A Few Productivity Tools You Cannot Live Without
We are constantly faced with the need, or at least the desire, to do things faster. Sports heroes, musicians, scientists, salespeople, and experts (nerds) from many other disciplines have long known the secrets to, and the need for continuous improvement.
Simply put, if people have seen it before, it is no longer impressive to them. As the guy sitting next to me on the bus this morning said, “been there, done that.”
It is baked into our DNA to want to see and/or do sometime better than ever before. If it was not for this, the Guinness Book of World Records would not be nearly as popular. It is, apparently, the most stolen book.
What Does It Take To Go Faster
Is it fear? Is it expectation? Is it an angry spouse?
Well, to be fair, our motivations could come from anywhere. Really, they are irrelevant. If we know that we need to go faster, then we need to go faster. So we have two options; we can
- force ourselves to work faster. This is unpopular. Or we can
- use some kind of tool. This is cheating. But it works.
A Few Good Tools
You knew that would be the next headline, right? Ok, maybe it was a little obvious, maybe not. It does not matter – the next part is obvious.
Here are a few tools that I use to help me to be as productive as possible:
My Phone
I use a Blackberry 9630 for most of my communication. That includes phone calls (obviously), text messaging (also obvious), sending and receiving Twitter messages (yeah, Tweets), and most everything related to this blog (with the WordPress app).
When you comment here (hint) and I respond back, 9 times out of 10, I will have done it from my Blackberry. There are other smart phones that have just as much of an ability to help with your productivity. The iPhone and the Android quickly come to mind. If you have one of these phones, what apps do you use for productivity?
Notepad & Pen
This is what I use for most of my work while traveling via plane or public transportation. Mostly I use a notepad as a place to put works in progress and for periodic brainstorming. That is, I put the title of something I want to write on the top of each page and then review those pages every so often and add whatever comes to my mind while doing so. What you are reading right now was written with very little effort (perhaps that is not a good thing 
) over a day or so using this method.
A few days ago, Ileane mentioned (here) that there is a water-proof notepad. This is another great idea, though I have not tried this one yet.
mp3 Player / USB Drive
Yeah, I know these are not the same thing. But, you can use both of them (in most cases, but in different ways) to do the same things. Both can hold data like reports and presentation, and both can hold music files.
The great thing about mp3 players in particular, for me, is that I can listen to “books on tape” while traveling. I am not a huge fan of them on an airplane because you have to turn them up so much, but for driving, they cannot be beaten.
The Digital Pen
Another tool that I use to capture things that I have written is the digital pen. These are newer than the devices listed above (especially paper). There are a few of these on the market, as you can see in a simple search at Amazon.com. The idea here is that the pen will record your movements, presumably by way of black magic. Then, once you have written something, you can transfer it to your computer and use handwriting recognition software to turn your writing into a text file. This has actually worked pretty well for me.
Conclusion
There are so many tools that we have simply for our convenience or to make our days easier. What I have presented above is just the beginning.
Your Turn
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Twitter: aldric_chang
said:
Hello Mark, thanks for such a useful post. The tips are really good and simple to implement but will raise productivity considerably!
.-= Aldric Chang´s last blog ..How to Produce a Cartoon Series if You can Write but Can’t Draw =-.
Thanks for stopping by Aldric. These have certainly helped me. Have a great day!
Ok, you’re way more advanced than I. Before I catch up to your speed, I have questions.
First – The Blackberry. Yes, call me old fashioned, but I have the Blackberry Curve, 8330. Personally I love the actual buttons for typing. I’m not sure I would do well on a flat screen since my thumbs are kind of big….
So, I’m rather confused about using the BB for your website? I cannot imagine typing everything I want to write on the BB? I’d have a nervous breakdown. My current typing speed on a keyboard is 90 WPM, so I would think the BB would be tedious.
Second – Blackberry, are you talking about using a BB app for WordPress? I don’t use WordPress so I’m not familiar with its abilities.
