This is the story of my life. I think I have ADD because it never fails…I could be doing one thing and the next thing I know I am off on a tangent with something else. My mind works at 100 M.P.H. even when I am sleeping. I wake up thinking about the next thing I have to do.

So I’ve begun my journey of getting focused and getting over being sidetracked. The first thing I did was to go out and buy a planner. It had to show me both a month at a glance and a week at a glance. I am a very global thinker and need to see everything at once so I am pretty picky about my calendaring system. I also need plenty of space to write down everything that I have to do for the day.

The planner also had to be compact enough, not to big and not too small, to carry in my purse. I also need something sturdy, something that won’t fall apart at the slightest touch. The metal spiral is perfect for me. The only drawback is I can’t add or remove pages, but I won’t complain too much. I got this planner at Wal-Mart for six bucks so it was a bargain for me.

One of my biggest issues is remembering all the things that my kids have going on at school. When I got the school calendar I put every date in my own calendar, especially vacation and early release days. If I don’t write it down I don’t know what’s coming up. I also put my daughter’s music lessons as well as bills that are coming up. So the planner has helped me stay somewhat focused. I still miss things because I don’t always have the planner with me but I do have my cell phone most of the time.

I’ve learned to use my appointment calendar on my cell phone rather well. It reminds me of upcoming appointments so I can forget about it. When I get an appointment I just put it in my phone and set the reminder. I see the upcoming event a day in advance, sometimes two depending on how early I want to remember it. It shows up on the main screen so my memory is jogged all day. This is very cool for me.

Right now I am experimenting with a couple of online assistants. I have a lot more going on in my life than just the kids’ and personal appointments. I am also a writer and internet marketer; any you know about all my other money making activities so I have to stay organized. I also need a different set of reminders for all the hats I wear so that I stay productive and plan some me time between everything else.

So here is what I am experimenting with right now:

Dial2do – this free service will allow me to call in reminder messages, send text messages and emails to my contacts, blog, twitter, and much more. It is a transcription service that takes my dictation and sends it to whichever service I want it to. It also sends me reminders and reads my emails for me.

reQall – Another free service that works much like Dial2go. It allows me to create reminders, shopping lists, appointments, and notes. I can share my information with my contacts as well. This is good for coordinating with my daughter and sending her reminders. It also synchronizes with my calendar.

Xpenser – This free service helps me keep up with my expenses. Each time I pay for something I can simply send a text message to the service with the amount and what it was for. It automatically enters it into my private and secure account online. I can review the stuff I spent money on as well as see where all my money is going. It’s good for people like me who won’t keep up with a pad and pencil. Later in the month I can compare it with my online bank statement and accurately tally where the cash I withdrew went.

So over the next month or two I will decide which tools I will keep. It will be determined by ease of use and accessibility. I have to be able to access it easily like being able to text something, use instant messenger, or make a quick call. The less I have to do the better.

So what tools do your use to keep you on track? Can you suggest others?

Samantha Gregory

Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.

Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.

She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.