@emmamatthews
“Good organization is not about changing your personality, just your habits.” ~ unknown
As we embark on our journey as full-time bloggers and begin to scale and grow The Sister Project, we have come to realize one very important thing. The only way this thing has a fighting chance to succeed (as in we don’t have to go out and find jobs), is for us to get more organized than we have ever been since The Sister Project was born, otherwise we are just spinning our wheels.
We are honing our process over here as we are hyperfocused on how TSP is going to function. So far the result is promising. Together, we have found some great free tools to helps us along the way and have implemented many. The ones we use today are the tools that stood the test of time because we are seeing the progress.
The beauty in all this is that the tools and apps we have implemented are not only for folks in the creative entrepreneur space, these incredible resources and platforms can also be utilized by anyone who has several balls in the air (which is everyone) and is interested in a way to streamline their own life.
The one thing we all really seem to have in common is unrelenting schedules and responsibilities of epic proportion.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, some time management tools can only enhance what you’ve got goin on.
Ultimately, the more organized we are on the front end can only mean one thing. A full days effort filled with checked boxes ends with less stress and more time for a little more hygge.
Here is our list of the tools we use for the blog and our personal lives that have helped us make such progress–we simply must share:
Things we like about Focus Keeper
Focus Keeper is more than a timer, it is your very own time manager and it keeps you on task while you take down your list.
- This productivity/timer app runs off the Pomodoro Technique. In a nutshell, the timer has four, twenty-five-minute work sessions with small breaks in between. The breaks get incrementally longer as each session passes.
- If you would prefer to customize your own timed work sessions you can do that too!
- This timing technique creates a sense of urgency with breaks made for a brain reboot. Focus Keeper is an astounding tool to have, especially for someone with ADHD who might struggle with time management (with both hyper-focus and lack of focus).
Things we like about Trello
It doesn’t matter if you are planning your next big adventure or are a working-mom-turned-blogger like me, Trello is the answer to your planning needs.
- This board/card app allows you and/or your team to stay more organized, prioritize, and execute with ease, all while having fun while you do it. Trello is more like a Pinterest board for your projects.
- You can add due dates, share comments, and move cards as they are completed or are ready for the next set of eyes.
Things we like about Voxer
Think modern-day walkie-talkie with a note-taking twist.
- This communication app enables you to send recorded messages to a person or thread. You just press the button (it even makes the walkie-talkie sound) and talk away!
- This is a great place to store mental notes, long thoughts, or lists until you are able to manage them later. Record them in Voxer and never forget anything again!
Things we like about Google Keep
The virtual post-it note keeper that almost has the real post-it note feel.
- There are simply not enough places to keep track of things and this spot is the best for book lists, personal things, and whatever else you deem list-worthy.
- Haven’t you ever found yourself in a conversation with someone who tells you about three new shows to binge on Netflix or book titles to add to your already growing stack? This is the perfect app for remembering them!
- Its interface is simplistic and the option to create colored notes with bulleted items to cross off when completed is oh so satisfying.
Things we like about Canva
These digital times call for beautiful designs and documents made by you! Whether you are room mom in Little Susie’s classroom or a realtor slinging hygge homes, go ahead and double-click on this app.
- Canva is a design tool with endless photo and style options so you can create professional graphics for anything from social media images and photo collages to Invitations and beyond.
- Canva is free unless you really want to take your game to the next level with Canva Pro and get a monthly subscription for extra snazzy perks (like a spot to store all of your branding materials and logos).
I hope this list of tools puts a little pep in your step and, by all means, share what YOU use to keep the wheels on your bus.
xo,
Michelle
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