… and how digital tools can help.
As a young person I could not function without a to do list, sometimes multiple lists. Shopping, packing for a trip, buying things for an event – lists were vital for organising anything. Now I am a learning technologist and I use a lot of online platforms and tools – my paper lists have been replaced by digital ones.
I run two calendars, one for work and a master one for work and home together. The master calendar is on all my devices so I always know what I’m doing and when. The great thing about a calendar is the visual image of how my time is divided up and colour coding tells me at a glance that I need to do something for work or home.
My other to do list is my email inbox. I know what you are thinking, but it is possible to get your inbox down to zero, by forming good habits and deleting and filing consistently. Easy to say and not so easy to do. But once I had achieved a zero inbox, it became a force of habit to keep it clear except for any actions I need to take.
Shopping lists are all taken care of by Alexa. If I think of something we need, I’ll tell Alexa whether I’m in the kitchen or the office. When I go shopping the list is all ready for me on my phone. And if I need any other kind of list Alexa can set one up for me – I just need to tell her what I want and she makes a note of it.
I have one more list maker I love – Google Keep. I can save links, Christmas card lists and ideas for a party. And I can cross them off when they are done which is very satisfying. There are plenty of apps for making lists but these are my favourites. What are yours?
