There has been a huge surge in apps designed to help improve our lives and get us better results. If you’re like me, and always looking for an edge then you will have already tried a few.
The desire to improve our lives means automating and simplifying as many of the tasks we have to do as possible, from scheduling meetings to setting goals and tracking them.
If we could all systemize many elements of our lives it would free up more time to focus on being productive where we can make the biggest impact, rather than being swamped with daily tasks that make a little impact on our bigger goals.
The first thing I did was write a list of everything that I would like to have automated, or at least to minimize the quantity of brain energy on as possible, if we don’t do this then we end up using all of our brain data on the wrong things.
My list looked something like this:
- Automate invoicing clients
- Have workouts planned and scheduled a week in advance
- Have dinner and ingredients organized
- Weather reports
- Note-taking
It was a lot longer than this!
I will now tell you which apps will help you improve your effectiveness in these areas!
Invoices
When running a business it can be very time consuming to chase clients looking for payment, and unfortunately, it’s something most small businesses will experience at some point.
The largest problem is the amount of time you waste while emailing and calling clients, but there is another issue that is equally as disturbing. The client has paid you to be an expert and supply services, when you start chasing them for money, the relationship quickly changes.
I now make it clear upfront to every client exactly how payment works and what I expect from them. I then make it clear that late payments will incur penalties.
To ensure this never happens, I automate the entire process using a payment system that will take a direct debit and send an invoice to the client. There are a lot of available solutions, but I found the following to work well.
- Direct debit setup with Stripe
- Xero accounting software
The exact setup you chose should meet your requirements, but this works well for me.
Workout planned in advance
There is nothing more important than health. And to maintain it, you should be exercising regularly, no excuses!
There are many online trainers selling workout programs, but you don’t need that for general health and fitness, just make sure you exercise 4x each week to get your heart rate up. If you’re looking to either lose weight or build strength then you will need a program.
I am a qualified trainer, and currently in the process of setting up an online training program, which I believe will be one of the best for people looking to lose weight and get toned. I will tell you more about this shortly!
Dinner organised
If you’re single and live alone then you probably find it difficult to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
I’m also in this category, and unless you can afford a person chief then you had better learn to plan your meals. I recommend using Hello Fresh!
The service is where all of the ingredients and a recipe arrive at your door weekly, all you have to do is follow the instructions and make a healthy meal. This is a great solution for anyone who is very busy and still wants to maintain a healthy diet.
They also have options for vegetarians.
Weather reports
Getting outside in the fresh air and exercising is great for health.
Unfortunately, in some places like here in Scotland, it’s almost impossible to know what the weather will be a minute to minute. I found a great app that resolves this, meaning anytime you’re about to go for a walk you can quickly check what’s going on outside.
The app is called Dark Sky.
Note-taking app
Noting down ideas is important to make sure you don’t forget them.
I daily have important things to remember. I carry a small notepad with me most of the time, and that’s great for something which isn’t specific to a project you’re working on. But when it’s a project related I always use Evernote whenever possible.
With Evernote you can easily add important information directly into a project, ready for when you get back to the computer. It’s an excellent tool for keeping on top of everything.
It also has great features, like giving access to other people on a certain project. So everyone can contribute anytime.
