10 FREE APPS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE & BUSINESS

Who doesn't wake up to my phone, eat with my phone, and even check my phone right before I sleep. C’mon, it’s the new way of living right? Who doesn’t have there phones with them 24 hours a day?

I wake up to my phone, eat with my phone, and even check my phone right before I sleep. C’mon, it’s the new way of living right? Who doesn’t have there phones with them 24 hours a day?

I’m sure you would be pressed to find someone that does have their smart phone on them at all times.  A recent study, found that nearly two-thirds of Americans are smartphone owners. Since this device is clearly the take over, why not take advantage of it especially if you are running a small business. Small business mobile apps are the new thing and everyone has at least one. 

Since we’re all about making our lives a lot easier, let’s discuss some mobile apps for business and life that will assist you. 

BUSINESS

Designing Images: Canva

Yes, it’s official! Canva is now available for mobile devices. Can I get a woot woot?! I thought it would never happen but it finally here.

You are free to design any of your Instagram images, Facebook group post, or Twitter pictures. They even allow you to edit photos for Pinterest. You have complete access to all the things available on this app just as your laptop. Sweet!

Task Management: Asana

Currently, Asana is how I manage my virtual assistants as well as keep track of my running to do list for my assistants. It’s very simple to use and if you’re familiar with the desktop version, the mobile app will be easy breezy. Out of all the small business apps, this one is keep me most connected with my team. 

Not only can you schedule activities but you can also conduct group conversations via the app. No more being suck at home to conduct a meeting. You can do on the go with this handy dandy app. 

Related: 19 Steps to Becoming a First-Time Entrepreneur

Scanning Documents: Scanner Pro

Clutter is not my thing and if you’re anything like me, then you understand why it’s uber important to get paper documents in digital form as soon as possible. Scanner Pro app allows you to do that lickety split. First, put the app in scan mode then point your camera that the document and just like that your document is digital. Can I get a boomshakalaka?

Note Taking: Evernote

Evernote can actually be with life and business. You never know when an idea will come to mind or if you remembered an item for your grocery list while you were in that important meeting (yes, my mind wonders).

It can be note or a picture and its’ accessible everywhere especially with the new Google Drive feature. Share your ideas with your team for feedback or your family for vacation ideas. Whatever it is, this a great app to have. 

Scheduling: Sunrise Calendar

Sunrise Calendar system was created just for Google Calendar, iCloud, and Exchange. The design of the calendar is totally up to you and can be edited at anytime.

I like to keep my calendar color coded with my brand colors, each reminding me what to do next. I loving using this app for chucking my days. I’m a visual person and work better when I visualize my day.

Try planning out your week in advance and adding it to you calendar to make sure you hit your goals. You can also add a map to know exactly where you have to go for upcoming appointments. Sweeeeeet!

Time Management: TimeTimer

With TimeTimer app, you can set the time for you common routine which goes perfect with your calendar. After having your schedule set for the week, use the timer to reinforce what you should be doing at certain times.

I like to customize my tasks with names and colors to match my calendar so I can be sure what I’m suppose to do next. 

LIFE

To-Do List: Wunderlist

Wunderlist is similar to other apps that are available butI still use this for sharing my shopping list, planning vacations or holidays, and for sharing ideas with my friends.

The app is free and super easy to use so there’s not really a learning curve. This app can even be used for business purposes. You’re choice. :)

Finances: Mint

Where would I be without Mint?! It keeps me on track with paying all my bills by sending me reminders letting me know that my bill is due soon. I even have the option of paying right then through the app or logging on the computer to complete the payment. But wait, there’s more!

Not only does it keep me on track by reminding me it also shows me where I have been spending most of my money for the month and let’s me know if I have spent over my average. It’s like your own personal financial analyst. Score!

Customer Service: Fast Customer

Fast Customer one is a hack for your business and life. Who has time to wait and in this day and age, do people really have to wait with everything so instantly accessible? Well the answer is yes but you don’t have to fall trap of the waiting game.

You can use this app by texting who you want to talk to and the app will notify the company to give YOU a call. Whaaaaaa? You read that right. No more wait time. You determine when you’re ready to talk and have them call you. Talk about service. 

Saver: Pocket

Here’s another app that can be used for both business and life. Pocket basically does the same thing as Pinterest but not a Pinterest.

This app allows you to save things you want to find or read later on the internet. Think recipes, articles, or videos all saved in one location easy for you to access at your convenience. You can even use it offline. Can you said yesssss?!

WHAT APPS DO YOU USE? CAN YOU THINK OF SOME OTHERS TO BE ADDED TO THIS LIST? I’D LOVE TO LEARN WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

5 REASONS TO START NOW

Oh, my...where can I begin with this?! As humans, we go through the process of wanting more, needing more, longing for more because we believe what's right in front of us is not enough. We dream, we plan, we envision the "better life" without actually doing anything about it. 

