Nobody likes to waste time on unnecessary things, that’s pretty obvious. But something that surely everyone likes is to save time on necessary things.
Juggling a hectic work life with many things to keep track of, at the same time, is not always easy. When you complain that you are stressed, some people answer with “Yes, but you have as many hours a day as Elon Musk”. That may be true, of course, but Mr Musk probably has a whole team of knowledgeable people around him who help him with whatever he may need. Unfortunately, the common man does not have that opportunity. But this is where our dear mobiles step onto the stage. There are in fact many apps that can help you manage and structure your work day, in order to save valuable time. Here are my 5 favourite apps to save time.
1. Microsoft To Do
For those of you who previously loved Wunderlist, this will come as a gift from above. Microsoft bought the company behind Wunderlist some time ago and has created its successor to the throne, based on Wunderlist’s features.
In addition to being able to manage your lists in all forms, you can ensure that you maintain focus and efficiency with the My Day function, which gives you a personal daily planner. You can also sync tasks between To Do and Outlook. With everything gathered, in an easy-to-use interface, you can save a lot of valuable time in your work day.
2. Waze
Getting stuck in traffic jams can be one of the most un-sexiest things there is. To crawl forward at 5 km/h and see row after row of red lights from the cars in front of you while the clock is ticking by. For those of you who are tired of the home office and take the car into the real office, deliver goods or go on physical meetings, traffic can be a real time thief in the work day.
This is where Waze steps in and can become your new best friend. The app gives you real-time information about what’s happening on the roads, information that is kept up to date by Waze users sharing how traffic flows. In the app, you can report things like traffic accidents, traffic jams and police speed controls. It gives you suggestions for the fastest route depending on the day and time of day, while at the same time it gives you suggestions for alternative routes if something should happen on the way. And as the app has increased in popularity, the information becomes even more accurate.
3. 1Password
Idag blir det allt mer viktigt att ha säkra lösenord på alla sina inlogg, samtidigt som vi har allt fler applikationer och system att faktiskt komma ihåg våra lösenord till. 1Password hjälper dig att komma ihåg dina lösenord och skyddar dem bakom ett enda lösenord. 1Password kan även hjälpa dig att generera nya starka lösenord till dina olika applikationer.
4 Microsoft Office Lens
Microsoft continues to take its place on the list of time-saving apps. Instead of looking for an old dusty copy machine to make copies or taking blurred images from a whiteboard and then printing them, Office lens can save you a lot of time and hassle.
Office lens turns your phone into a scanner where it cuts and enhances images to increase readability. You can even use Office lens to convert your images to PDFs or word documents that you can edit. How clever!
5. 24me
Not everyone can afford a personal assistant. Then 24me is the second best option. The app has an interface that is very easy to use and collects everything from calendars, tasks, personal accounts and notes. And unlike a physical personal assistant, the app is completely free.
These were my five favourites, but there are a plethora of other apps that can help yomanage and streamline your workday. Work smarter, not harder.