, Freckle allows you to get the most out of each workday. Put in the specifics of how you and your employees account for working hours (projects, meetings, etc.), and Freckle will put together breakdowns for each person’s time and budget, a summary of billable and unbillable hours, and graphs of individual activity. It helps you keep track of time and use it to your best advantage, doing the managing for you for only $19/month.
For Inspiration
- Mindnode (Mac/iPad). If you’ve never heard of mind-mapping, use this site to learn…and benefit. It consists of brainstorming new ideas and putting together a colorful map that may remind you of a New York subway map. Our brain doesn’t work linearly; mapping this way allows us to make note of connections and come up with new ideas. Start with the end goal and add on to it connections, notes, breakdowns of how to get lesser parts done. The Mac version allows you to add images and documents onto your map as well. $20 for Mac, $10 for iPad.
For Time Management
Most of us have trouble with this one — we all think everyone else has it under control, but it’s because they have systems in place that work for them. Some of these may work for you…and they’re all free.
- Remember the Milk — For the person who needs to keep track of tasks and uses multiple devices.
- Rescue Time — Want to know how much time you really waste and on what sites? See which sites suck away most of your time.
- Dropbox — For sharing and accessing files from anywhere, easy to use.
- Toggl — Toggl replaces timesheets, helping you track time on specific projects and tasks. It can even help you manage them more efficiently.
- Evernote — Its tagline, “Remember everything,” covers it. Keep ideas and images organized using voice, typed notes or images. You can also record (think: important meetings, interviews, speeches, etc.) and share files. And it can sync with Remember the Milk!
- Focus booster — An app that uses the Pomodoro technique, helpful to the procrastinators who don’t do well with multiple tasks, it helps enhance focus and cut down on anxiety.
- Mind42 — A free version of Mindnode, also focusing on mind-mapping.
- Syncback Freeware — Software that lets you easily synchronize, back up, and restore your files. If you use no other tool in this list, use this one.
- FullContact Card Reader — Instead of letting those business cards clutter your wallet or get lost, FullContact lets you easily scan the cards and save them in one place. (Especially helpful for those who used to use CardMunch, which no longer exists.)
- Universal Password Manager — If you have multiple passwords and can’t keep them straight, use this system which allows you to store all of yours in an encrypted database. Just don’t forget the master password to get in.
- Pocket — Instead of getting distracted by that article you found or an intriguing website, save it for later using Pocket. It’s like a bookmark app that goes with you.
- Focus@will — If you find yourself getting constantly distracted while working, studying or reading, Focus@will uses neuroscience and music to significantly boost your focus.
- Launchy — Launchy lets you launch your documents, folders, files and bookmarks from one platform rather than scrolling through the Start menu.
See what works for you and get yourself a little more organized…and much less stressed.
If you’re looking for help organizing your job search, reach out to our experienced recruiting team at Medical Professionals for more tips and to partner with a recruiter today!
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