We become those people that others don't want to be around because all we do is talk about "how horrible our life is" and that if we only had this one thing, everything would be different.

I agree that we all have things we want to work on and goals that we must set for ourselves to not be complacent with where we are in life. However, I have been a victim of the circularity of wanting more but doing absolutely nothing about. Is talking about it every day, every week, or every month going to get us there?

NOT AT ALL. You have to move forward to reach those goals you want. 
 

1. The "i'll Do It Tomorrow" will Never Come

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present."  -Bil Keane   

A present! We all love presents and gifts yet we seem to not notice the gift that is given to us each day. How many of us fall victim to this thinking process of "I'll start tomorrow" and that tomorrow never comes?

Tomorrow is not a guarantee so what makes us think we have time later to get it done? Is it the notion of change that prevents us from being active in our lives? Change is a difficult task for not just some but most individuals.

We get stuck in our day-to-day lives of waking up, going to work/school, coming home, eating dinner, and falling asleep, only to start that rigid routine over again the next day. We always tell ourselves, "this is the last time...tomorrow will bring a change." Then tomorrow comes and we find yet another excuse push the start date.

It's like our bodies have been programmed as we program our electronic devices and we cannot get out of the vicious cycle. With the mindset of tomorrow, we accept the excuse of stopping our chance to grow and accomplish our goals. 

2. You Have To Work For It

"You can't steer a ship or a bicycle to go anywhere until they're moving." -Unknown

Have you heard the saying the rolling stone collects no moss? In essence, it's stating that once you're in motion, you're in motion. It's stated that objects in motion tend to stay in motion.

We have to keep moving towards our goals to get what we want out of life. Many talking about being faithful in whatever it is they believe but the universe is only going to give you what you put out. It's the law of attraction.

Are you putting out vibes of hard work, determination, and dedication? If not, what are you telling the universe? Are you hoping that it will fall in your lap? That you will be pumping gas and meet the love of your life? That while walking into work, you will get bombarded with c-level executives begging to give you a promotion making six figures?

With the mindset of faith without work, we are saying to the universe that it's okay for life to happen to us and not we're going to make life happen.  
 

3. Take Responsibility of your Life

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." -George Bernard Shaw

All too often we engage in the blame-shifter mind set. You know, the mindset that have you feeling, "if they didn't say that" or "if this would not have happened if" then my life would be better.

We get so wrapped up in life happening to us and it being out of our control but we all play a role in things that occur in our lives. Accountability isn't something that most of us are taught and therefore is a hard concept to grasp. It take practice but if we truly think about how we played a role in what unfolded in our life, then we can start taking responsibility for what happens to us.

Yes, it's not fair that your significant other cheated on your or that your supervisor/teacher/boss continuously gives you extra work but what role did you play in that to make them feel comfortable to treat you in such a manner?

Do you not speak up when your significant other stand you up for a date that has been previously planned or when your supervisor gives you extra work and you already know you have too much on your plate but don't mention it?

With the mindset of taking responsibility of your life, you can actively take a part in changing what needs to be fixed. 


4. It will Never be the right time

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Living in the now is the only way to truly be mindful about what's happening in our life. We often say or have others say to to us, now is not a good time. Maybe if you wait a couple of years then it will be better.

Well, to those naysayers I say, I determine my life, my life doesn't determine me. I experienced something very similar while on the path to attaining my Master's degree. I was a full-time employee with a full-time course load that was not seeming to coexist for my greater good.

I heard "maybe you should wait a year to finish" and "maybe now's not the time for you to gaining this degree." If not now, then when? I refused to let life happen to me and consider myself a victim.

Melyssa Griffin wrote a great article on how to silence your inner critic which is what you will need to move forward with making it happen for yourself. I made life happen by taking responsibility of my life and making it work.

I shifted my work schedule and took interns in the evenings and on the weekends to ensure success of my dreams. With the mindset of it might not be the right time, you are telling yourself that it's okay to wait and there's always tomorrow.  

5. one step closer to your goals

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

 -Lao Tzu

When you take today as a gift, actively work towards making it better, begin to be responsible for what happens, and know that NOW will never be the right time, this puts you one step closer to your dreams, to your goals, to your achievements and to the life you want.

Walking a thousands miles is a long journey but taking one step at a time will make the journey all worth it once your there. 

There is no time like the present. Think about what it is that you truly want out of life. When you are aware of what it is, set it in motion. List the steps and begin to do something everyday. With each step, you are closer to your dreams than ever before. 

 WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK FROM GETTING STARTED? HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS DISCUSSED IN THIS POST? SUGGESTIONS TO ADD TO THE POST? LET ME KNOW BELOW.

ACCELERATE YOUR HAPPINESS

Have you felt that you are stuck in life? Maybe you felt that you want to do more but it seems like it won’t happen for you?

You may see everyone else around you succeeding in life and living the perfect life while you are still trying to figuring it out? Trust me, I’ve been there that’s why I’m uber excited to talk about accelerating your happiness. 

