Digging Treasures

 

“You can either be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It all depends on how you view your life.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Ever been on a treasure hunt? I have been on a hunt lately, but not in the pick-and-shovel kind of hunt. My hunt has been on my phone’s play store and today I want to share some treasures I’ve found.  

I have harped on about habits severally before but I may have forgotten to say that I’m pathetic at consistently keeping up with anything if I don’t have help. So enter the world of apps; some of them have become extremely useful crutches for getting through my days.

Most phones come with a preloaded calendar, clock, and notepad apps. Most of them go unused on most phones, sadly. I save birthdays, events, appointments, bills, reminders – anything that I need to remember by a given date and add a notification either days or hours before the event. That way, I don’t have to give up my brain bandwidth to remember stuff I can download on the calendar app. My notepad app functions as a listing device. I work best off of to-do lists and this app is great for listing and checking off items as I get them done. I also save notes for stuff I need (shopping lists) or stuff I remember on the go and can’t stop to write. My clock app is mainly for setting alarms based on stuff I need to do daily. I have at least 8 recurring alarms that remind me of daily stuff I need to get done and additional alarms come up for other stuff as needed. No need to run late or forget something with such great tools at your disposal.

My morning routine starts with the S.A.V.E.R.S. practice as taught by Hal Elrod. For silence, affirmations, and visualization, I have saved playlists on YouTube. This year my exercise needs are centered on flexibility so I found an app with stretching exercises that has timed routines going for as low as 5 to as high as 30 minutes of activity. Hal Elrod now has a Miracle Morning app that I track my daily savers on, keeping me accountable to build and maintain the habit.

Looking to learn a new language? I’m currently keeping myself on my toes to learn Spanish using the Duolingo app. They’ve gone a notch higher now to include individual and collaborative challenges which keep you motivated to chase the small goals as you build up to the larger goal.

Reading stats for the year? Let the Goodreads app help you track what you’ve read, set an annual target, and get monthly reminders of how well you’re doing or what remedial actions you need to take to catch up. The Kindle app is great for people who want to read online and there are also apps for those who prefer to listen to their books read. Still on reading – I’ve been reading my Bible cover to cover annually and I set some time daily to do morning devotions. This is easy and seamless thanks to the YouVersion Bible app which even hands me badges for completing set reading goals. In the years I’ve had it, the additions and improvements have made it one of my indispensable apps. Can’t do without it.

Podcasts have been a great learning tool for me, with over 1,000 listening hours clocked so far. I listen while I work, walk, rest. . .anytime is podcast time. Podbean and Spotify are my current plugs for all things podcasts and music.

If you practice a fasting lifestyle, keeping in mind when you finished your last meal and how long you’ve fasted is so yesterday! There are tons of free apps online that can help you track your fasts, both long and short, give you information about the benefits you should expect for the duration you’re taking a metabolic rest and so much more.

Are you a creative person looking to come up with great content or find inspiration online? Pinterest, Canva, and Adobe Express are just some of the ones I use.

There are many more but I’ll stop there for now lest I begin to sound like I live on my phone – which I don’t. Though, I do have an app for controlling how much time I spend on some apps, especially the social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I use Digital Wellbeing to limit my time on apps that tend to carry me away and in some seasons, I’ll even completely restrict my access to those apps I need to give up to make time for other things.

The year started and I drew up goals for the year. These goals will only be achieved if I can make time to do what needs to be done and if I can stay committed to why I set them in the first place. Seeing as I’m only human and prone to resist, slack off, or forget, I went out and found helpers to make things easier and to encourage me along the way. I should have shared this hack way earlier in the year. . .but heck, I still haven’t found an app to organize my musings. Is anyone out there who can develop one?

Share your favorites in the comment section today – you might help a friend in need.

“No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire.” ~ L. Frank Baum