8 Tips on Finding the Perfect Organization Tool

Having tools that are well-suited for our needs & habits can make all the difference.

Let's get or-gan-ized! Or-gan-ized! I want to get or-gan-ized. Okay. Enough with the weird spin on Olivia Newton-John's spandex-filled song. :P I find that my productivity is directly linked with the tools I'm using to keep track of tasks, meeting dates, notes, & goals. The better tools I have, the more productive I am. Simple! I currently use Trello for all of my to do lists & goals for Babe Crafted and my PR clients, but for appointments I use a Google calendar. My needs change all the time, so I try to stay tuned in with what's working & what's not so I can keep organized. What are you using to keep track of all that needs to be done? I asked for tips & app recommendations in a few Facebook groups, including Babe Crafted, Creative Lady Collective, & The Rising Tide Society. Here's feedback from 8 awesome ladies. Get organized & stay boss. xx

-G

PHOTO BY AILYN LATORRE PHOTOGRAPHY

Andrea Layne | The Creative Spring // IG

“I use Trello. It’s a free application that you can access on the web and on your mobile devices. The way I use it for to do lists is I set up a weekly board that has cards for each day. Then I add high level tasks to each day labeling them for a.m. or p.m. Then if I need subtasks, I create checklists on the cards. And if I don’t get to something in a particular time block, I can easily move it by dragging it to another day. For me, I love seeing my tasks laid out visually like this.”

Tampa, FL

Angela Greco | Adventure Education for Women // IG

“I use the Best Self Journal! I love it because it combines all of the productivity prompts one needs for each day-- time blocking, gratefulness, lessons learned, etc.”

Scranton, PA

Amy Braswell | PaperFinch Design // IG

“I freaking LOVE Wunderlist! I love how you can share tasks and upload pictures. So, for example, I can show my husband EXACTLY which brand of peanut butter to buy. Ha ha! And I use it to keep a running list of everything from what movies to watch to great ideas for new designs. It's the BEST.”

St. Pete, FL

Eléna Potter | Eléna Potter // IG

“I use TeuxDeux and would be completely lost without it. I looooove it. It's so simple, no bells and whistles. I'm very right-brained (and my workflow reflects that) and I think it's perfect for that kind of person. Every other app or method I tried was never intuitive for me at all. It's perfect for to do lists! Not as great at appointments, but I just write them in as a line item – so a combination of doing those things makes it perfect for at a glance, everything you have to do today/tomorrow/the rest of the week, whether that be show up for a meeting or send a file to a client. And really well designed to shuffle those things around as you look at your week and figure out what days you're going to work on which things.”

Chicago, IL

Jessica Deickhaus | Forever Treasured Photography // IG 

“I use Wunderlist. It's an amazing free app. I love the ease of use and capability for mobile and desktop usage. I can add deadlines, share tasks, and create shopping lists. It's a great tool.”

Tampa, FL

Jessica Spivey | Tampa Mom Runs // IG

“I love that I create my planner with Bullet Journaling! If I need an extra page, no worries. I’m not stuck to a predetermined calendar set up. My biggest tip is don’t stress. If you’ve viewed videos on YouTube on how to Bullet Journal, don't compare yours to others-- it doesn’t have to be that pretty or perfect! It’s yours-- make it what you need it to be!”

Tampa, FL

Karen Avila | I'm Karen Avila // IG

“I found I'm more productive when I use Trello along with my printable planners (I create and sell my own) . It's just that I function so much better when I write things down. I start by determining my goals for the month, and I break them down into smaller goals, and those into steps. I do all this in my planner. Then, for each day I take 2 to 3 of the steps. And, if any of these steps are related to client work, content creation, or product creation, then I use Trello where I've set up my workflows for those types of tasks.”

Guadalajara, Mexico

Sarah Schulweis | Anchor & Orbit Consulting // IG

"I love the control I have from manipulating a Google spreadsheet. I believe that most jobs and business owners are successful by the way that they understand and learn what they do. By building a spreadsheet, I can customize it for myself and my clients in a way that works perfectly with their brains and learning style. I am not limited by the capabilities of the software, and even if we decide to move to more automation or an app, we will understand fully what works best for the business owner and their business."

Oakland, CA