Hope you have all had a great week.
I have just been to my childrens Christmas nativity and right after this I am heading to my fathers Christmas party at the Hilton in Leeds for yet more festive fun.
Productivity is more important than ever right now as we just have more things to do, and there is a prominent deadline that we have to meet. More about that, as I feel a post coming on later in the week about festive productivity.
I eventually took the plunge this week and ordered a MacBook Air. I have been wanting one since they came out but it was only due to some unexpected cash coming my way that I thought what the hell and went ahead to buy one.
My main machine is a 17″ MacBook Pro hooked up to a 30″ display. A great setup but I do miss the portability that you do sacrifice with the 17″ MacBook Pro. It is an amazing machine for moving between my works office and my home office but that is about it.
So, I am sat now on my sofa writing this blog on my MacBook Air. So far I am loving the Air, it just fits the bill for exactly what I need it for. It will never be my main laptop but it is still a very powerful machine for the size.
Here are my collection of links for this week.
Hope you have all had a good week and I have some more posts lined up already for the coming week.
Christmas is approaching at an alarming pace, soon time for a few days rest!
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a new productivity application called Springpad.
Springpad is one of the more interesting attempts at organization currently available from designers who wish to provide a fresh take on productivity software.
Although it is probably best taken as a single part of a total organizational plan the system is nonetheless a very impressive program which can go a long way toward providing users with a forum for keeping their thoughts and lists in one attractive and detailed place.
The software is exceptional and provides easy access coupled with pleasant visuals. Springpad’s designers have obviously spent a significant amount of time ensuring that their organizational method is both functional and graphically impressive.
Navigation of various Springpads and their editing or maintenance features is very well established and easy to pick up and get used to using while the aesthetics are all extremely clean and colorful, proving conducive to the experience rather than acting as an unnecessary level of eye-candy.
Design elements such as lots of open space and simple icons work together to create a beautiful home for daily list creation and editing.
Due attention should be paid to the unique Springpad system that has been developed here. The programmers have created their very own nomenclature and sorting method through their ‘springpads’— essentially any number of organizational pages and sections for users to customize. The developers have created a substantial number of Springpads with templates for popular organization projects (holiday shopping, grocery lists, weekly chores, medical check-ups and prescriptions, etc.) so users can easily pick a well-established outline for common work.
Aside from this, it is quite easy to learn how to make your own, specially tailored and completely personalized Springpads from the tools provided.
As mentioned before, Springpad is probably best taken as one aspect of a larger GTD (or other) productivity plan. Even from within this light the program still offers a fantastic option for any individual’s organizational system.
GTD devotees will most likely get the best mileage out of using Springpad as a temporary holding place for their short-term actions.
Springpads are great places to keep next actions or tasks which may have many different facets but still require completion within a small time-frame.
They can also be shared among other users or re-used when the situation calls for repeat access (like in daily or weekly actions such as meal preparation or regular work tasks).
Lastly it should be noted that each Springpad can have online features added in to enhance their usefulness. Through the addition of maps, location-based favorites (such as restaurants, hotels and more) or e-events, users can easily improve the functionality of every one of their lists and pages.
Springpad does a good job of keeping its users up to date on all company news, job listings and community information through their homepage.
Tutorials and in-depth guides to the system abound which help to ensure that even novices will have a painless process getting used to creating and editing their own Springpads. The hosted blog also helps in keeping all application updates and information in one place as well.
Users who try out Springpad are sure to be happy with at least some aspect of the program given the detail present in each organizational option intended by the developers.
Although it may ultimately prove to be a bit shallow on the whole for those who want a single resource for all of their productivity tasks, Springpad should still be commended for its inventive take on GTD software and organizational software in general.
Do you use Springpad?, If so, I would love to hear your thoughts on the application.
Evernote is in my opinion one of the best productivity applications available on the Internet and, luckily, the iPhone application (which serves as translation to this service) is a great mobile access method.
I use the Web, Mac, and iPhone versions of Evernote and it has saved my bacon on more than one occasion.
The creators of the app have paid close attention to the strong suits of Apple’s gadget with the ultimate result of producing a strong, efficient and extremely useful tool.
The same features which users look for in the traditional version of Evernote are all represented here and have been tailored to complement the iPhone technology aptly.
Users are able to create and edit memo documents easily from the program’s menu as well as take quick reminder photos using the built-in camera. Evernote has also made good use of the iPhone’s microphone to allow for convenient recording of voice memos.
Synchronization and offline viewing help to extend the program’s functionality so that it is truly worth using and counting on within every situation where a note can be taken and/or organized.
The iPhone iteration of Evernote is certainly worth a download for both existing users and those just looking for a solid organizational program to help maintain or increase their daily productivity.
A wide feature base and design which encourages usage throughout any situation combine to make the Evernote iPhone app an invaluable productivity tool.
Do you use Evernote? If so, I would love to hear the cool ways in which you use this application to make you more productive.
I had as great weeks vacation at Centerparcs with my family. I now feel energized and ready to get back to it.
I used my Moleskine and iPhone to their full ability whilst away, making a lot of notes and collecting every thought I had to ensure all my Open Loops were closed.
I had to do quite a catch up when I got back as I did not have 3G access on my Mac but I did on my iPhone.
Here are my collection of links for this week.
I am trying to get one more post in tonight, a post covering the Top 10 Most Downloaded Free Productivity iPhone Apps.
Wishing you all a great week and I am glad to be back.
I am going away tomorrow to Centerparcs with my family. I am looking forward to a nice week in the forest spending quality time with my family.
Like many people, I work hard and taking time out is quite hard due to the pressures of running your own business. However, bonding and spending quality time with your family is also very important and getting that work life balance is always key. I have four children so spending time with them is one of my main priorities but luckily I am home a lot so get a lot of time to spend with them.
