There are 3 types of people in the world:

1. Those that set New Year’s Resolutions and by some glorious fate of the universe actually stick to them
2. Those that have decided those dumbbells are THEIRS for the taking come January 1^st… then whomp whomp… January 3rd pops up and they’re polishing off their 3^rd sub on their couch while watching reality tv (hi, it’s me)
3. The people that have been #2 so many times that they’ve given up trying to make resolutions

What if I told you that all of the above are ok? You do you! We don’t have to set resolutions to improve ourselves. What truly matters is time. Being intentional with what we do with it is the easiest way to improve our overall selves. Keep reading for some life-hacky apps… and then schedule yourself some time to finish that 3^rd sub.

Slack — Communication

In today’s business world, having a digital Headquarters is essential to the livelihood of any company. Slack is great for streamlining tasks and communication, while making it easy to see who’s doing what and why. No more accidental double orders of those Tyvek wristbands!

Pricing

• Their free version integrates with 10 other apps and offers 1:1 communication
• Their paid plans range from $7.50 — $12.50.
• Large scale companies should call for pricing.

Trello — Project Management

Visual organization is the name of the game these days. Made up of “boards”, Trello makes it easy to collaborate in teams, allowing spaces for to do lists, “in-progress” projects, and finished tasks. With a wide array of metrics, calendars and other features, this app is perfect for mapping out social and marketing strategies amongst a team. Now you can get to work on mapping out the perfect marketing campaign for your new shiny metal badges.

Pricing

• Their free version is great for individuals or small businesses
• Their $5 standard plan includes additional features and works great for teams with a heavy workflow
• Their $10 premium plan is best for large teams
• The $17.50 plan offers all the bells and whistles

Mind Meister — Map it Out!

If you’re like me, you have ~ALL~ the ideas ~ALL~ the time. This is where Mind Meister jumps in to save the day! It offers the ability to format your brain dumps clearly and concisely while adding in attachments, icons, different fonts, colors, allowing you to click & drag to your heart’s content. Ideal for mapping out ideas, goals and notes, this app is perfect for any event organizer to get a handle on all the legs of their upcoming event in an easy to digest visual format. Mind maps are especially helpful when it comes time to get your security credentials sorted.  Map them all out and the concise visual format will make ordering a breeze.

Pricing

• Their free version offers 3 free mind maps — perfect for individuals to play around in.
• Their $5 plan will get you unlimited maps, where you can attach files and images, as well as the option to export to a few different file types.
• The $8.25 Pro Plan is best for collaborative teams
• $12.49 coughs up all the bells & whistles

Habitica — Build Healthy Habits

Stuck with generic credentials again because you’re stuck in the habit of forgetting to check your to do list before leaving work for the day? Wouldn’t it be kinda cool if you could train yourself to actually be on top of stuff? Trying to form new habits can be hard, but Habitica puts a fun spin on rewiring your brain by turning it into a game. You get a little avatar, and receive incentives as well as the ability to connect with others on the app for a little extra accountability. Work is life and life is work, so the more integrated your home and work habits are, the better you’ll feel as you develop healthy habits for all facets of your life.

Pricing

• No excuses! Habitica is free (with in-app purchases).
• Their team plan is $9 + $3 per member

Todoist — Set Those Reminders!

We all have a billion and one things on our plate, and if you’re like me, have just as many sticky notes scattered about. Todoist makes it a breeze to enter in and categorize reminders in its app. Even better, it integrates with over 60 other apps (including a host of google apps, Monday.com, Slack, and Trello), and allows you to share and assign tasks with other people. Now you’ll have a nifty reminder to “Order Creds & Wristbands” under your “#safetyfirst” category.

Pricing

• Their free version allows up to 5 people — great for small teams
• They offer a $4 Plan for 25 people
• And a $6 plan for 500 people (that’s gotta be quite the honey-do list..!)

These are just five apps out of thousands out there that were made to improve productivity. The event professional world is an invigorating, FAST paced one, and the more prepared you can keep yourself, the less “I-wish-I-still-worked-in-the-food-industry-so-I-could-have-myself-a-good-walk-in-freezer-cry” moments you’ll have, and the more time you’ll have to kick back on the couch and enjoy endless subs.