Saving Time | List Producer

App Inventor Makes Lists to Do More

July 2, 2012/0 Comments/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Fellow List Producers, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Technology, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Lists make life easier — plain and simple. Recently I introduced you to my new favorite list-making tool to keep track of all the restaurants I love or want to try called Matchbook. It allows you to easily add restaurants and any place with an address really – to your iPhone. I’ve used it about a zillion times since finding it. Seriously.

The brain behind this incredible app is, of course, a list maker. Meet Jason Schwartz — this month’s Featured List Producer:

Q: Why do you call yourself a compulsive list producer?

A: I actually consider myself a compulsive list-enabler. I constantly see ineffective lists in action, and that is what drives things at Matchbook. The same scrappy list of bars and restaurants shows up repeatedly in the notepad of people’s phones. If you ask people if this list is useful, they say that it isn’t. Lists are supposed to make us more efficient and organized, and a massive number of people compulsively create restaurant lists that don’t live up to that promise. I want to make all that work useful.

Q: What do you make lists about?

A: My first love is lists of places. Restaurants, bars, and shops that I want to go to, or remember to go back to. It’s like my little black book of gems that I know about and nobody else does. Read more

Getting My Identity Stolen Wasn’t on My To-Do List!

June 25, 2012/4 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time/by Paula Rizzo

When you get a letter from the IRS – it’s either really great news, like your refund has arrived – or it’s really bad news, like your identity has been stolen. Unfortunately – my letter informed me of the latter.

How Could This Happen?

The truth is – it could happen to anyone. My wallet wasn’t stolen but somehow my information got leaked. Someone could have phished my information off the Internet, or picked it out of my garbage — the possibilities are endless. Read more

Save Your Favorite Places With Matchbook

June 21, 2012/1 Comment/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Increase Productivity, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Shopping, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I’m all about shortcuts to make life easier – even when it comes to list making. Up until now I had been testing out a few apps to store my “must try” and “favorite” restaurants. But I kept reverting back to my usual list-making ways: writing them down and storing them in Evernote or Wunderlist. Those have all worked fine.

But – I have found an app that is smart and easy to use and does just what I need it to do. Perfect! Gone are the days of trying to remember the name of that restaurant or shop that you passed by last week. Now all you have to do is download one app – Matchbook.

Matchbook allows you to enter the name of the place you want to remember manually or search for it. If you are nearby – you can click the button “I’m walking by it” and Matchbook will find it for you! Brilliant!

You can add tags to remember certain things about the place like if it’s got a great brunch, is loud or is super trendy. If you’re stumped for a spot to meet friends after work – you can search via neighborhood and tags. It’s much easier to navigate than Yelp’s vast database of knowledge but the searching is a bit quirky. That will be fixed in future updates, I’m sure!

It works all over the world and organizes your bookmarks by area, which makes it easy to find a place quickly. There’s also a map so you can see your bookmarks laid out in front of you and see what you’re closest to.

You can share places with friends but you don’t have to “friend” anyone through the app. Just lots and lots of list making! Check it out and let me know what you think.

Be More Efficient When Working Virtually

June 18, 2012/18 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Guest Posts, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

As a producer I don’t often work from home. But when I do I find that I have to be extra disciplined to get stuff done.

It’s so easy to get distracted when you’re at home and the comforts of, well…home, are all around you. But fear not — there are ways to be more productive when working virtually. Shilonda Downing, the owner of Virtual Work Team has a few dos and don’ts for being successful.

Dos and Don’ts for Working Virtually

by Shilonda Downing

As the owner of a successful virtual assistant company, there is one question I’m often asked by not only those looking to start their own virtual business but also by journalists who write for major media and that question is: “What does it take to work successfully, virtually?”

I think it goes without saying that you should have the skill set to pursue your virtual dream business, however, I’ll discuss a couple of “Dos and Don’ts” that people often forget and that can wind up causing problems when trying to start and run a successful virtual business. While I can’t provide as much information as I provide in my consultations, making a list of these few key points, will get you started on the right track. Read more

Get Your Dad One of These Gifts

June 15, 2012/0 Comments/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Fellow List Producers, Holidays, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Saving Money, Saving Time/by Paula Rizzo

If you’re still wondering what to get your dad for the big weekend — help is here. Techie gifts are super popular and will keep your dad in the know. From high-tech ties, to apps and even some clothes — my friends over at Digitwirl have you covered.

Click on the photo below for a look at their top techie gifts for dads this year.

Happy Shopping!