6 Essential Tools to Keep Your Life Organized

Creating an organized life, and maintaining it, isn't as hard as you might think. Of course, you need time to plan and some additional time to set it all up. However, once you've got the following six tools in place, you will feel more focused and in control of your life and your time.

Paper Planner

Even in the age of digital organization, a paper planner has a place in your organizational tool chest. It doesn't have to be big and bulky or expensive. Your paper planner will include tasks and items that you want to keep a close eye on throughout the day. You can also use it for making notes and lists.

Online Calendar

You will need an online calendar in addition to your paper planner. This handy tool will be with you everywhere your phone goes. Also, it has the added benefit of being able to give you alerts for meetings and scheduled tasks.

Evernote

This handy tool is free, but there is also has a paid option that provides more functionality. For most people, however, the free version is enough to meet their needs. You can use Evernote to clip whole web pages and URLs. You can use it to create notebooks and share information. You can also use it to generate draft documents and add pdf files. It is an online tool, but also has apps for smart devices. That capability will allow you to sync your notebooks across all your devices. You'll always be able to access your information no matter whether you are using your phone, tablet, or computer.

Financial Planner

If you're using a paper journal, then you may decide to create a financial planner within it. If not, then you need to create a dedicated financial planner in which to record your finances. You will want to include your income, expenses, and savings. You can keep track of bills due with a monthly bill payment calendar. Doing that will ensure that you never miss making a payment. If you don't want to use a paper planner for your finances, then there are many financial planning and management apps available online. One such tool is Good Budget which is a free app for iPhone and Android.

To-Do List

Your to-do list is going to be an essential tool to keep your life on track. It can keep your day running smoothly. Also, you will feel perfectly organized. Paper lists are great since you can carry them with you or display them where you can't miss them. There are also plenty of to-do list apps that can help you create, monitor and organize your lists. For suggestions from an article entitled "The 40 Best To-Do List Apps in 2018" click here.

My Fitness Pal

A health and fitness tracker can help you track your exercise as well as your diet. My Fitness Pal is a favorite free online tool with Android and iPhone apps. It contains a vast food database for tracking what you eat. And you can create a personalized diet profile.

These are just a few of the many tools and apps that are available online to help you be more organized and productive. Pick the ones that work best for you and your work style. The point is not to get overwhelmed with the apps but to save time and feel more productive.

Kitty Boitnott, Ph.D., NBCT, RScP is a professional Career Transition and Job Search Coach. While she specializes in working with burnt-out teachers who are looking for career alternatives, she also works with mid-career professionals who are bored or burnt-out and looking at their career options. She wants everyone to feel that the work he or she is doing is fulfilling and satisfying on a personal level as well as a professional one.

To learn more about Kitty's work, take a look at https://teachersintransition.com. She also maintains a blog at https://teachersindistress.com. Feel free to reach out to her for more information through LinkedIn..

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