( Joodie Shy )

This is a list of 7 online tools I use every week (if not more often) to maintain my happiness and sanity. Some keep me organized- allowing a clear, focused mindset; others serve as reminders- prodding me to continue with what’s working and be mindful along the way.

www.optimismonline.com – This is a straightforward application for anyone looking to track their mood, sleep quality, exercise, and stress/unhappy triggers in life. There is also a great tool where you get to check off which “coping techniques” I made use of on that day. It always serves to remind me that happiness is within my reach and the resources are always there, I just need to make better use of them. I pay for the online app but there is also a desktop and iPhone app available.

www.joesgoals.com – A brilliant tool I found to keep track of goals. I use mine for daily goals (or things I would really like to achieve daily) as well as a one sentence daily gratitude journal. You can also add weekly goals, or however often you need. It keeps a record of your consistency and reminds you of what you’re trying to achieve. I highly recommend it for it’s complete simplicity!

www.mypassiontestonline.com – First I read the book. Then I signed up for the online tool. I created my profile, updated my passions, elaborated on them all and followed through on several fun exercises. Once discovering my top 5 passions I feel more focused every day. If I can only achieve one thing in a day I strive for it to be aligned with one of my passions. Leading a passion filled life is a happy life.

www.goodreads.com – An online community based around books. I get to record, review, and track my progress with my books. It creates a feeling of order to my sometimes wild stacks of books surrounding my nightstand. It’s also great to keep track of how far along you are and how many books you’ve already read.

www.mint.com – Just a few days ago Quicken decided they were giving up on their online financial monitoring service in favor of Mint. They did not support a smooth transition and I had to re-enter all of my login data, in addition losing all of my 2010 financial history/trends. A bummer indeed. But I find a financial organizer is completely vital to my peace of mind. I hate balancing check books and rarely make undocumented purchases, so it’s easy to keep track of all my pennies. I’m in control, I can set budgets, get alerts, plan goals… it’s great and I actually like Mint more than Quicken now.

www.evernote.com – This one provides me with organization, less clutter and thus a peaceful state of mind. Any stray pieces of informational paper clutter get organized here, as well as any blog posts I don’t have the energy to read right away. Business cards and numbers are in a central location and I always have a backup to rely on if I’m away from home. Compatible with my phone I can take a snapshot of anything I want to remember. Keeping my mental RAM free for use on more important things.

www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com – How could I not add this?! It’s a bunch of happiness producing tools all wrapped up into one great community toolbox. I mostly like to get inspiration from this website, but it does provide a great arsenal for any aspiring happy person. Journals, goals, etc… it’s all there. Check it out!

Note: None of these links are promoted or affiliated links. I do not make any money by suggesting these tools. This is just my unbiased list of great resources! And I’m sure I’ve missed a few so feel free to add them in the comments.

So what do you find yourself returning to time and time again to keep your sanity and happiness in tact? What simple tools help you stay focused?

Tags: books, happiness, learning, organization, personal finance