Calendar Apps: The Decision Scheduler
Your calendar should make decisions for you:
Best Practices: - Time-block everything, including free time - Set default meeting lengths (25 or 50 minutes) - Color-code by energy required, not category - Include transition time between events - Make recurring events actually recurring
Advanced Features: - Calendly or similar for eliminating scheduling ping-pong - Buffer time auto-added between meetings - Focus time blocks that decline conflicts - Location-based reminders
Marcus saved 3 hours weekly by letting people book directly into his available slots. No more "How about Tuesday? No? Wednesday?" email chains.
Password Managers: The Security Automator
Every forgotten password creates decision stress.
Setup Once, Forget Forever: - One master password to rule them all - Auto-generate complex passwords - Auto-fill on all devices - Secure notes for other info - Regular password health reviews
Lisa uses 1Password and hasn't thought about passwords in years. Login decisions: eliminated.
Meal Planning Apps: The Food Decision Killer
Food decisions drain enormous energy. Apps can help:
Effective Options: - Mealime: Simple planning with grocery lists - PlateJoy: Customized to dietary needs - Eat This Much: Automated meal plans
The Key: Pick one, use it for at least 3 months. Don't optimize—implement.
Finance Apps: The Money Automator
For Budgeting: - Mint: See everything in one place - YNAB: Envelope budgeting digitized - Simplifi: Clean, simple tracking
For Investing: - Target-date funds: Set and forget - Robo-advisors: Automated rebalancing - Automatic transfers: Pay yourself first
The best financial app is the one that requires the fewest ongoing decisions.
Note-Taking Apps: The Brain Extension
Stop deciding where to put information:
The PARA Method (for any note app): - Projects: Current work - Areas: Ongoing responsibilities - Resources: Future reference - Archive: Completed items
Whether using Notion, Evernote, or Apple Notes, one consistent system eliminates "where does this go?" decisions.