iPhone Productivity Apps - Organize Yourself

I don't like have a dozen apps when I could use one to get the same job done.  When trying to organize my personal and work life, I am looking for four main functions; a to-do list view, a calender view, a quick note option and a journal.  I tried a bunch of other apps that seemed to work well enough but a couple of months ago I spent $3.99 on Awesome Note (+Todo) by BRID.  Since then, I've been able to delete several other application that did their job just fine but cluttered up my iPhone.  There is a lite version as well if you want to see if the user interface works for you before shelling out the cash.  It definitely has nice graphics and is very easy to use.

 

Awesome Note (+Todo) by BRID

What I like the most about Awesome Note is that you can set up different folders for your personal life and work life.  My folders are set up with a to-do list for work, a folder with all my accounts and their information, a personal to-do list, a daily journal, a shopping list, a list for my ideas, a folder for my band, a folder for lyrics and a folder for quick notes.  You can put a password lock on any folder and change the color of the tabs, the icons, the background for the notes inside the folder and the font.

 There is a calender view for each folder individually or for all of your folders at the same time.  You can set due dates, change creation dates, color code everything and sync with google docs or evernote.  This is my number one organizational tool on my iPhone right now.  I got rid of all my other note taking apps with the exception of Evernote, which I sync with Awesome Note and frequently use the PC software on my computer.  I got rid of all my journal apps, with the exception of a dream journal app called DreamLoggr because I like the interface and have hundreds of dreams logged in it already.

Another application that I've started using to organize my contacts is called Groups 2: Contact Management with Style by Guided Ways Technologies Ltd.  It is an intuitive way to organize your phone numbers, emails and physical addressing and other contact information stored in your phone.  The user interface and graphics are good and work similar to Awesome Note, even though this app is made by a competitor who has a great app called 2Do: A Stunning To Do List with Push and Sync that would be worth checking out if you don't like Awesome Note.

Groups 2: Contact Management with Style -

by Guided Ways Technologies Ltd

In Groups 2, I have split up my 400+ phone numbers, emails, addresses, etc. into several folders.  Once again I've separated my personal life from my work life.  One great thing is that you can add any contact to any folder, so someone you work with that is also a friend can be under two different groups.  There are also Smart Groups in this app which allow you to use filters to create a group, but I don't use them.  You can send group emails and the developer claims that when the new iPhone OS comes out, you will be able to send group SMS messages as well.  Groups 2 can sync with your contacts on the iPhone, in Yahoo, Google and other places.  At $2.99 I found it to be well worth the price.

 The last app I want to mention is called Mint.com.  Mint is software used for online money management and budgeting.  Organizing your financial life can relieve a lot of daily stress and Mint does a great job of bringing all your accounts into the same place and showing you the data in an easy to understand way.  The user interface looks good and is easy to navigate.  I had some trouble adding my bank when I first signed up but their tech support was very helpful and in less than a week they solved the problem.

 Mint.com Personal Finance by Mint.com

Mint.com lets you set a monthly budget and track your expenses and income.  It also lets you look at your bank account, credit cards, loans, investments and all of your transactions.  Mint.com will warn you if you go over budget or get a late fee on a credit card.  The website is very helpful and can show you exactly where you money is going.  Mint is free so it's worth checking out if you want a digital way to keep track of all these things.  I do still keep a checkbook but now I can easily look at how much I spend on food, entertainment or my car each month.

If you want to move files across different computers and to your phone, check out Dropbox.  Its very easy to use and makes transferring files a cinch.  One of the best parts about it is that you can drop your files from your computer into that computers Dropbox and hit the road while they are transfering, when they are done they will show up on your iPhone and every other computer that you have Dropbox linked to.  That means you don't have to find and plug in your cable and wait to sync your iPhone.

Awesome Note and Groups 2 make a great organizational combo and Mint.com is a great way to organize your finances.  I would highly recommend all of them.  Even though there are other apps in the appstore that do pretty much the same thing, these apps have good graphics and are easy to use.  If you are working with an app on a daily basis, you definitely want it to look good.  One thing that Awesome Note lacks is a voice recording function.  Groups 2 doesn't seem to have voicemail access and when you make a call it opens the regular iPhone "Phone" application.  Mint.com can sometimes be slow to update so it can't be used as a live look at your bank accounts.  Other than those minor problems, these apps are well worth it.