Optimizing your phone

Shall we start a "Tips & Tricks" article series? All right - you're twisting my arm...let's go! ??

(after all - what better way to get a jump on Monday than to set yourself up for success before the week even ends, amiright?!?)

Today I figured it would be fun to share some of the ways I keep my life optimized.

We all have the same 24 hours as Beyonce, but it's up to us how we utilize them to squeeze the most out of work - and play.

Between the custom worksheets I create for my TUL notebook (I am proud to say that I've converted 3-4 people in the last few years to using one regularly after seeing the way I set up mine!) and my old consulting days that taught clients how to automate processes & effectively manage their time (I was dubbed the "Productivity Ninja" - I even had cute little stickers made! I also sent out Lego Ninja keychains for each of my online workshops...lol), I have come to rely on certain, um...organizational habits? to keep me in line.

Let's start our new series with my phone, since that is the central hub of my productivity.

On my Home screen, my regular apps are strategically grouped into folders. Any apps I don't use on a daily/weekly basis are kept on the second page to reduce clutter (and of course, so I can see my kiddos' & mother's lovely faces):

Each folder has a purpose: anything I use for work (travel apps, Outlook), the distellary (website, newsletter), my car (remote start, LoJack), bills, etc.

Floating freely are the main apps I use religiously: Otter, Notes, gDrive, and Reminders - and all within easy one-handed "swiping" distance (I have the big version of the iPhone so can't reach all the way over like I used to).

These apps make up the lifeblood of how I intake & manage all the new data that enters my life.

Otter.ai : I can't even tell you what a GAME CHANGER this app has been for me! Ever since I started doing 1+ hour commutes again, I have needed a place to quickly & safely "brain dump" my thoughts when an idea strikes while on the road. Previously, I would record a Voice Memo and upload it to my Dropbox for later. But in reality? It was such a chore to go back and listen to all of those that I rarely revisited the recordings to pull notes.

I am not the biggest fan of AI tools because I feel like it starts to dull your brain after too much reliance (some people can't even leave a comment on LinkedIn without using ChatGPT first - I mean, really??), and I prefer to keep mine sharp.

But for the purposes of doing what you were already going to do manually, this is the only AI tool I will allow on my phone.

Otter not only records you BUT TRANSCRIBES WHAT YOU SAY - and immediately, too. It even creates a little summary of the "meeting" and adds bullet points for an outline so you can revisit later and remember the highlights!

I can then export the text into my Google Drive (or email, etc. - there are multiple options), which allows me to edit into blog/social media posts & website copy later on, when I finally get the chance to sit at my computer.

Apple Notes

This is how I used to capture all of my ideas and lists, but when you're chewing through Houston traffic for hours on end...not really the safest way to operate, even for a rapid texter like me.

I love that I can also have "collaborative" lists with people. For instance, my boyfriend and I share a "To-Do" list so that we can add things throughout the day as we remember them, then either execute together, or discuss & delegate after we get home.

We also share a "Date Night Ideas" collaborative list of everything from "Live Music nights at Kemah" to "LoTR Marathon Weekend" to "Swanky Cocktails at Rosewater" and make notes on whether it'll be an overnight, require an Uber, etc. to better budget & plan for.

When I am sitting around and get an idea for a post, I'll jot it down inside here since it lets me visually see how my thoughts are organized and I can rework them on the spot. When I'm done, I simply copy + paste into a post or blog, add my photo, and go on with my day.

If I get hit by the good idea fairy and have multiple Notes in a row, I'll hashtag them to easily find later. You can even make folders if you'd like, but I find that the hashtag system is the most efficient way of "tagging" them for me when I'm in a rush. Less clicks and stuff since you just type # and it will give you available options at the bottom of your screen.

gDrive (short for Google Drive)

After learning the hard way many times, I try not to keep important files locally on any of my computers. Between hardware issues, laptop replacements, my kids using the ONE computer I need most...I now store all important documents in my gDrive for instant access anytime & anywhere.

Since I have a mixture of PCs, Chromebooks, and MacBooks at home (and since I also use my phone - sometimes the web version of things is just not the same as the desktop version), this allows me to keep all my files consistently stored & organized no matter what device I'm using that moment.

AND - I don't to pay for multiple annual software subscriptions. It can open up & save as a Word Doc, Excel Sheet, etc. too, so there really isn't much I can't access via this amazing free Google suite.

I have kept my personal budgeting spreadsheet on Google Sheets for close to 20 years now and can get a snapshot of when all my bills will be paid, review my forecast for the next few months, and check instantly how much wiggle room I have (and when) should I wish to make a large unplanned purchase.

Reminders

I am a BIG checklist person. Checklists make me OHHHHH so happy, you don't even know...lol.

I'm also a big "if it's not written down, it doesn't exist" kind of person, so if something is important, I HAVE to have a place to write it down - and remind me of it - or my little squirrel brain will just keep zooming off into the sunset.

I've tried dozens of free task apps over the last 15 years but they never quite met all my needs.

I finally realized that the native Apple "Reminders" app did everything I needed, and now have documenting my important tasks down to a science:

1. Name the task
2. Add guidance (if necessary) to the Notes area
3. Set a date (SO important! Otherwise it's just more digital clutter)
4. Set a TIME (equally important so you can get a reminder)
5. Is this a one-time or recurring task? Usually my tasks are one-time events, but for things like remembering to take my vitamins each day, changing the air filters in the house at their designated PM intervals, or taking out the trash on Wednesdays (and the recycle + trash on Saturdays...), I set how often the event will repeat (and it there is an end date, like if you're giving meds twice a day to your dog for 30 days)
6. I set the priority to HIGH. This allows the app to keep the little red notification dot in place even if I clear out or accidentally swipe it off my screen (this is the biggest reason why none of the other task apps worked for me. A swipe would usually "complete" that task and kick it into a black hole, and I would inevitably forget)

So...that's it! That's my phone in a nutshell!

Of course, some basic things to optimize your phone would also require you to eliminate/reduce distractions (I turn off all social media notifications, and while I have multiple emails for different purposes, I only push the most important ones to notify me in real time so I'm not constantly bombarded with interruptions from low priority emails from mailing lists. etc).

Setting up a custom "do not disturb" during work hours helps improve focus too.

And, once you no longer have 8,291 emails staring at you in the face all the time & desensitizing you to the urgency of those little red app dots, it's much easier to pay attention to the ones that, well, need yours.

Let me know if you have any questions, or would like some help to streamline your own personal system!

I geek out about helping people become more productive since it means they get to reallocate all that "found time" over to their loved ones, and who wouldn't want more quality time with our family & friends, right?

-Stell