Good Idea: Google Keep

Published on by Kim

If you are a heavy smartphone user, this may be a great idea for you. 

Google Keep allows you to file notes with images or lists. A photo of a document can be a note in itself, or you can add images to lists you create to make them more visually appealing. You make what you need.

Google Keep is accessible on your phone or computer (or tablet or Apple watch, to some extent). The function is similar to Evernote, an app I’ve used heavily for years, but without the subscription required for extended use.

Remember filing cabinets? This is the online version where you can store all your ideas and somedays and task lists and grocery lists and bucket lists…

  • You can keep your to-do list handy each day. Add items to the appropriate day as you think of them. Once you check an item off, it drops to the bottom of the list so that you can focus on the stuff yet to be done.
  • You can keep track of project or school documents, easily accessible wherever you have your phone. The notes are able to be shared with others, so teamwork is possible also.
  • You can set up reminders attached to notes, so that you keep on track with a project plan or a volunteer schedule.
  • You can take a picture of that flyer once it is in your hands, and then you still have it for reference after it flies back out of your hands.

Those are just a few ideas. How might this app work for you?

Know What Bugs You

Published on by Kim

A friend left something at my house one day. No big deal — except when she realized it, I had left the house and couldn’t go back for a while. So I had to remember to get the item when I got home and put it right by the kitchen door to take when I saw her the next morning. No big deal, right? Ha! It was pretty much guaranteed that wouldn’t happen without some help.

What irritates you? To what will you pay attention without effort? Know what bugs you and leverage it.

In the instance above, I asked someone nearby to text me a reminder. I then ignored the text. For some, that would not work. For me, it worked like a charm. Those notifications BUG me. The little red badges must be addressed. They are turned off for all but a select few apps, forcing me to pay attention to what I value but allowing space to address everything else at the appropriate time. Because I didn’t “read” the text, the notification stayed on my phone until I could take care of it. Yes, all went back where it belonged because I knew what would bug me.

How might this work for you?

  • Do you need to trip over stuff? Some people walk around anything without noticing it, so putting something in the car to leave the house works better than by the door. Some of us will take care of what is in front of the door before we walk through it or what is on the table when we sit down.
  • Do you listen to input? It may be helpful to have someone verbally remind you. I’ve used children’s memories for last-minute lists in the store. (All that unused real estate…) It needs to be the right person, yes, but asking someone to frequently or specifically ask you a question — or remind you to do something or stop you from feeding a bad habit — can be quite effective.
  • Do you read the sticky note on the door? If you can blissfully ignore the neon square and bold marker writing, don’t waste money on those. But if the note-on-the-door trick catches your eye every time, use them up.
  • Do alarms keep you on track? Set them. They don’t just work to get up in the morning. Your phone can be a great tool. Even kitchen timers are valuable.