How I Use Google To Organize My Entire Online Digital Life.
Posted: March 23rd, 2009 | 23 Comments »I will admit it – I am a Google addict. I didn’t want it to happen, and I tried for a long time to use different services for different needs, but I am 100% in bed with Google now…and I could not be happier about it. What am I talking about here? I am talking about the fact that I have completely organized and simplified my online life using most of Google’s services. I used to have Yahoo mail and Gmail, pictures on Flickr and SmugMug, documents stored somewhere else online (that I paid for), and a calendar I could only use if sitting in front of my home machine. But no more, as now Google holds everything I need and use on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at how doing things this way has gotten me more organized than I have ever been…
First of all, my email accounts. I have 10 email accounts. Yep, 10. One each for my main three websites I own and operate, a few personal ones, and ones that I use for random signups/newsletters/etc.. I even have 2 that I don’t use but only signed up for because I could use my full name or some derivative thereof. However, all 10 of them are incredibly easy to manage (I often forget I even have some of them) because I access each of them inside main Gmail account. As an additional help, I also made sure I could send email from any of these accounts from inside Gmail as well, so Gmail acts like a “normal” email program like Outlook, except for one thing – I can access/read/send my email from any computer on earth now. Makes things a lot easier when on the road and I need to take care of some business!
Next up, my calendar. Using Google’s calendar feature enables me not only to access my calendars from anywhere, but it also lets me share it with friends and family. For instance, my wife and I share a single Google calendar that we can both edit from anywhere, meaning we always know what the other has going on in terms of appointments, etc.. This is a lot easier than depending on our old planning books being “synced” with a pen and paper.
I also use Google Docs for all my word processing needs. This includes blog drafts, invoices, income/tax tracking, PDF storage, and anything else that comes in the form of a Word or Excel document. I used to use Word like everyone else, but found that using Docs not only enables me to access any of my documents from anywhere, but also makes sure I am only editing the most up-to-date version of any document. It also keeps document clutter off my computer(s), which helps keep me organized as well.
In addition to those big three reasons above that I use Google to organize my life, there are a few other reasons as well that may not seem like much – until you start using them every day. I use the Tasks feature inside Gmail as my “To-Do” list that I can check out anywhere, and it reduces the amount of paper scraps I find all over my house with things I should be taking care of. I also use Chat for talking to friends/colleagues who are on any of the other instant-messenger programs out there. Chat can hook up to most of them, so I only need to use this single interface. Talk about keeping things simple! *Edit/addition- And lastly, I use Reader for all my RSS needs, which keep me up to date.
In reality, almost my entire online life is being organized by Google. Are there privacy concerns to worry about? Probably – but A. I don’t do anything illegal and B. I bet the engineers at Google have much better things to do than to monitor what I store in my account. And as much as I back up my computers at home once every week or two, I still trust them to keep good care of my stuff way more than I trust myself. While I don’t store personal documents (like tax returns) with them, anything else I can think of is created/stored/accessed online with Google, as it reduces the paper use in my house and the constant searching for different things I know I need. Everything I need is right there, with one company, and I can access it from anywhere. I have never been this organized online, and it certainly has simplified my digital life. If you are not trying something like this but think you should be, don’t be afraid – give it a shot. I don’t think you will be disappointed! If you are already using Google to organize your online life, tell us about what you use and how you use it. Maybe your tips can help me out too!
Related posts:
- Free ‘Get Organized’ Forms Available For Use In Google Docs.
- How To Read And Send All Your Emails From Inside Your Gmail Account.
- Using Eventbox To Organize Your Social Media Life.
Do you get your 10 different Gmail accounts to all go through one? I would love to figure that out if possible.
I use google homepage for calendar and tasks along with email and it is sure simplified that way.
I do indeed. I don’t have 10 gmail accounts, but I do have a few, and they are all directed through my main account too. I should do a write-up on how to add accounts to your main account, no?
I’m using Gmail, 3 accounts is all I deal with, for all email needs…Gcal for any item I need a reminder for (still use paper calendar for most things), Docs for online storage of PDFs, resumes, etc…anything I may need access to from some random computer, and finally Reader for my RSS feeds.
I also have my homepage set to a customized Google so I can see my inbox, calendar, world clock, and my feed reader all in one place.
Overall, I’m really happy with the services Google offers, although I still prefer keeping my blog with Wordpress…just like their options more I guess!
