As Freelancers, our cellphones might just be one of our most important tools, if not the most important! It’s there to keep us company from the moment we wake up, to the moment we go to bed, isn’t it? Much to our own grandparent’s disdain, I know.
Yes, I can picture our ancestors frowning at the sole thought of what I just stated. “Back in my day…” is how they would start a sentence if we were having a family dinner and a notification on my cell went off. There’s no fighting it, grandpa. It is how things are now.
Family reunions aside, having a mid-range smartphone to today’s standards means having the power of a computer in the palm of your hand. With the appropriate Internet connection, you can have access to almost everything there is to know in this intrinsic cosmos we call the World Wide Web. All within a 5-inch screen, isn’t that amazing?
Get real-time information on the stock market, complete online courses on Coursera, learn new languages on Duolingo, or even expand your company’s reach by applying the correct marketing strategies on LinkedIn – these are only a few things you can accomplish through your phone if you manage your time correctly, but the question of the day is: how can we do all of this? Well, that’s what this article is for.
Following up, I’ll be sharing a couple of apps that’ll make your workday much easier, but first, we need to isolate the different aspects that need to be dealt with the most:
- Time Management & Organization
- Communication
- Cloud Storage
Now that we know what to take care of, wouldn’t it be nice to make the most out of our phones? After all, taking pictures and sending text messages aren’t their only functions. Learning how to (wisely) use your phone can be like having a petite assistant that’ll aid you in anything you need. How so? You may ask. Just like this:
Time Management & Organization
Up to this point, we’re that old scratched record that repeats the same phrase time after time. That phrase is: “Time is our most valuable resource”. Not quite as appealing as an NSYNC hook you’ve heard hundreds of times before, I know, but still relevant. These apps will help you create a healthy routine in which you can complete each one of your assignments.
- Calendar. Something as simple as the almanac that comes incorporated into every phone can help you a ton. It’ll all be a matter of registering important dates, events, and meetings as a habit. Once you get the hang of it, not a single thing will slip your mind.
- Clockify. A time-tracking software that allows you to see how much time you’ve spent on each task. Did you spend the last 2 hours completing that presentation that’s due tomorrow? That’s great. Did you spend them watching cat videos on YouTube? Although adorable, not so great. Clockify will help you determine how much time you spend on every single activity.
- Todoist. Just as its name suggests, it serves as a great tool that’ll help you manage not only your professional life but also your matters. You can divide projects and simplify them to the most essential duties. Planning your whole day at work has never been this easy.
Communication
Mistakenly sending a risky text to a friend or a family member is embarrassing enough, isn’t it? Now, imagine sending it to your boss. I would call in sick the next day, too. That’s why having specific channels for communication at work is so important. There’s no need to talk about anything else.
- Google Hangouts. Just in case you were unaware of it, Google offers a messaging service that comes with your e-mail. It’s easy to use, and the best part is: that you can use it while your e-mail box is open! It also supports video and voice calls.
- Slack. A messaging platform that allows you to be in contact with both large and smaller groups of people. You can section teams in different channels and even maintain personal one-on-one conversations. It’s the perfect alternative if you don’t want your number to be bombarded with texts about work.
- Basecamp. A project management app meant for teams. Besides the traditional text between users, it also provides the tools to create to-do lists, schedules, and upload files. Delegating tasks is an easy thing to do with the many perks that Basecamp offers.
Cloud Storage
Not many things are more annoying than having a “there’s not enough storage left” message popping up on your screen and preventing you from moving forward, right? It can surely ruin one’s mood even during the most pristine days at the office. To avoid this from happening, I recommend using one of the following applications:
- Google Drive. Google, the jack-of-all-trades. On its standard version, Google Drive offers 15 GB of space that’ll be up to you on how to use them. You can easily access it through your e-mail, and share what you stored with other people through links.
- DropBox. A cloud storage service that works on different platforms. Want a place to safely store those documents you keep as receipts? DropBox is here for you. Just like Google Drive, DropBox allows you to share folders with others without sending large attachments.
- pCloud. A secure place for your pictures, videos, and documents. In addition to its drive space, pCloud offers an encrypting system that keeps undesired net surfers from browsing through your files.
Your phone offers a world of possibilities, doesn’t it? You just need to use it wisely. Additionally, some apps lock a few of their tools behind a premium fee that you’ll have to pay for, so take this into consideration. Be aware of the amounts of apps you subscribe to, so they won’t all add up too much to your bills at the end of the month.
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