When I’m busy and a deadline looms, I often feel as if there isn’t enough time in the world to get everything done. Despite this, when I actually have a moment to breathe and reassess, I normally end up feeling like I have nothing to do; my internal to-do list becomes so clogged up with everyday activities that it all becomes a blur and I can’t pick out any one thing that needs doing. Sound familiar?
When a to-do list or a mental checklist seems too overwhelming, give your life a little shuffle with the help of the appropriately titled Shuffle My Life. Currently trending on the app store, this program is looking to shake up our lifestyles, from the office to our social lives. Taking seconds to set up, simply hit shuffle to be given a random job to do, which can range from booking your holiday plans to clearing your desk.
You can select the kind of job you’re interested in doing through their ‘card packs’, which organise your life into areas including ‘social’, ‘productive’ and ‘fitness’, so if you’re sat behind your desk you could focus on productivity, but if you’re looking to try something new you could only select the ‘creative’ options. There are plenty of options to choose from, and if you don’t like the challenge you have, you can always swipe along to another one (although doesn’t that defeat the purpose a little?).
There are some card packs hidden behind a pricetag, including ‘family fun’ and ‘on a date’. All the paid content sounds more specific than the broader options like ‘media’ or ‘nature’, but at £1.79 for an extra pack filled with around 100 more shuffle opportunities, it’s worth the investment for people looking for more specific activities to get into.
The activities on offer already can give you plenty of fun as it is, with different cards having different time limits. Some, such as ‘clear the nearest desk’ or ‘invent a new word’ will inform you that they only take about five minutes and are totally free, while ‘visit a toy shop and buy a cool toy’ will take you around half an hour and set you back $15, according to the app. As far as I could tell, there was no way to change the dollars to pounds, which is a little irritating for British users, but you can save any task you want for later, and it keeps a record of how many tasks you completed to add to your sense of accomplishment.
The verdict
Too often we can find ourselves getting lost without a clear vision, and it can be infinitely enjoyable to just surrender to an app and decide to do whatever the shuffle brings up. Most of the activities on offer are quick, get you moving and will ultimately leave you feeling productive. Irritatingly, there’s no way to keep track of which activities you have completed, which would be a fun way to reflect on your week’s activities, but ultimately it’s an app that encourages you live life a little more, and there’s nothing wrong with that in my eyes.
Shuffle my life is available for Android and Apple devices, and you can learn more via their website
