Life is complicated at the best of times, but the good news is that you can often use technology to declutter your life and simplify it in the process. This will help you put things in order, keep important tasks organized, and manage your time more effectively.
From timers to calendars to email organizers, here are some of the best apps available to help you declutter your life:
1. Create Virtual, Sharable To-Do Lists
With a virtual, sharable to-do list, you can plan your day and week and digitally tick off each task as you proceed. Todoist is a cloud-based app that will help you organize important tasks so you can leave behind all of the handwritten notes and lists around your home and office.
You’ll be able to share your list with other family members and co-workers. You can also add or remove items from your list no matter where you are, and keep your notes all in one place so you never lose them.
With the free version, you’ll get:
- 5 active tasks for each project
- Space for up to 5 collaborators
- 5 MB file uploads
You can upgrade to Pro or Business if you need additional capacity. With Pro, you get:
- 300 active projects
- 100 MB file uploads
- Space for 25 collaborators for each project
The Business account is great for teams and expands capacity to 500 active projects per member, with up to 50 people able to engage in each project.
2. Use a Timer for Tasks to Stay On Track
If you have trouble keeping track of time, but want to be as efficient as possible when you work, consider the Time Timer timekeeping app to help declutter your life. After all, you’ll be far more efficient when you have a timer to help you organize your day.
You’ll be able to break each task down into manageable chunks in order to make sure that you can get everything done efficiently. This app also has a visual interface that graphically shows how those minutes slip away as the large red disc gradually disappears.
The company also has several different versions, including free apps for Android and iPhone. You can also opt for a paid desktop app for Mac or Windows. This will allow you to:
- Run multiple timers at once
- Customize durations or colors
- Use the “always on top” feature to keep the timer visible at all times
- Set up frequently used timers
- Configure the app to work in other languages, like Spanish
3. Use a Shared Calendar for the Whole Family
If you often have to set up meetings, you know how difficult and time-consuming it can be as you go back and forth to check availability. You may also struggle to carve out enough time or find that you accidentally double-book.
However, with a virtual calendar, you can also share it with family and friends at home, which could help you plan your social life more effectively. Calendly’s shared calendar is a good way to save space without having to write notes or use a physical calendar.
There are a number of additional benefits to a virtual calendar, including:
- The ability to record important dates
- Sharing regular events with others using the recurring feature
- Not needing to buy a brand-new paper calendar each year
The Basic version of Calendly is free, and with this, you’ll get:
- 1 calendar connection
- Connections with Google, Office 365, and other cloud calendars
- 1 active event type
- The ability to create an unlimited number of one-to-one events
You can upgrade to Essentials if you have more than one person on your team.
But with all versions, you can:
- Create meeting polls
- Create one-off meetings
- Customize your booking link
4. Save Passwords: Be Secure Without Losing Track
Security experts say that you should always choose complex, alphanumeric passwords with multiple characters and different passwords for each account.
Of course, nobody can remember all of those details in their head, and many people will keep subtle hints on pieces of paper instead. However, this can quickly become a messy nightmare, unless you have a password manager like the Nordpass digital safe. This app will help declutter your life by encrypting and storing all of your login passwords. It can also generate strong passwords for you, and auto-fill them at frequently visited websites.
Nordpass offers different subscription plans for businesses or personal and family accounts. You can even try this digital safe for free using their 30-day premium trial.
5. Use an App for Detailed Note-Taking
Work anywhere while still keeping important information handy with Evernote’s note-taking app. You can create digital notes and add text, audio, images, PDFs, documents, and scans to back up every detail. This will help you keep those notes and related documents in one place, and you won’t have to rely on scraps of paper or post-it notes stuck to the fridge.
Also with the Evernote app, you’ll be able to:
- Create and then assign tasks with flags, due dates, and reminders
- Scan important documents
- Clip and save webpages
- Connect your Google calendar
With the Free version of the Evernote app, you can sync up to two devices with 60 MB of monthly uploads. Upgrade to Personal, and you can sync unlimited devices with 10 GB of monthly uploads.
6. Scan Those Receipts So You Have Them at Tax Time
You may need a better system if you struggle to find a receipt when tax time rolls around. If you end up with a box full of faded paper receipts, you may not be able to read them anymore, which can lead to fewer deductions and lost money.
Instead, consider the Zoho Expense receipt scanner to declutter your life.
Some of the features include:
- Multiple currency support
- Mileage tracking
- Corporate card reconciliation
- Seamless integration with other apps in the Zoho Suite
You’ll get unlimited receipt scanning and storage through the Premium and Enterprise plans, while the Free version will give you up to 20 scans. You can also scan receipts using your smartphone camera.
7. Create a Virtual Business Card Holder to Quickly Share Your Contact Details
Declutter your life by throwing out your old drawer full of business cards. Instead, instantly share your contact details without an internet connection or an app using Doorway, a digital business card holder. You can also share details with anyone on the go using a smartphone to scan the QR code on the app.
Use Doorway, and you won’t struggle to find the business card that you need at any given moment. The app will also:
- Send an email with a link to each cardholder, so they can save the details to their digital wallet
- Allow you to update your branding and design at any time
- Create cardholders individually or by uploading a CSV with details
Various plans begin with their Starter option, where you can save up to 20 business cards for $20 per month.
8. Organize Your Messages & Clean Up Your Email
If your email inbox is cluttered or disorganized, it can also make it hard to complete various tasks. So, consider getting out your digital broom with the Clean Email organizer.
With this app, you’ll also be able to get rid of some of those unwanted recurring messages that push the important ones out of sight. This will make you more efficient as you won’t need to wade through the clutter when you need to reply to something that matters.
With this account, you can:
- Organize all of your emails into easy-to-review bundles
- Remove, archive, move, or label entire groups of emails
- Unsubscribe from unwanted recurring emails
- Establish auto-clean rules for keeping your inbox clear of clutter
- Use the app on any device, or with any email service provider
You can buy an individual account, or receive a discount for purchasing multiple accounts.
9. Trade in Old Tech So It Doesn’t Take up Valuable Space
New technology arrives at lightning speed, and if you’re like most people, you’ll want to upgrade to the next best version as soon as possible. But what do you do with your old devices? Get rid of them and clear up some space with Decluttr, to trade in unwanted tech and get extra cash.
With this app, you can:
- Trade in unwanted phones, tech, DVDs, and CDs for cash
- Put that cash towards new, refurbished tech from the same site
- Help preserve resources and reduce electronic waste
Declutter Your Life to Reduce Stress & Create Free Time
When you want to take control and organize your digital life, there are many valuable apps to consider. With the selections here, you’ll be able to share details and events more easily with the important people in your life, open up more space at home or at work, make sure you don’t lose those receipts you may need in the future, and more.
All of these solutions are cloud-based, so you won’t have to compromise the storage on your local device either, enabling you to declutter your life without adding clutter to your hard drive.
