Is there an app for that?
Have you wasted precious minutes or hours looking for an app that will help you in your personal or work life? Whether it be for scheduling, making reservations, booking vacations, exercise videos or sleepy-time meditation, there is an app.
Our phones and devices hold a lot of power, and they very rarely leave our sides, much less our sight. And, this is an okay thing if you aren’t abusing your time spent in front of a screen when you could be doing something useful or productive that is part of meeting the goals you have set for yourself.
What I am trying to say is hours spent on TikTok is not productive or helpful for the most part.
On a side note, my daughter recently sent a picture of herself with peanut butter smeared on tinfoil attached to her forehead. Apparently, her dog allows her to clip his nails while being distracted by the peanut butter. This was a “life-hack” she learned while wasting time on said app.
Back to the purpose of this column – apps that help the busy, modern woman. The first app that has personally made a humongous difference in my life (mostly because I have kids) is Insight Timer. This app has thousands of guided meditations, stories and sleep sounds. I use this app daily with my children to avoid the run-around of wasted time at night. Within 18 minutes, my youngest is asleep, and my 12-year-old is quickly behind him. The time saved that allows me to return to my own quiet, productive time is priceless.
Are you a reader who no longer has time to read or isn’t in the car long enough to listen to a full book? Have you tried Blinkist? Blinkist brings you business books, novels, and nonfiction all wrapped up like Cliffs Notes. Its format condenses lengthy books into 15-minute reads. You can find just about any topic that intrigues you.
Trying to plan a vacation? Have you heard of Hopper? Yes, Hopper, just like a rabbit. Hopper doesn’t work in the sense of Expedia or Hotwire. You plug in your future dates of travel, and it not only looks for the best deals, but it also suggests days that may be better to book on with better priced packages.
How is your time management? Try Todoist. We all wish there were more hours in the day, and sometimes spare time is spent organizing what should be done within that spare time.
Todoist is simple and is a great time-management tool. If you like lists, this app is for you. All your tasks are organized into a to-do list format.
If you are a team leader or an administrative assistant, scheduling meetings is a constant nightmare. Use Doodle. Rather than trying to send and track responses to emails from people who are sharing their dates and times that work, just send out a simple poll on Doodle.
The requested audience will fill it in, and you will quickly be able to visualize what date and time works the best for the largest number of people.
For some technology is a waste of time and using it leads to stress and frustration. If that describes you, I highly suggest trying an app that be of use to you and using it until you know it inside and out. Then move on to another and learn it. Technology truly can be magical and can be used to help in many aspects of your life, personal and career.