Today’s Five on Friday brought to you by the August NaBloPoMo prompt: What tools do you use to keep organized so things on your to-do list don’t slip through the cracks?

1. A good old-fashioned written to do list. There’s just something about writing out a to do list that I love. It helps me really organize my day, and its so very satisfying to mark something off the list by hand. Besides, I can doodle in the corners when I’m on the phone or when I need to think!

2. Post it notes! It never fails. I’m going to bed, and I realize there’s something I forgot to do. Usually I’m just too tired to do it right then. So what do I do? I write it on a Post-it note, and stick it to my computer monitor. The way our house is set up, I walk right by it every morning. So something needs to be done? Post it on the computer screen.

3. A good calendar. I use a business calendar app on my cell phone to keep up with what needs to be done when. I love it, because I can pull my calendar, my husband’s calendar, and the calendars of various other things that I am a part of all into one place. Now I can’t promise I won’t miss something. But as long as it’s on my calendar, those chances are very slim.

4. I text myself. It’s not unusual for me to send myself a text message to my email to remind myself to do something. For example, a friend may remind me that I forgot to print out something important that they need. I won’t remember when I get home to do take dare of it, so I send myself a text message to my email, so when I get home and check my email there’s a reminder! It works really well.

5. Google keep. I know this doesn’t benefit iPhone users. But if you’re an Android user, and you’re not using Google Keep, it’s time to download it now. I love this app. It’s like having Post-it notes on the go. And the best part? It syncs with your Google account, so you can access the same notes on your desktop. It even transferred all my notes from my old cell phone to my new cell phone. I seriously don’t know what I do without it these days.

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