Organizing Your Day in the Digital Age

Working in a government position requires an employee to be able to multitask, communicate well and, above all else, be organized. As most federal employees know, it isn’t always easy staying organized when you’re busy, but here are five digital tools that can help:

1. Box

Box is a free app that offers access to a cloud storage service. With Box, you can upload important files, then access, view, edit and share them from wherever you are. Box offers 5 GB of free storage, which you can organize in folder and search via file details. You can upload multiple files, move, copy, rename and download items, with all changes saved to the cloud. You can add collaborators and assign permissions via email.

2. Evernote

Evernote is an app that “lets you take notes, sync files across your devices, save webpages, capture inspiration, and share your ideas with friends and colleagues.” If you’ve ever wanted a place where you can find everything you need, anytime you need it, from anywhere you are, then this app is for you. Say you’re working on a report at work and you decide to save it and run to the doctor’s office; when you get to the doctor’s waiting room, you can use your mobile device to open up Evernote and continue working on your report without having to transfer or email it to yourself!

3. Remember the Milk

Remember the Milk markets itself as “the best way to manage your tasks online.” Rather than writing your to-do lists on scraps of paper or sticky notes, or creating new files on your computer or smartphone, Remember the Milk allows you quick and easy access to any type of list you might need, and it keeps them all in one place. Even Siri automatically uses it when you ask her to remind you to do something!

4. Asana

Asana is designed to improve the way teams communicate and collaborate. It’s officially considered a “collaborative task management application.” It includes features like Workspaces, Projects, Tasks, Tags, Notes, Comments and an inbox that updates in real time. Each team using Asana gets a Workspace that they all have access to. These Workspaces contain Projects, and these Projects contain Tasks. In a task, users can add Notes, Comments and Tags. The great thing about this product, as described by an article in Bloomberg Businessweek, is that it’s “a single place where people can see every project colleagues are working on, answer questions and get instant updates about how the work is progressing.”

5. Calengoo

According to the iTunes store description, Calengoo “gives you a fast and easy way to access and modify your Google Calendar with your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.” It can be used with or without an Internet connection by using the cached data. When you make changes without an Internet connection, they are saved and uploaded the next time you are connected.

If you’ve wanted to find some quick and easy technology that will allow you organize your busy work life, then these five apps are for you. Take a proactive step by checking them out today, and save yourself some time!

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This article was written by Logan Harper, community manager for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government’s MPA@UNC – a top online Masters of Public Administration degree program. Outside of work, Logan loves travel, technology, and documentaries. Connect with him on Twitter @harperlogan.