I’d like to hear more about the control and ability you have to navigate, add and change stuff on your website via the BB app. (Very interesting)
Third – Public transportation? I live in Worthington, a suburb of Columbus Ohio. The only time public transportation is used here would be if your car broke down and it was 100% necessary. Side note: we just passed a “ban texting while driving” law. So saving time while texting and driving is now against the law. I know, it’s a BAD thing, but very tempting. Actually, it’s even illegal to text while at a stoplight or traffic jam. Now, I’ve been guilty of that.
Forth: I agree on the storage devices. I don’t know how I survived without USB ports to support my external storage memory devices. Ahh, I do sync my BB to Outlook, Facebook and Twitter. Very handy.
Fifth and final: I haven’t used the digital pen, and I have no idea what the notepad & pen are. I still like my post-it notes. haha.
I want to examine some of the tools you mentioned and determine if they would help my productivity. I’m 42, which is a weird age. I’m almost before/during the computer revolution. 1 generation ahead of me has a very different opinion of technology than the generation behind me.
Very insightful post. I still can’t believe you use the BB for this!
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..Avoid Home Distractions =-.
Haha – I don’t know that I am advanced. I use the BB for things like replying to comments out of necessity. I tend to be away from my computer about 70%-80% during the day so being able to write from BB is great.
But, I don’t write full posts from it. Instead, I use the WordPress Blackberry app to do drafts which are really more like outlines. Then, when I get home, I use a regular computer to fill in the holes. I also review the posts on BB prior to posting (which can also be done via the app).
While there is nothing to prove that I won’t have a nervous breakdown, I find typing on the Blackberry to be ok so long as I am not writing really long comments. The biggest thing I like about using the device for this is the ability to connect to the blog & comments left there at any time. For example, if I have 5 minutes after lunch, I will respond to comments.
I have only used WordPress as a blogging platform, so I can’t really compare it to anything else. But, I can say that it is REALLY easy to use. This site is not the most beautiful thing in the world, but it only took about 45 minutes to install WordPress, a template, and to then alter the css to make it look the way it does.
One more thing – I am a big fan of post-it notes at work. I have a wall that has about 50 new notes every day. The challenge is in knowing which of them is ready to throw away at any given time.
Have a great day and avoid the rain – if you can.
Twitter: TheJohnSoares
said:
Mark, a few comments:
1. I only use pen and paper for to-do lists, and even then I have monthly to-do lists as Word documents that I print out.
2. Everything else is in Word documents. I don’t have to worry where paper notes are and how to store them.
3. I always have my digital recorder/mp3 in my pocket to capture ideas and to take audio notes.
4. I have a second digital recorder that I play educational audios on while I drive or lift weights.
5. I have a basic cell phone — TracFone — that I rarely use. When I’m out and about, I’m basically offline, and I like it that way.
Great post!
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..Middle-Aged Brains Actually Work Quite Well =-.
Haha – I love the title of your post “Middle-Aged Brains Actually Work Quite Well” – that is great!!
I have not used to a digital recorder to capture ideas yet, but that is a great one. Mostly, I use whatever I have at my disposal at a given point in time. Good thought though – I may pick one up on the way home.
I do enjoy the way a pen feels on paper for some reason. There are drawbacks, of course. I have lost my pad of paper at times and all of the notes with it & that was for a report I was writing at work. That was not fun.
I really appreciate the conversation! Have a great day!
I could write a book (that no one would read) about how my Blackberry ruined my Thanksgiving vacation..
Ok, it wasn’t really the Blackberry’s fault, but I was on it most of the time. I really didn’t see a problem with that. When family discussions would get boring, I would catch up on TV (Love Sprint TV on the BB), Facebook, text etc.
