On It!
Tap into smarter time management with a few swipes on your smartphone.
Listastic
(iOS, $2.99)
Lists are an ADHD adult’s best friend. Going without them often means disaster. Listastic is an app no ADHD adult should be without. It’s the simplest app that I have found, with the fewest steps, to keep checklists in order.
From a grocery list to the day’s tasks at work, Listastic organizes your information into one of three sections: active, later, and completed. You can color-code your lists, hide them, or call them up at a designated date. It takes only a second to tap the + icon in the upper-right corner to add a list or an item to a list. If you need to share your list with others – coworkers, say, who are working on the same project or a birthday list for your nine-year-old – just tap the “share button” from within any list and select the contact you would like to send it to.
Coach.me
Coach.me (formerly Lift) helps you build habits. Coach.me’s creator combined social networking and a daily chart to help you track when and how often you’re doing an action. Further, the ability to tap into a supportive community to give or receive “props” (the equivalent of a “like” on Facebook) increases the chances that you will take action. It is a sticker chart for adults.
The available habits range from “Floss Teeth” or “Clear Clutter” to the more difficult “Wake Up on Time.” The app also gives you daily tips and pats on the back for carrying out the action.
When you download this app, take it slow. You don’t need to form a zillion new habits all at once! Pick the easiest one, and build from there. I’ve mastered five habits over several months.
Finish
(Mac and iOS; $0.99)
Finish was created by two high school students who couldn’t find an app that worked for them. Each time you add a task to Finish, you select a due date: “Short Term,” “Mid Term,” or “Long Term.” You decide how many days each of those phrases means. Instead of telling you the day something is due, Finish tells you how long you have to complete it. When something is overdue, the text glows red.
Two ADD-friendly features: The app will alert you whenever something gets closer to its due date and move it from one time category to another – from Long Term to Mid Term, say. This means that you could be reminded about a task three times as it moves up the time line. Another helpful feature is Focus Mode, which shows only the most important tasks in your list and hides the rest.
NOTE: Please note that all names, models, prices, links, and specifications were accurate and items were in stock at the time of this article’s publication in 2014.
