Organizational Apps for to a Digital Workplace

My mother has always made the joke that if she was sitting around the house and doing nothing, there must be something that she is forgetting. Organizational efficiency is important for any business and we have all experienced the pitfalls of a crucial task slipping through the cracks. The feeling of regret washes over us, sending us into a dramatic shame spiral that we feel we can’t escape.

As a full-time marketer and a full-time graduate student, I have worked extremely hard to keep all the balls I am juggling in the air, with the hopes that I don’t miss something crucial. Time management and staying organized has saved my sanity and improved the way that I work and communicate with my colleagues.

My organizational journey has evolved exponentially in the past year. Before starting my career Local Wisdom, I was a chronic hand written list maker and a note taker.  I was one of the only millennials that was not buying into the process of going 100% digital. I remember how uncomfortable I felt when attending my first meeting and everyone was taking notes on their computer or phone app. Using a pen and paper gave me comfort of knowing that I thoroughly understand what is communicated and that nothing was missed when my face was buried in a keyboard.

I decided that adopting the culture at Local Wisdom would require me to try a new approach to multi-tasking. To help with this process, I researched and downloaded five organizational apps that to help me get organized.

Dragon Dictation (iOS)

Dragon Dictation iPhone app removes the typing out of hand written notes, social media posts, and email drafts. Dragon is a dictation app, and the purpose is to transliterate when the user speaks clearly and with accuracy. There are shortcuts to publishing the transcribed text through various social media channels and an email draft, but a shortcoming to this app is that Dragon Dictate doesn't archive notes within the program.

EasilyDo (iOS)

EasilyDo serves as a personal assistant. The user has the ability to link the application to a variety of online services, such as email, calendar, and social media accounts, then the app searches for tasks that it can help you complete. For example, When I received an email, EasilyDo sent a push notification asking me if I would like to add that person to my contacts. I loved how this app helped me take care of a range of tasks rapidly and proficiently.

Dropbox (iOS)

This is a personal favorite. This app is essential if you have a multitude of files all over the place. Dropbox allows you to store files on your office computer, home computer, phone, and laptop on the elusive cloud. You can access the files anywhere you have a cellular signal. Uploading is a breeze and syncing is almost instantaneous across all attached accounts.

Pushbullet (iOS)

Pushbullet is great for the Mac user who also has other operating systems in the mix, like a windows computer. To use this app, you need to download extensions to your web browser. This app lets you push links and images from one device to another with a few simple clicks. Instead of emailing yourself a link, you can send it from your computer to your phone with a simple click. An added benefit, is that the system can send different types of subscribed content and can act as an RSS reader. It is excellent for people who want to move a file from a computer to their phones with ease.

 Evernote (iOS)

Evernote is a note taking without all the extra frills. Evernote surpasses competitors due to robust search feature and the ease of organizing information. This app has received a stamp of approval from me because it syncs all files on a cloud service. Using a cloud service means that when you make a change to a document on your phone, the modifications will be visible when you log into another version of Evernote.

Going digital is still somewhat of an adjustment for me.  There is still something satisfying about crossing a task off of a list of to-do's. Part of growing in my professional career, is learning to adapt to my surroundings, and I am thankful that I decided to give these apps a shot. They have improved my efficiency and saved a couple of trees in the process.

Have you tried any of these apps or have I missed an app that you love? Comment below. I can't wait to hear what you think!

-Nikole

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