Being awesome is a lot easier when you have apps, programs, or other tools to keep yourself, well, awesome. This is a collection of “stuff” I use regularly that helps me be creative, learn things, get things done, and/or stay organized.
Have something to add? Tell me about it in comments!
Please note that there are links in this post that will give me a commission if you use them to purchase something, at no extra cost to you. Please rest assured that I will never recommend anything that I don’t trust and believe will be of value to you. See my affiliates page for more details.
Creativity
- Adobe Creative Cloud: I love all the Adobe apps, even though I’m still learning how to use them well. A subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud can give you access to all or a selection of their creative apps on both your computer and your mobile device. I use the full subscription which is about $50 a month, and have access to Photoshop, Illustrator, AfterEffects, Premiere Pro, and more!
- Vintage Logo: This is a quick and easy logo maker I use on my iPhone. It has quite a few free options and I use it to make some of the graphics and stuff you see around the site.
Organization
- GoodNotes 5: I love love love love this app. Seriously. I keep an electronic bullet journal in it and use it to take handwritten notes in meetings at work where I don’t want to bring my laptop (because: tacky). It has all the features I need in an app like this: pen, highlighter, tool to make straight lines and shapes, ability to insert photos, a search function that even reads my handwriting, and the ability to export to PDF!
- OneNote: For staying organized at work for notes I take electronically, I use OneNote for ev-a-ry-thang. Seriously. It’s a running joke in my office that I use this so much and evangelize it to everyone I know. It has some down sides, especially in the new version – you can’t use templates (or at least, I haven’t figured out an easy way to do it in the newest version like I could in older versions) but in general, it’s a fantastic tool for taking and sharing notes at work (or in your personal life) and staying organized. Depending on your work environment, you can also have your desktop client sync to the app on your device and have notes everywhere you go!
- EverNote: For some reason, I just love Evernote. I keep all my recipes and some crafty craft stuff in there. I can share notebooks easily with other people, organize things in collections, and it shows me related notes as I’m browsing my notes. It’s a pretty good alternative to OneNote, although the handwriting function isn’t as good. They have a web version you can access from your computer which syncs with the app on your phone, just like OneNote which is super handy.
Ongoing Learning
- Udemy: Udemy offers a number of training courses in a variety of subjects that let you learn things easily and at your own pace. I am currently taking a course on Adobe AfterEffects which has been pretty educational so far.
Health
Noom [affiliate link]: I really can’t say enough about the Noom program. They’ve helped me lose over thirty pounds (just so far!) on my way to my super goal of losing over a hundred pounds. I believe in Noom so much that I applied for and became an affiliate partner!
Noom is not a diet pill or eating regimen, it’s psychology-based and gave me a huge number of tips and inspiration not just for getting healthier physically, but to improve my mental health overall. It’s an amazing, amazing program and I can’t recommend it enough. #NoomNerds ftw!
SleepCycle: This is an app I’ve used for over three years to track my sleep quality and the amount of sleep I get. I tried sleeping with a fitness tracker on, and while I believe that was more accurate probably, it wasn’t feasible for me to wear the fitness tracker all night and then keep it powered up all day as well. So this is a nice compromise and allows me to identify when I’m not sleeping well and understand causes. I also use it to ensure I’m getting enough sleep at night, which is an important part of both physical and mental health!
MyFitnessPal: This is an app I plan to continue using when I’ve completed the Noom program. I have been using it and Noom in tandem because the premium subscription allows you to track your macronutrients in a way I’ve found helpful to lose weight while still being able to eat yummy stuff I like. They have a handy weight loss tracker which shows your weight over time and you can see how your nutrient intake breaks down per food item or meal.
