The smart gizmos we use today can liberate you from the tyranny of paper. However, in practice it can be much harder: people are still reluctant to say goodbye to sticky notes, phone books, and other relics from the past. To help you out, we've prepared 5 App Categories that will do wonders at organizing your personal and work life.

1. To-Do Lists

Best apps: Todoist, Tick Tick, Workflowy, Any.do

To-Do List apps are a thousand times better than regular paper notes. Here's why:

• you can easily edit, delete or add new list items;
• instantly share your lists with other people;
• assign tasks and delegate work;
• monitor progress;
• set reminders.

Besides, your objectives can be separated into categories: Work, College, Household, Events, Health, and others. All of them are 100% customizable, by the way.

2. Scanning

Best apps: MS Office Lens, Scanbot Pro

Anything can happen to an important document — coffee stains, loss, termites. It may even get shredded by mistake. And don't forget: sometimes you need to mail it too. To make a backup copy and share docs instantly, you can scan them via your gadget.

Whatever it is, a college diploma, birth certificate, or a sick note, it can be turned into a quality image and stored on your phone/PC /cloud storage for good. Some of such apps can decipher scanned symbols and turn them into editable text.

3. E-signature

Best apps: Adobe Sign, Topaz

Digital documents are becoming mainstream. And there's a way to sign them, without having to start your printer. A digital signature can be put on almost every e-file, including PDF. But first, you'll need to draw it with a mouse/stylus, using one of the special services.

4. File-synching

Best Apps: Dropbox, Google Drive, Omega

You might have amassed a bundle of important files: receipts, podcasts, e-books, bank statements, and so forth. Sometimes an emergency occurs, and you need a certain file right this second. A file-synching service can save the day: it allows instant access to the data you store in it from any device. Just identify yourself through logging in and get to work. Every major service of that kind offers a free mobile app for both Android/iOS and uncrackable encryption algorithm.

5. Document sharing

Best Apps: WeTransfer, Dropbox, SHAREit

Sending files via email is burdensome. And you never can guess if the recipient has gotten to the stuff you sent. To make things fast, easy, and monitorable use a sharing file-service. After you upload the data to be shared, it generates a link. When the receiver clicks on it — downloading begins. You can also protect sensitive files with a password or make the link expirable.

Hopefully, our tips will make your office a less cluttered area. Remember that not only will you have to empty your trash bin less, but also contribute to nature!