To say that life as an attorney can be hectic and overwhelming at times may qualify as a modest understatement. I chose the word life instead of work because being an attorney seeps into most aspects of our daily lives. Phone calls or texts from friends (some close, others not so close) may lead to discussions about significant life issues involving requests for legal advice. Our families may come to rely on our advice and counsel on issues we never imagined, such as aging parents, calls from creditors, or power-of-attorney forms. Being an attorney means being someone that your friends, family, and co-workers can count on when they need a hand or to “just run something by you.” It is an honor to be thought of in this way, but it can come at the cost of feeling like you are being pulled in a million different directions at once. Below are a few things that have helped me navigate these waters in the last couple of years:

To Do Lists – I use a program called Things that allows me to keep one list on my computer that syncs with my phone, so I always have an up to date list of things that I need to do. Things is expensive, but there are other free apps that are just as good, like Wunderlist.

Calendars – If it’s not on my calendar, then I will almost never remember to do it. I use Microsoft Outlook and I put everything on it – both personal and business. I don’t like paper calendars. And my phone is always on me, so it may as well be the central repository.

Note Taking – I recently bought an iPad and Apple Pencil and now take notes almost exclusively on my iPad. I use a program called Notability that was cheap and performs wonders. I really like the search function because it will scan through my chicken scratch and do a pretty good job of finding whatever search term I’m looking for. This app has greatly reduced my use of paper, led to a cleaner office, and now I carry all my case notes wherever I go.

Music – If you look in my office, I’m likely to have headphones on any given day. In fact, no day goes by without me putting on my headphones and listening to music on my computer or iPhone. I have a Spotify membership which gives me access to more music than I could have ever dreamed for a few bucks a month.

Scanning – The single best piece of technology I’ve ever owned is my iPhone. The second best piece of technology I’ve ever owned is my scanner—a Fujitsu ScanSnap ix500, which is expensive but worth every penny. It has never let me down.

Driving & Parking – Lyft for when I don’t drive; Spothero for when I do.

You can really get lost in the dozens and dozens of options available in the “Productivity” field—just Google “to do lists,” and you’ll be amazed at the number of options. These are just the apps that work for me and help me keep the balls in the air on any given day. I still drop them occasionally, but I’m working on it.