There’s an App for That: This Match Was Made in Organizational Heaven – We Promise!
Mayra Kavan,
Our cell phones have evolved from a minor household appliance that facilitated communication to a surrogate umbilical cord to the universe – a literal lifeline if you will
Okay, that may be a little dramatic. But seriously, these days phones serve as our primary source of entertainment, our educational resource, our shopping mall, our social hub, our newspapers, our alarm clock, our planner, our mailbox, and I guess some people even get phone calls on theirs.
There is little doubt that our cell phones have become instrumental in organizing and managing our lives. Your cellphone and all the associated apps can serve as a valuable tool for keeping track of the important dates and deadlines in your life – it can also turn into yet another distraction that keeps you from accomplishing your daily goals. It may seem old school, but let’s talk about why a home command center should still have a prominent place in your organizational efforts.
Phone calendars are handy, but there are some things they just can’t do
- Lack of visibility – the added visual component of a command center keeps things fresh in your mind (plus it’s pretty!)
- Typing versus writing – when we write things down, it clues our brain into its importance, and there’s something satisfying about making lists and crossing things off
- There’s nowhere to store necessary paperwork
- Too many choices increase the time spent finding the right app and is counterproductive
We’re not crazy enough to suggest that your online calendar app has no place in your life – it works well for a lot of people, and there’s a definite advantage to setting notifications. However, consider the following and decide how you can supplement your current cell phone-centered system.
Lack of visibility
Your brain is super busy – even busier than you are. It makes decisions all day long about which information is important enough to keep, and for how long. It uses a number of factors to do so, and one of those is how often it sees something.
If you write something on the back of a receipt and shove it into your purse, there’s a good chance your brain will decide it’s happy to get rid of that little tidbit.
However, if you write that same info on your 1THRIVE Center where you’ll see it daily, your brain is like, “Fine. I get it. Stop telling me.”
We often type something into our phone’s calendar and forget about it until a notification pops up. There’s no clear, visual clue about upcoming events. This is why you’re often buying birthday gifts on your way to the party, instead of ahead of time.
Your brain knew the party was coming but didn’t have to consider anything other than that specific deadline. A command center allows you to see important dates in one comprehensive view.
We’re not saying ditch the phone calendar by any means. It’s definitely convenient to use when you’re not at home, but we highly recommend setting aside time each week – Set Up Sunday, anyone? – to transfer your phone calendar to your 1THRIVE Center. (Again, there’s something completely satisfying about writing it down!)
Typing versus writing
Remember writing out your spelling words three times? Maybe the teacher actually was on to something.
Writing things down is another one of those clues that tells your brain information is important. Writing combines thinking, seeing, and the action involved with physically forming each shape – it’s cognitively different from the automatic and impersonal nature of typing.
A 1THRIVE Center forces you to write your reminders down, allows you to see what you’ve written at a glance, and enables you to color code for each family member or event type using colored pens or markers – and who doesn’t love office supplies?
Nowhere to attach paperwork
Sometimes an impending event involves more than a date or time. If there’s a wedding invitation, there’s probably an RSVP card. If it’s a field trip, you most likely have a permission slip to return. If it’s a theater event, there might even be tickets to bring.
Having one central hub for family information reduces clutter and makes it easier to streamline the steps necessary to prepare for an activity. A 1THRIVE Center like these, wall organizers, include organizational components like a magnetic strip, corkboard, and envelope holder, offers a one-stop solution for keeping your life together and running smoothly. Your phone can’t do that yet.
Too many choices
There’s an app for that. And that. Okay, there are too many apps. An abundance of choices seems great at first glance until it leads to decision fatigue. Some of us may have spent more time in search of the perfect app to organize our lives than we’ve spent on actually getting organized. Plus, you have to remember to open the app and use it, which is a trial in and of itself.
Then, factor in the various notifications you get from social media, text messages, game reminders, voice mails, and your calendar – it’s no surprise when you swipe something important away while otherwise distracted and forget that you ever saw it.
You already have the entire internet competing for your attention; that upcoming PTO meeting doesn’t stand a chance.
All that being said, an online calendar still has a lot of value – but it has even more value when used in conjunction with a 1THRIVE Center that is easily viewed by each family member. In reality, how many kids go into a shared calendar with their parents to see the schedule? If yours do, tell us your secret.
How can you remember all your important dates and deadlines when they’re only in your head? You no longer have to even try. Commit to writing them down in a place where you’ll see them each day, and then add a reminder to your phone as a backup plan for the best of both worlds. Tradition and technology are the ideal recipes to help you THRIVE.
1THRIVE creates beautiful, customizable command centers with interchangeable components that support your efforts to live a more organized life. Find your ideal 1THRIVE Center here and follow us on Facebook for more advice on living your best life.
