As ADDers, we have poor working memory. Fuzzy thinking – or in this case – cloudy thinking.
We’re forgetful and we always have about a thousand things going on in our head at once.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a sort of USB drive like you have for your computer so you could have more memory and store things there?
You would always know where it was and how to get it. The only problem would be if you lost or misplaced it.
What if I told you that there is already something like that and that you can’t misplace or lose it?
Seriously.
Actually, it’s a whole bunch of somethings based around one thing: the cloud.
You’ve probably heard of the cloud, but do you really know what it is?
Basically it’s a bunch of computers somewhere that store information and you can use them to act as your “other brain”.
The way you access them is through apps.
For instance, I have been using Evernote for more years than I can remember. That’s saying a lot, because you know how we ADDers like variety and change.
But Evernote works for me, beautifully and easily, which is why it has stuck around for so long.
I have the app on my phone and iPad and I have the web clipper on my laptop.
I use it a lot for when I pay my bills because I pay most of them online. When I get the confirmation number after the bill is paid, I just click on the Evernote clipper. It copies the page for me, recognizes that it’s a bill payment, opens the bill folder, and asks me if I want to save it. I click save and I’m done.
And it’s free. 🙂
Passwords are the worst, right?
You need them for everything, everywhere. It’s not smart to use the same one over and over, but how will you remember all of them? My laptop will save them for me, but my phone won’t, and I don’t think that’s the safest way anyway.
I’ve used a lot of password apps, but the one I use is LastPass. It’s another free app as long as you use it on just one kind of device. For instance, if you have 3 computers, you can use it on all 3 for free. But if you want to use it with a computer and your phone, it will sync them. Cost for that is $12 a year.
You create an account and set a password for LastPass. That’s the only one you will ever need to remember. When you first start using it, it will prompt you to add the sites you login to when you go to them and then save them for you. It’s incredibly secure and well worth it.
Dropbox is another app I’ve been using for a few years. It saves photos, files, and even videos. You can share them with others if you want, too.
Think about how many photos you have on your phone right now. I plug my phone into my laptop and Dropbox automatically uploads them to my account in the cloud. I also have important files there. If anything happened to my computer, I would still have them thanks to Dropbox. It’s also free.
Edit: July 1, 2017. Cloudwards.net recently did a review of cloud based apps including Dropbox. You might want to check it out. I am considering changing from Dropbox to another application based on their review.
Edit: Cloudwards.net posted a new article in August 2017. Check it out!
Cozi is one of the coolest apps out there and another one I’ve been using for a while. It’s marketed as a family calendar so that your whole family can keep up with what’s going on. There is one family password so that everyone can add their events to it, or see if there is something the family needs – like milk – if they happen to be at the store.
My family doesn’t share with me; at this stage of my life, it’s not necessary.
But that’s just the beginning.
Cozi also gives you the option of adding the Flylady’s cleaning schedule to your calendar so you can (hopefully try to) keep up with your housework.
And you can add shopping lists, meal plans, to do lists, recipes, and a journal so you can record highlights of your day. You can even leave messages for your family members.
Cozi is free, but for $29.99 a year, you can add your contacts, birthdays, change themes, set reminders, and get additional meal planning options.
This is definitely one to check out!
What do think?
Are there any apps that you use to make your life easier? Leave a comment and share!
One Response
I keep all my passwords safe by using the name of the website (etsy1234) and a favorite number I won’t forget so all passwords are different but the same.It seems to help me ADHD and all.