I showed two people how to use Google Doc in the last few months. One was my sister for party-planning purposes, and the other was a college student for paper-editing purposes. They were amazed it existed. Hello, people. It’s not just for offices or academics. You can be as creative as you want with new technology and it has a potential place right in your home.
Google Docs and Google Drive are an amazing part of my home life. Let me share…
Reason #1: Meal Planning, Party Planning, Any Planning
Create charts on Google Doc, insert links (for example, links to recipes you find), and easily share-able. You can give other people the option to edit the document and/or leave comments for feedback if you are planning with others.
Having the documents saved in my Drive means I can access them in the future. I create a monthly food plan. The idea is for me to have 4 weeks of meals already planned, complete with a list of groceries needed for the recipes on a weekly basis. Over time I find better recipes I like and I can fine tune my monthly plan. This helps me make sure I have dinner plans with the necessary ingredients (increasing our chances of eating at home), and helps me become more efficient with the groceries I buy. You can include links to your favorite recipes right on the document and access them anywhere. I have my phone next to me when I’m cooking so I can read the recipe and not have to print it out.
Reason #2: Brainstorming Ideas
I keep running lists in Google Docs. Create a doc and add to it when an idea comes to you. I have the app on my phone and can easily access it on the go. Create folders to keep your docs organized.
I also keep a list of progress when I’m working on a project. This helps me see the growth in whatever I’m doing and keeps me focused on moving forward with the work.
Reason #3:To Do Lists
I can’t survive without a to-do list. It keeps me centered and focused. I create a simple chart on Docs and update it every week. I can insert links. I can share the document with my husband so he knows my plans. On that same note, I also use Google Calendar for family scheduling and share with my husband so he can access our schedule anywhere–work, on the go, wherever.
Reason #4: Save The Files
Use Drive as a cloud to store data. I’m sure you’ve all had the experience where your computer crashes, a flash drive breaks, or whatever the circumstance and you lose files. I certainly don’t have files from 15 years ago. Uploading to Drive is a great way to ensure that data doesn’t get lost.
Reason #5: Goal Planning.
I use Google Docs to keep a list of my short-term and long-term goals. You can create a chart and log what you’ve done to achieve the goals.
I also keep a Google Doc for seasonal goals. I have a list of things I want to do as a family in the summer,and I do the same for winter. On the document I can cross out what we’ve done and include the date it happened. I can share the document with my husband and he can edit it and/or leave comments. It’s just a great way to keep your lists. I can use the list for next year. There are so many possible ways of using the technology.
I hope I gave you a few ideas. Google is not just for working professionals (although I use it at work) or for students. It can definitely be used for family/home life and you will find its accessibility (anywhere as long as you can access the internet) is flexible and helpful.
Teresa Shimogawa 