April, 2013 | List Producer

Try This Tip To Be Less Stressed

April 10, 2013/2 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Google Calendar (Photo credit: HRC)

I have a productivity tip that will help you save time, your sanity and make sure you arrive stress free to dinners, meetings, phone calls and appointments.

The way to do this is to prepare and think ahead. Whenever I make plans for anything I instantly import them into my digital calendar. I use Outlook for work and Google Calendar for home stuff. As soon as I make the appointment I type in the time, date and how I will get there.

I make sure to do this right then and there so I don’t forget. If I move on to something else I’m sure to get wrapped up in that other project and might not remember what I’ve committed to do. So I put in all the pertinent information and figure out how exactly I’m getting there. If I’m taking the subway, walking or driving I make sure to get directions and include them in my calendar notes.

Then I set the reminder alarm for however long I think it will take me to get there plus 15 minutes. Sometimes you need a little time to get ready to go if you are doing something else. So I add in this extra pad for myself.

When I’m ready to leave , I just glance down at the directions I’ve already laid out — and I go. It’s a great system for arriving on time and unstressed.

Carrot: Bossy To-Do List App Makes Productivity a Game

April 7, 2013/4 Comments/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I don’t usually respond well to bullies but for some reason I’m really liking the Carrot app because of it’s pushy ways. I downloaded the to-do list app after a friend told me about it and I’ve been using it for several days.

The idea is that this to-do list with a personality will help you to get all your tasks ticked off. And when I say “personality” I mean “attitude.” Carrot’s mood changes depending on how productive you are. It’s pretty funny actually. But as you finish a task you earn points and unlock new features and get rewards.

Here’s my list of pros and cons:

PROS:

The fun game-type format makes you want to complete tasks to find out what Carrot has in store next.
It’s very easy to use and intuitive.
One of the gifts I was given was a cat named Captain Whiskers. How cute!

CONS:

Not very forgiving if you make a mistake at first. As you work your way through the levels you are able to edit, undo and change tasks.
There aren’t any pictures of Captain Whiskers. I think they will probably improve on this in future versions to increase the fun factor.
I could see people getting tired of Carrot’s schtick and not using it after the novelty wears off.

I think this could be a fun way to get more done for a lot of people. It’s definitely worth a try. Let me know what you think of Carrot if you’re using it. Also — I have no idea why it’s called Carrot.

Happy 2nd Birthday to My Blog

April 4, 2013/4 Comments/in Increase Productivity, Learning With a List/by Paula Rizzo

Candles spell out the traditional English birthday greeting (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My blog is two years old today! Happy Birthday! I can’t believe it — what started as a list to help me find an apartment has turned into one of the most fun things I’ve ever done.

Thank you to all who read regularly and all of you newbies too. This year I’ve learned that it’s OK to take a break here and there — and not beat myself up over it! I hope no one minds too much when I disappear for a few days.

Like some of my favorite things (wine!) in intend for this blog to get better with age! Here’s some of the upcoming projects that I’ll be working on to make this blog even more fabulous:

Posting more regularly with themed days! (Who doesn’t love a theme?)
Uploading more tips and tricks via video. (Sometimes talking is so much easier than typing. And I get to talk with my hands which speaks to my Italian heritage)
A Private Productivity Assessment Giveaway! (Yes, I will post more details next week but I want to help you get more productive and
Connect with my readers more often! (I’m thinking Twitter chats and more events with my Lists & Libations group)

If you have any ideas for blog posts or would like to team up on a project I’m all ears! Please shoot me an email to Paula (at) ListProducer (dot) com.

Thanks for reading!