You’re busy, constantly juggling your many roles and tasks, from running a business to running a household. Staying on top of everything is challenging even for the most organized people. Using the rights tools and resources at your disposal can assist you where you might be lacking, and believe it or not, there are apps out there that can help.
Even the right combination of calendar and project and task manager can put organizational power into your hands to make your work — and your life — flow more smoothly. Take a look at what you’re using right now for managing your schedule and the things you need to do on any given day. Here are a few web-based and mobile applications that can increase your productivity and help you better manage your time.
Calendar Apps
Google Calendar is a free calendaring system that comes with your Google account and integrates easily with Gmail, Google Drive and other Google applications. You can add entries to your calendar from the web or your phone, share your calendar with others with different permission levels, and access your calendar offline. You can also sync it with iCal and Microsoft Outlook, if needed.
Cal - This iPhone and Android app presents your calendar in a clear, daily view. You can easily invite others to scheduled events because Cal integrates with the contacts on your phone plus integrates with maps and social media. This calendar app integrates with the task manager Any.do.
Timeful is an iPhone application (Android app pending at press time) that pulls in your calendar and To Do lists plus adds habits you’d like to develop, then helps you find time for them on your calendar. The concept behind this app is if it is on your actual schedule, you’ll be more likely to get it done than just making lists of things to do.
Task Management Apps
Maybe you love the satisfaction of checking off items on a To-Do list or maybe you just need a friendly reminder to take care of certain chores. These tools can help you manage your checklist at home or on the go.
Any.do - Available for Android, iPhone, Chrome and Web, this task manager has a simple, clean design to plan your day. Includes reminders and integrates with Cal, a calendaring app.
Toodledo helps you manage your to-do list, take notes, organize ideas into outlines and set alarms (on your iPhone, on Twitter or on your desktop) to remember to get things done. You can share projects for collaborating on tasks and projects with others. Toodledo links with many different applications, both mobile and desktop, so you can access your task list from anywhere.
ToDoist is a to-do list and task manager, supports collaboration and integrates with a number of different applications including Gmail and Outlook, different browsers including Chrome and Firefox, and is also available for Mac, Windows, Android and iOS devices.
Remember the Milk is one of the older task management applications and is available for Gmail, Google calendar, Outlook, Twitter, Evernote and as an iOS app, Android app or BlackBerry app. Share tasks, manage them offline, and get reminders via email, SMS or IM.
With so many free and affordable applications available to help you keep on top of things, there's no reason for anything important to slip through the cracks. Look at the software you’re currently using before adopting anything new. Make sure any new tool you’d like to try either integrates with what you currently use or improves upon your current tools. Also be prepared to invest the time it takes to adopt a new tool or application so you can actually improve how you’re getting things done. Here’s to better juggling - with the right tools!