Staying organized is kind of my jam and what runs my daily life. I get pretty anxious when I don’t have things written down, a plan in place or a schedule to work off of.
And quite frankly, I would never remember anything important if I didn’t have it jotted down somewhere.
Though I love putting a pen to paper, I really rely on my phone for holding all my important info I need to often refer back to.
I’ve tested and tried so many organization, planner and calendar apps and I’ve come to love a few in particular.
These are what work best for me for keeping track of my life, and I’m always down for trying new ones that’ll have a positive effect on my life and/or routine.
Keep in mind that I have an Android so not all these apps may be the same for iPhone users (like the handy widgets!) but I’m sure their use is still great.
Best Apps For Organization & Productivity
Google Keep
My favorite notes app there is! I have so many notes tucked inside this little app, and being part of the Google Suite is wonderful for access from multiple devices.
I use the widget for this app on a daily basis for my grocery list, to buy list, reminders and dinner ideas that I can easily take a glance at right from my home screen. You can also collab on notes with other people (like your spouse) for both having access to notes like your grocery list.
I keep my other notes in the archives in order to hide them from showing up in the widget. I have notes for wedding planning, gift ideas, important info, movies I want to watch, and even just a things to remember note for the little random things I come across in life that maybe don’t quite need their own full note (campsites we drive by that look cool, a drink recipe I loved, your license plate for when you need to pay for parking, etc.)
Bright Todo
Now I believe this is an Android only app, but I love this widget! It’s the most aesthetically pleasing to be on my home screen (second page obviously, I’m not an animal) and the fact that you can check things off on the widget without actually opening the app is my fave.
This app allows you to set daily, weekly or monthly to-dos, categorize them (color coded) in checkbox format and it integrates with your calendar which is so so nice.
Definitely my favorite to do list app that allows me to plan my days out before hand and know what I need to get done that day.
Download: Android
Another great to do list app available for iPhone: Wunderlist
Google Photos
Hands down the best for organizing and keeping all your photos in one place. I have my phone set up that whenever I take a picture, it automatically uploads to my Google Photos account as long as I have Internet.
This way you can free up the storage on your phone, but not lose any of your priceless photos and videos.
And once again because it’s apart of the google suite, you can login to your account on any device and have access to your photos. You can organize into albums (& it does it for you!), create videos and animations, and it’s just hands down the best photo organizing app.
Work Log
If you have any type of hourly job, I highly recommend always keeping track of your hours (especially if you don’t have a consistent schedule!)
I used this app in the summer when I was working labour, as our hours would change sometimes depending on the weather and I wanted to make sure my pay stubs were accurate.
Always read through your pay stub and make sure you’re getting paid for the right amount of hours! Rely on yourself to keep track of your hours, not just your employer (because sometimes they’ll mess up!)
This app is super basic for tracking your hours and can be done super quick with one tap.
Download: Android
Similar iPhone App: Work Log- Time Sheet
Timely
Not really for organization, but we all need an alarm clock right!? If waking up is not your forte, then this alarm clock app can be super beneficial to you, even if you’re not a morning person.
It allows you to set your alarm for just certain days (like weekdays) and has Smart Rise, which starts at a very faint volume to help lull you out of sleep.
It has the option to make you answer a challenging math question before being allowed to turn off the alarm (which will definitely get your brain going in the morning and your butt out of bed!)
And don’t worry, it also has a timer and stopwatch which sometimes come in handy.
Not to mention it’s got a super pretty widget to display your clock on your home screen!
Download: Android
Similar iPhone App: Mathe Alarm Clock
I apologize to my iPhone users if you can’t find these apps on the app store (if you can’t tell, I’m pretty partial to Android, apparently lol!) but I’ve linked some similar well rated apps from the app store!
Keeping on a schedule and having a set to do list every day really makes you feel like you have a purpose and motivates your productivity.
Sometimes our lives an be hectic and stressful, but organizing your life only helps to reduce that stress.
What tools do you use to stay organized and productive!?