Luckily, I have always been able to utilize my vacations as great “think tanks”. I always seem to come out of a vacation more energized than when I went in. Some of my greatest ideas have come out of being away on vacation.
I think it is the fact that I remove myself from my daily routine, so my brain is able to focus its thought patterns on other, more creative tasks.
I thought I would take the time to share what I consider to be five great tips for getting the most out of a vacation from a productivity point of view:
Before you go on vacation, I feel that it is imperative that your Open Loops are closed.
What I mean here for those of you new to the term Open Loops is that you have to ensure your mind is free of niggling tasks that must be done before you leave. In the few days leading up to your vacation, it is very important to hone your productivity skills in order to complete the tasks that must be complete.
I like to prioritize the tasks that must be done before I go away and things that can wait. I do a pre-vacation review and get my task system in place with a clear defined list of actions that I must do in order to go away with a clear mind.
I always let people who may be needing me in the week I am away know that I am going to be away. This sets their expectations and removes the worry that you will get something to deal with that is urgent whilst you are away.
A very important thing to do is to set your Out Of Office Assistant letting people clearly know that you are away, when you will be back, who they can contact whilst you are away, and what they can do if they need to contact you.
Using a system like AwayFind is a fantastic resource for covering when you are on vacation. I have just changed my regular Out Of Office message to state that I am away on vacation with limited access to email, but they can still send me an urgent message through AwayFind if needed.
I love to read when I am away. I love biographies and anything which will improve my mind and motivate me. I have just finished reading Tycoon by Peter Jones and I am taking with me this time The Real Deal by James Caan. Book reviews will follow for both these books pretty soon.
Books ignite the spark in my brain and help me with my thinking. I normally pick up some little nuggets of inspiration from these books and it is always nice to see how other people made it. I like to read about success, motivation, and also people who are self made entrepreneur millionaires.
As I have wrote about before, when I am on vacation with an empty mind, I get my most creative thoughts. Because of this, and also the fact that I am not in front of my Mac all day it is very important to take a good notebook and pen with you.
I normally pack a couple of Moleskine’s and a few pens to ensure everything is collected. I always have my iPhone but seem to prefer paper based collection when I am away.
It is so important to collect and record these thoughts as soon as they enter your head. Once I return home, I enjoy recording all these into my GTD system to ensure that they are allocated and scheduled for completion when they need to get done.
Last but not least, Enjoy yourself!
You work hard, and you deserve a break! Too many times we are at work dreaming about being at home, and then when we are at home we are dreaming about being at work. It is important to utilize the time on vacation to recharge your batteries so you can return to the office energized!
Well, I will enjoy myself and I know I will have some great productive ideas that will be put to good use on my return.
Do you have any little tips and tricks for getting the most out of your vacations? I would love to hear!
Thanks, and have a productive week!
This week I am linking to five blogs that I have never linked to before. Some of these are established and some are total newbies to Productivity Blogging. Great to see new blogs appearing all the time.
If you have a new blog and have some great posts, be sure to let me know and I will gladly link to your great content in my weekly link roundup.
Here are my collection of links for this week.
I am going away tomorrow for a midweek break to Centerparcs in Nottingham. Looking forward to a nice break with the family before the chaos of Christmas sets in.
May not be many posts this week, 3G coverage dependent.
I blogged earlier today about the new Using your iPhone to Get Things Done micro site that Apple had just released.
One of the items on the micro site is a list of the Top 10 Paid iPhone Productivity Applications.
I am presuming this is based upon data from Apple and download information over a time period. However it is worked out, this is great data from Apple as you can see what other people are downloading in order to use their iPhone and iPod Touch as a productivity device.
So, below is the list from Apple along with links to Productivity Apps in the iTunes store.
The big shock for me is that my favorite GTD app on the iPhone, Omnifocus, is not on the list!. Maybe the cost of OmniFocus puts people off, and also the fact that you do really need the Mac App as well in order for it to work to the full effect.
The only real GTD or Task based item on the list is Things, which comes in at number 8!. Maybe
The category within iTunes for Productivity is quite big and covers a lot of areas. It is however interesting to see which applications are selling the best from Apples point of view.
What do you think? Are you surprised by this list of the top 10 Productivity Apps?
Apple have just released a new iPhone Your Life micro site as part of the Apple Website.
This is a collection of micro sites that help you fit the iPhone into your life. The site has five further micro sites.
As you can imagine, the Getting Things Done Micro Site is of real interest.
This GTD Micro Site covers a lot of the main GTD related apps such as OmniFocus, Evernote, and reQall. All apps which I fully recommend for anybody looking to get the most out of their iPhone or iPod Touch as a Productivity Tool.
On the page they also mention some great Podcasts and material that is available via iTunes including the Getting Things Done audio book by David Allen. I have listed to the Audio book a few times and it is great as a recap whilst you are traveling and otherwise wasting valuable time.
Check the site out and I hope you find it useful. I am going to do separate posts with the Top Paid and Free productivity apps, according to Apple.
I have just come across Springpad via a Google Alert and thought I would share it all with you.
Springpad is a web-based life organizer that is based on free online notebooks, called Springpads. There are Springpads for most items from a Moving Checklist right through to a Daily Diary. There is even a GTD Notebook Springpad which allows you to organize your tasks in a system based on the Getting Things Done methodology from David Allen.
Check out the welcome video below from Springpad.
This does seems like a different approach from the normal web based organizers and one that I feel needs a more in-depth look before I make my mind up as to the value of the application.
I have registered for an account and I have added it to my review list so expect to see an in-depth review coming soon.
have you tried Springpad? I would love to know what you thought about it.