Whatever the case, don’t sweat it. With a little planning, you can help yourself get into a routine that works for you, and you don’t need much more than your iPhone.
In this article, we’ll take you through some lists you can keep in Apple Reminders to help you stay productive outside the office.
1. Weekly Chore List
You likely have a list of daily, weekly, and monthly chores that you do automatically, but we all need an extra reminder at times. Whether you’re getting used to a new routine or certain tasks just slip your mind, it’s helpful to keep a list of weekly chores.
While some tasks may seem obvious, sometimes it’s good to have a backup just in case. That way, you don’t forget to take out the trash or clean out the leftovers that got pushed to the back of your fridge, resulting in a bigger mess later.
Keep in mind when planning out your weekly chore list, you want to include things you already do or know you need to do. You want to avoid overdoing it and putting pressure on yourself by adding extras you want to start doing. You could add more later if you want, of course, but try mastering this list for a few weeks beforehand.
It will become routine if you stick to it long enough, and you can always keep your lists as a backup. To add a new list in Apple Reminders, click Add List in the bottom-right corner of the app on your Mac, or the bottom left corner of the app on your iPhone.
2. Meals List
If you’ve ever spent more time deciding what to eat than actually cooking it, then a meals list may be helpful to you. Each week, make a list of meals you’d like to eat based on what’s in your kitchen, what’s in the flyer, and what’s in your budget.
Doing this will not only help you save time when it comes to shopping and preparing your meals, but it will also help you prevent food waste and save money. If you live with others, make sure to run the list by them or ask your roommate, spouse, or family member to add a few items to the list themselves.
Each week you do this, you’ll be happy you did. So will those you eat with. Dinner time will be a cinch—and adding items to the list is as simple as clicking into it and adding a new line.
3. Shopping List
Forgetting an item at the store is never fun, but Apple Reminders is one of the best apps for making a shopping list. As you plan your meals for the week, you may find you need some ingredients from the grocery store. Add them to your shopping list right away, and you’ll thank yourself later when you don’t need to run back out for something.
This list is also a handy place to add an item once you realize you need to replace or purchase something around your home. Rather than writing things down in multiple places, you’ll have them all in one list where you can more effectively plan your shopping trips or orders.
You can also send yourself notifications on the day of your shopping trip if there’s an item that you can’t forget by selecting the reminder and clicking the calendar icon to select a date and time. These instructions are the same for both Mac and iPhone.
Additionally, if you want to be reminded right when you get to the store, you can set a location-based reminder.
4. Classic Reminders List
Your classic reminders list is a catch-all for the general to-dos you don’t want to forget. Even if it seems silly, add things you want or need to remind yourself to do—they can even be ideas or thoughts you want to expand on later.
Check this list daily to ensure there’s nothing you’re missing, and check off anything that’s complete to prevent your list from getting cluttered. If you find things on your list that you’re surprised you otherwise forgot, you’re not alone.
Note: if you ever accidentally click an item that isn’t complete, or you want to see your finished tasks on your Mac, simply scroll up in the list until you see the number of completed items and click show. On iPhone, tap the three dots in the top-right corner and select Show Completed.
5. House Reminders List
House reminders are for improvements around your home, be it a project, renovation, or repair. It’s easy to find things that need fixing, but finding the time to actually do it—not so much.
As you come across these to-dos, put them in your list right away so that you know which item you’d like to tackle when you have the time. This could be anything from hanging pictures to remodeling your kitchen.
Of course, you want to take care of anything that could be an emergency right away, but having these reminders will likely help motivate you to take action on making smaller improvements or repairs when you can.
If you share this list with someone else, you can tag them in a reminder by typing the at symbol followed by their name as a way of assigning them to it. Doing this can help prevent overlap and bring attention to the task if you’ve yet to discuss it.
You can also tag items as a priority to remind yourself which tasks are most important.
Increase Productivity by Teaming Up on One or More of These Lists
One of the best parts of using Apple Reminders is how easy it is to share a list with someone you live with. On your Mac, all you need to do is hover over the list you want to share and click the person icon. A menu will pop up with options to send an invitation.
On your iPhone, click the three dots in the top-right corner of your list and select Share List. Here, you’ll also have the choice to turn off Anyone can add people under Share Options if you want to ensure your list stays exclusive to you and the original recipient.
Once the person you’re sharing with accepts the invite, they can edit and add items to the list. That way, you can collaborate on chores, shopping, meals, repairs, or whatever you’d like and help each other out.
Tackle the Important Stuff
If you find you’re really busy and chores are slipping between the cracks, or you just need some backup when it comes to getting things done, why not try out one of these lists. Better yet, share one with a friend or loved one and tackle more together.
If they don’t have an Apple device, you can also use these lists in a shared Google Keep list for both Apple and Android.