Happiness looks different to so many people. I have worked with numerous clients that all wanted different things to be happy but for them to achieve it, I taught them all the same strategies.

The super secret information I’m about to give you is typically given in my one-on-one session but I thought, why would I have people to pay for this?! These tricks are things that everyone should know and I love to see everyone succeed. 

Psychologist, Elizabeth Lombardo, stated that the art of happiness is a skill that can be learned – just like golf. And just like golf or any sport, there are steps that you have to master before you can be successful. What gives you happiness truly depends on you.

WHAT IS HAPPINESS IN LIFE

As I mentioned before, it’s important to realize that what gives happens in life will be different for everyone. Some like the idea of having material things like name brand clothes, top of the line cars, or the latest technology. While others look at happiness as being able to pay their bill every month without worrying about how it’s going to happen. 

You have to determine what happiness is to you first before you start chasing after it. I believe that was one of my issues during the time I felt completely and utterly lost on what to do in my life.

I didn’t know what I wanted therefore I was stuck in an unhappy place. I challenge you to determine, what you want in life so that it will be easy to identify and reach. 

Start with asking yourself:

  1. Where am I directing my focus?
  2. Am I more motivated by fear or passion?
  3. What am I grateful for?
  4. Am I happy with my career?
  5. What do I need to change in order to be happy?

These are questions that will get you started in thinking about your reality and what is needed to get you to that life you always wanted. 

TRICKS TO ACHIEVE HAPPINESS

1. Know what is important to you

I will speak from experience here and will willingly say that I am a past people pleaser. I know, I know, it’s pretty bad but it’s my reality. I had this big idea that pleasing others would make them happy which in turn would make myself happy. 

I later found out that pleasing others is what kept me unhappy. Now I’m not blaming others for my unhappiness but I am blaming myself for allowing others to have that much control over my life. 

We have one life to live and how we decide to live it is solely up to us. Think ahead before agreeing to take on task from others or participating in events that we really don’t want to be apart of. 

If you absolutely hate kick-boxing, don’t sign up and pay your monthly fee just because you friend asked you to do it. Don’t stop painting because it’s not the “cool” thing to do. If you love it, do it. Learning that your happiness is important for your mental and physical health. 

TAKE ACTION: Learn to say no without feeling bad for it because you’re happiness is much more important. 

2. Change the way you think

Contrary to what you or other people may think, happiness is completely achieved by your mindset. That’s right, my friend. You control your happiness single-handedly by your perception of your situations and even the world for that matter. 

Perception is the one thing that you can control in your life so why not manipulate that for your good. Like the saying goes, we are what we think and if we think that we are unhappy then that’s exactly what you will manifest in your life. 

If you change your perception of your life, you will being to become happier with where you are. There are so many that would love to play the hand you’re dealt and gratitude will accelerate your happiness quicker than anything else. 

Start perceiving your connections, your job,  your business growth (no matter how slow or fast) as something special. Everyone doesn’t get to experience the things you get to experience or even have the access to certain things that you do.

TAKE ACTION: Make of list of all the things you did this week that contributed to your happiness or steps towards your happiness. You will notice that you actually are getting things done with your business or become more aware that your time with your family is an important factor in your life fulfillment. 

3. Stop comparing

Who’s guilty of having social media envy? Come on. Raise your hand, friend. You all do. We see those posts of people that started out at the same place we did but someone fast-tracked it to the top. 

You have those moments when you think to yourself, where did I go wrong or what am I doing wrong? I’m sure you could list out all the things that suck in your life and reasons that you have not succeeded. You see all the people that doing great things and it makes you feel that you aren’t doing enough. 

Here’s the thing, you have to remind yourself that these postings aren’t of their real life and more often than not those individuals are doing the same thing you are doing. 

If you’re truly looking for an answer, here it is. You went wrong when you started comparing your life to theirs.

If you actually sit back and think about your life, I’m sure you could list out all the things that suck in your life and reasons that you have not succeeded.

Like most of us, searching social media gets you into a spiral of social media envy. You see all the people that doing great things and it makes you feel that you aren’t doing enough. 

TAKE ACTION: Limit your downtime on social media surfing other accounts. Start having a purpose for being on social media and after that purpose is filled, log out immediately. This allows you the ability to embrace and enjoy the life you have. 

After implementing these simple tricks, I learned the art of happiness and I immediately began to notice a difference in my life. Creating your happiness and living the life you always wanted doesn’t have to take months or years, this is something you can do immediately.

Don’t waste another day saying that you will try it tomorrow. Start today. No excuses allowed. 

HAVE YOU FOUND YOURSELF EXPERIENCING THIS BEFORE? IF SO, WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET OVER IT? IS               THIS SOMETHING YOU STRUGGLING WITH NOW?            LET ME KNOW BELOW!

EMAIL: HELLO@NEWPEAKSCOUNSELING.CO  

CALL: 404-941-4241