The right app can help you save time and increase efficiency; Stay away from TikTok – Post Bulletin

Is there an app for that?

Have you wasted precious minutes or hours looking for an app that will help you in your personal or professional life? Whether it’s planning, making reservations, booking vacations, making exercise videos, or meditating while sleeping, there’s an app.

Our phones and devices hold a lot of energy, and they very rarely leave our side, let alone our sight. And it’s a good thing if you’re not overusing your screen time when you could be doing something useful or productive that’s part of achieving the goals you’ve set for yourself.

What I’m trying to say is that the hours spent on TikTok aren’t productive or useful for the most part.

By the way, my daughter recently sent in a picture of herself with peanut butter smeared on foil tied to her forehead. Apparently, her dog allows her to cut her nails while being distracted by peanut butter. It was a “life-hack” she learned while wasting time on said app.

Back to the subject of this column – apps that help the busy, modern woman. The first app that personally made a huge difference in my life (mostly because I have kids) is Insight Timer. This app contains thousands of guided meditations, stories and sleep sounds. I use this app daily with my kids to avoid wasting time at night. Within 18 minutes my youngest was asleep and my 12 year old son was quickly behind him. The time saved that allows me to return to my own calm and productive time is priceless.

Are you a reader who no longer has time to read or who is not long enough in the car to listen to a complete book? Have you tried Blinkist? Blinkist brings you business books, novels, and non-fiction all packaged like Cliffs Notes. Its format condenses long books into 15-minute readings. You can find just about any topic that intrigues you.

Trying to plan a vacation? Have you heard of Hopper? Yes, Hopper, like a rabbit. Hopper does not work in the sense of Expedia or Hotwire. You plug in your future travel dates, and it not only searches for the best deals, but also suggests days that may be best to book with cheaper packages.

How is your time management? Try Todoist. We all wish there were more hours in the day, and sometimes free time is spent organizing what needs to be done in that free time.

Todoist is simple and a great time management tool. If you like lists, this app is for you. All of your tasks are organized in a to-do list format.

If you’re a team leader or administrative assistant, scheduling meetings is a constant nightmare. Use Scribble. Rather than trying to send and track responses to emails from people who share their dates and times that work, just send out a simple survey on Doodle. The requested audience will populate it, and you can quickly see what date and time works best for the most people.

For some, technology is a waste of time and using it leads to stress and frustration. If this describes you, I strongly suggest trying an app that will be useful to you and using it until you know it inside and out. Then move on to another and learn it. Technology really can be magic and can be used to help you in many aspects of your life, personal and professional.

Kristen Asleson is the owner of Midwest Virtual Assistants. Send your comments and ideas to

[email protected]

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