I honestly thought I was multi-tasking and no one cared. Of course, when I arrived home – everyone was all too happy to tell me how upset they were while I was on vacation and the BB came first…
What’s funny is that the stigma attached to the BB was the most damaging. If I was reading a book, they wouldn’t have been as insulted. I think what bothers people is that what we do on the BB is a mystery (they can’t see). There’s thousands of apps and uses for it. Unlike a book, that we read 1 story, and it’s obvious to everyone, the BB, or Crackberry, really seems to offend some people.
In retrospect, I understand how it can appear insulting to some. I also think it’s normal for me/us to see friends and acquaintances on their phones, and it’s not big deal.
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..Avoid Home Distractions =-.
Ha. I think that my biggest problem with phones in general is that the screens are small and it hurts my eyes to stare at them too long.
You do see more and more people texting and browsing with their phones in public. It does seem fairly normal to me, but I guess not to everyone.
Good story.
I don’t think PDA & Smartphone users get the same respect as a book reader or Kimble reader.
Someone should do a hidden camera test. Have someone walk around on their blackberry and see the reactions from others.
Then have the same person walk around reading a book.
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..Avoid Home Distractions =-.
Twitter: mikeroosa
said:
I have the iPhone and a ton of apps but I don’t use anything consistently that is productive other than email. My phone is mostly just a toy.
.-= Mike Roosa´s last blog ..Motivated As Hell – The Review =-.
Haha. Hi Mike. I guess it really is up to each person to find a way that works for them. I would never get anything done without my phone.
Nice to see you here Mike. Have a great day!
Hey Mark,
Well, I guess you could say I’m old school when it comes to keeping my action items organized.
I have my day planner, and I keep a few things on an excel spreadsheet. Overall, I find it is EXTREMELY better, for me. I do not get distracted. I stay focused. I take disciplined action and just knock the items off.
But, i guess if I had to put one tool down that I don’t live without…it’s my flipcam these days.
Brandon
.-= BrandonBurgh´s last blog ..TheInfoPreneur Blogging Conspiracy =-.
Hey Brandon –
Thanks for the comment. You raise a great point – all of the gadgets and tools in the world will not save you from yourself. That is, forcing yourself to do the work is the most fundamental part of getting things done. I don’t have a flipcam. Is that what you are using to make videos on your website?
Hey Mark,
don’t get me wrong…gadgets work great for many people. I’ve just found them to distract me from my focus.
Regarding flipcam…I don’t use anything special. I use a Small Wonder EZ201. I found it on Ebay for $50 and bought it…didn’t want to to splurge for $150 for one.
Here is the review of it that convinced me it was good enough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrAuCSJhB0I
They actually strapped one to the side of a model airplane!
Brandon
.-= BrandonBurgh´s last blog ..TheInfoPreneur Blogging Conspiracy =-.
Ha. That link is pretty cool. I would have thought that the heat would have caused some kind of problem. Very nice. Thanks for the info – it looks like a pretty great tool. Have a great day Brandon.
Twitter: dangerdiabolick
said:
Interesting stuff
You share great content, keep rocking !
.-= Srivathsan G.K´s last blog ..5 Top Online Photo Printing Services =-.
Thanks Srivathsan. I don’t know that I am really rockin, but I appreciate your vote of confidence!
Have a great day!
Twitter: kruby
said:
Pen and paper for me. Nothing beats physically writing stuff down as it focuses your mind and reinforces the ideas.
I really love my iTouch though – so useful and there’s an app for everything!
I spent way too much time in front of the computer so anything that gets me away from it helps me re-energize.
.-= Karen´s last blog ..Friday’s Links =-.
Hey Karen –
Haha. I can relate to that!
I actually use pen and paper more than anything else, and the BB is second (now for example).
Thanks for stopping by & have a great day!
Twitter: segedoo
said:
For me, it’s got to be my phone, my notepad and pen, then my laptop, and last but not least my ipod.
Without these tools life would definitely go on but I love it better with them
You seem to use anything you can at the time – I can relate to that.
Thanks for the comment! Have a great day!