Eliminate Small Annoyances to Boost Productivity

1_525527379346252552737934a0We all experience them, those little everyday things that get in our way.

But you deal with them even when they set you back. I do it too.

I’m sent tons of magazines and books at work and they are good resources for story ideas. However they take up so much space.

I keep them on my desk because I always plan on looking at them. But in the end they just get in my way and slow me down and create clutter.

They topple over onto my keyboard.

They spill onto my notes and pencil and often I can’t find what I’m looking for — but there they are…under that stack of magazines.

So why don’t I just move them! Right? We’ll it’s a lot easier said than done. These types of irritants are only slightly annoying so we let them slide. Read more

Another App Bites the Dust — Wun Wun is Done

wunwun

If you follow this blog you’ll know that I seem to be cursed when it comes to apps. As soon as I find an app I like, it closes down, or gets bought out. Remember Umano, Astrid, Orchestra SpringPad and CardMunch.

It’s happened again.

I very rarely eat Shake Shack, mainly because they don’t do delivery and aren’t available on Seamless. So for the odd times when I feel like a burger I normally order through Wun Wun.  That’s the delivery service that I’ve told you about in the past and it’s even in my book!  They’ll get whatever you need from a store or restaurant in under an hour.  Perfect.

So you can imagine how disappointed I was when I opened my Wun Wun app to find it had been closed down. Read more

Be More Productive With An Accountability Buddy

friendsIn 1898 Norman Triplett conducted a study measuring the speed of cyclists. He noticed that when the cyclists’ speeds were faster when racing against each other rather than against the clock alone. He then replicated this study with people of all different ages, doing all different tasks. The results where always the same.

We perform much better when in the presence of others.

Accountability works very similarly. We are more likely to complete a goal if we are held accountable to it by others. So how can you get started? Here are some high-tech and lo-tech solutions: Read more

Umano App is History – Here’s some on-the-go Solutions

umano1-300x300It always seems to be that whenever I fall in love with an app, it makes serious changes, or gets bought out. Well  that curse has struck again!

Umano will be closing down on June 12th. I’ve been a huge fan of Umano since I discovered it.  The app gave me the chance to listen to articles I was interested in but didn’t have time to read while I was walking to the subway. I’ve also enjoyed recording my own posts, so I will be sad to see it go.

But what’s next? What can I do now to consume content on the go?

Here’s what I plan on trying to help move on now that Umano is closing down: Read more

How to Schedule Meetings in a Snap

Learn how to become a better schedulerSometimes it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done, and in spite of making and maintaining a list to help us streamline our lives, some things still end up causing unneeded stress.

For me, I get a bit anxious whenever I need to schedule a meeting.  It seems silly but the thought of having to look at my calendar and come up with several options stops me in my tracks.  I usually end up putting off those types of emails for a while and they take up valuable space in my in-box for too long.
There are a number of online programs and apps that can alleviate stress and streamline the process of scheduling meetings:

YouCanBook.Me— With a simple setup, you can connect your Google calendar to your YCBM profile. What’s really nice is it allows you to embed your YCBM account directly on your website. This way your clients can quickly schedule an appointment without having to waste time creating an account themselves. It can be a little inflexible, but it’s worth a try.

Calendly— Calendly  is another program that connects directly to Google calendar. Similarly to the other programs on this list, it is rather easy to use and takes the burden of scheduling (often through bothersome phone tag!) off your shoulders. Read more