A write up for folks on how to set up their Gmail inbox as a universal inbox would be great. If I could remember what I did, I’d love to contribute…ooops.
Jesse
Oh yes, I use Reader for my RSS feeds as well, forgot about that one! And I use wordpress for my blogs too, as they are really the best platform in my eyes, and Blogger just stinks.
Will write something up for sure, thanks Jesse!
Yes, please do share a how-to! I need it!
I just cannot recommend gmail enough! Have used it for many many years and it just keeps getting better every year!
I especially like the file storage on the emails – it just never ever goes away – so any doc mailed to yourself is always available from anywhere in the world, even if you haven’t used the google doc feature for it.
For the longest time I was dumping everything into google as well. Google has some pretty neat tools. But this year I have been slowly converting over my entire digital life to Apple. I love the products, I love their tools and its true it works right out of the box. I love the way it all syncs up. If course I still use google but my goal is to try and move away from it all together asap.
Good article!
I agree about Apple, as I only use Apple computers and the iPhone. But I use Google for all that other stuff so A. it is backed up 24/7 and B. I can access it from anywhere. Apple unfortunately doesn’t do “cloud” computing yet.
Well actually Apple does have a cloud. I do use mobileme for synching. Also using Evernote and Dropbox. I love using Apple Mail for my RSS reader. More than Google. And with more simplifying trying to only use my macbook and the Ipod Touch. I haven’t decided about the Iphone. AT&T is the hold up for me.
Ah, but MobileMe is $100 a year
. Besides, I have 16 email addresses I monitor and send from, and Apple’s webmail wont let you do that. 
Google Task is a recent and very nice function.
…this is what I’ve been saying to people. They argue, but you’ve pretty much answered the most common objections I hear.
It’s okay to hate Google I guess, but I’m still waiting for someone to give me the credible good reason.
—v
Is there a way to sync tasks with the iPhone? I’m using Todo with toodledo on the back end. I’m also using Highrise (mostly because of real estate) but I’d love to use Google contacts. It seems like there’s no “contact standard” that companies follow yet. Google contacts doesn’t have the ability to add notes with date stamp.
Thanks for the post.
Not that I know of JDeppen – I often use RTM in google and on my iphone.
I started to explore Google as a universal application but I need something that can sync with my phone (Windows Mobile). I couldn’t figure out a way to do that. I worry about changes because everytime I change something, other things go out of whack.
I didn’t know gmail would manage multiple accounts. I know this is a little late in coming judging by the dates of the previous posts, but you can manage multiple e-mail accounts in gmail like this:
1. Launch full Gmail
2. Click Settings (top right)
3. Click Accounts & Import
4. Click Import Mail and Contacts
5. Follow Gmail’s instructions from there.
Took me about 2 minutes to import one POP 3 account.
Now off to check into this Google Docs thing so I can stop carrying a portable hard drive between college office and home office.
I use Google Docs as well.. they are a wonderful place to keep documents, especially if they are to be accessed on multiple computers.
Thank you for this great article.
Now I use Google for everything, no more Word, Excel – all that replaced by Google Docs. I use Google Reader a lot, Google Talk to chat.
We recently started using Google Voice as our main phone number as well. It’s cool – I can direct it where I need it to go – and voice mails are sent as text emails. (It doesn’t work perfectly, especially if someone speaks British English or Southern…but it’s free, and you can get the main idea usually).
I also recently started using Google Contacts. In short – I don’t like to leave my inbox for too long. Oh, I also use my inbox for GTD sorting with action labels – basically my next action folder is my to do list.
Thanks for an interesting blog!
Susanne
I really like this post – I’m starting out by using google calendar exclusively, but if your internet is as flaky as my DSL, you are left scrambling when the internet goes done. I hope in your quest for simplicity, you’ve made backup provisions in case you don’t have internet access.
Maybe you haven’t had ISP problems yet, but if you’re storing everything in ‘the cloud’, the feeling of being SOL really hurts.
I’m starting to ramble… but maybe the solution is to get an extra cable/dsl/satellite connection on top of your existing one?
Ahem, I meant down, not done.
Good info, thank you. I’ve been using Yahoo mail for business and my blogs…along with Comcast for personal and I have an email through my college that I’ve synched to forward into my Comcast box. If I could somehow combine all of these to check them daily in one place that would be great.
Question: How do your Google contacts and Evernote work together? What are your thoughts re: Evernote as contacts manager?
Thanks~CVH