Using Technology to Organize Life

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Today is a special day! Ferly from Gifts We Use and I are trading places! I recently got the chance to meet Ferly IRL  (in real life) and let me tell you, she is amazing!  We discussed our reasons for blogging and our desire to help others through our blogs.  We shared stories of our careers and roles as a wife and mom.  So, I introduce to you, (drumroll….) Ferly!

I am a planner and organizer to my core, and calendars and Day Planners used to send my heart racing! Because of that, I have tried any and all systems of organization. I used academic calendars while in school, day planners once I got a job, Palm Pilots {remember those?}, and more. The responsibility I got, the more I realized that I needed a system of organization that could keep up with me.

It wasn’t until I got my smart phone that technology finally managed to bring my planning and organizing where I needed it. I will share my techy organizing must haves and hope to inspire you to take full advantage of your smart phone once and for all!

Calendars

This is an obvious must have, but I use my techy calendar to its full capacity by creating multiple calendars. I have a calendar for birthdays and holidays, one for each person in my family, our expenses and pay days, and even one for my daily “routine” at home, and each calendar has its own color code to set it apart.

Creating separate calendars allows me to filter what I want to see on a larger scale so I have a better idea of how busy we really are. Often in families, what goes on one person’s schedule likely affects at least one other person’s calendar as well. Seeing it all {or seeing only a few} makes for simpler planning.

Task List

Like my calendars, I create multiple task lists on my smart phone to keep track of things like shopping lists, chores, priority to dos for the day, and weekly goals. Having my shopping list on my phone is convenient because I can cross off and put items back onto my list with ease. Listing my weekly chores reminds me what needs to be done each day without cluttering my calendar.

Contacts

My hubby and I share most of the same contacts since we keep in touch with most of the same friends and family members, so I have been designated the contact keeper and have my own contact group {see a theme happening here?}, and the hubster keeps his own separate contact group for work associates and clients. The trick to keeping contacts is having one central hub of information and one keeper of information so that contacts are always up to date and never duplicated. Having them synchronized is what makes this possible.

Synchronization

We sync our information {calendars, reminders and contacts} using iCloud because we all have Apple devices. This is the techy magic that makes everything work. If I update my brother’s email on my phone, my hubby gets the update and can contact him without even realizing it ever changed. If the hubby makes a change to his schedule during the week on his phone, I can see the change as soon as it happens on my phone and can plan accordingly. If you haven’t taken advantage of sync or cloud technology, do it! It will change your life for the better!

If you don’t have a smart phone…

Many of the apps available on smart phones are also available through websites without the need for a smart phone. Some of the more popular ones are Google Calendar {calendar only} and Cozi Family Organizer {calendar, tasks, meals and more}. Each makes these important must haves available to every member of the family when they need it.

Are You Ready to Dive In?

Have you been timid in the technology department, but desperate to get your family life in order? Are you wondering what else you can do with that fancy new smart phone you just got? Ask around, dive in, and play with technology! Find out what you’ve been missing!

All the must haves above are no different than any other organizers must haves, it’s how I use them that makes the biggest difference. Taking the time to figure out our needs and finding creative solutions to meet those needs is what makes me and technology a winning organizing pair. Having the courage to play around and ask questions helps a ton too! Don’t be afraid to ask a techy person {me!} how they do what they do. I would be more than happy to share, in fact, it’s one of the reasons I blog! Visit Gifts We Use and ask me your techy questions!

Ferly is a wife, mom and blogger on a journey to a clutter free house and life. She blogs at Gifts We Use {to grow, love and serve} about organizing, technology, family life and blogging hoping to inspire you to use our gifts to grow, love and serve your loved ones.

Please join me in giving Ferly a warm, island welcome.  Also, be sure to check out her blog, where I am hanging out today.  Have a wonderful day!