July 9, 2011

I confess, I’m a terrible app junkie. With apps I can usually accomplish whatever I want faster, easier and maybe even better.
Apps that help with productivity and workflow are my biggest friends. I’ve tried.. too many (sorry Hubby!).
I found the perfect solution for myself and I want to share it with you.
(I’m working on iOS, so my advice is mostly for Mac users, but not all of it is based on computer, so stay atuned)
IDEA GENERATORS
First and foremost, I shuffled away my notebook that would lie next to my computer with some to-dos in it.
To open it, find the latest important scribble was simply too time consuming.
Some time ago, I’m not sure when I’ve heard this advice exactly, Dyana Valentine was talking about index cards.
As I recall correctly her way of working with them was very similar to what I’m doing with mine :
INDEX CARDS STRATEGY :
- On your Index Cards scribble ideas through the day (freely, with no particular order, just go with it)
- By the end of the week, throw away the ones that aren’t good enough to keep them near you.
- Put your weekly Index Cards somewhere is a display (illustration board for example)
- By the end of the month, go through the accumulated Index Cards and — again — strip the bad ones (the ones that are just hokey-pockey or don’t make your heart sing)
- Either start working on implementing the ones that are ripe and ready to act upon or put them in the manila envelope or any kind of folder.
- After 3 months go through them again and decide, which ones are worth keeping.
It’s good to have a separate folder for bigger goals and dreams. You can put those index cards inside of them and check up after 6 months or so, to see if the ideas are still valuable.
WORKFLOW + PRODUCTIVITY
So, as you see, I must have my Index Cards on my desk at all times. I will write on them my ideas, super-thoughts, but also upcoming webinars (if there is no way to save the date automatically in my iCal). At the end of the day, I’ll put the dates in the iCal, but not during my work hours.
Let’s talk apps.
2 apps + 1 software I can’t live without.
It’s a paid app. It costs some mulla. But it’s worth every penny.
I’ve been deciding on using it for far too long. A year maybe. In the meantime, I spent an insane amount of time finding the perfect solution for my to-dos. Remember the Milk (too clunky), TeuxDeux (too small, hard to categorize), pen+paper (I would end up with lists in 3 of my notebooks, simply, because I’d forgot to take it with me somewhere, where I’d need to update it).
I needed an app, that would allow me to categorize everything I want, create separate projects, make my to-does easy to update, warm me about the due dates, show me, what’s upcoming, visually minimal.
Now, there is additional rule I follow. Unfortunately, this one will only work for those of you, who own iPad.
I bought THINGS for iPad. The WHY comes in a sec. If I wouldn’t have an iPad, I’d still buy it for my iMac ight away.

The WHY (STRATEGY)
A bonus advice for the iPad lovers.
I’ve decided to check my emails, to-does only on my iPad, only during my brake time, and only if I feel it’s time to see what’s pilling up in the gmail (just recently switched from macmail — Thanks Ethan!).
My iMac is for work related stuff only, until 6pm. Period.
Same happens with Things. They only exist on iPad. With one touch I mark what’s been done and scan through what’s next. It’s also much cheaper to buy. Things for iPad cost 20 bucks. It’s like 5 times at Starucks people!
This app blew me away.
Dejal will alarm you when it’s time to take a brake, which basically means that you’ve worked for certain amount of time.
You are the one who sets up your brakes. After you decide you want to have a time out every hour, you are going to see a tinted screen for certain amount of time.
On top of that you can set up which song should start playing, when the brake starts. My choice ? Lisztomania of course! Additionally you can create mini brakes for your stretch ups and to just rest your eyes on the tree above your desk.
Some of you might be feeling anxiety right now. Tinted screen? While I work? No way! I need to save that sucker! Well, you can, scardy kitty, you can. Take a look at this tinted screen attack on my monitor right below. Neat, huh?
Sorry for the noise in the 2nd part of the video, but as I said — I unplugged my mic for some demonstration time
Those 2 apps, 1 strategy and 1 stock of Index Cards get me organized and on top of the world.
I’d love to see, what helps you with staying on track with workload and what kind of fun I might be missing by not using what you’re using.
Btw, I’m writing this post in Journler. But that’s another story..