My Latest Productivity Killer: Periscope

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periscope-logo-1920-800x450Smartphones are in many ways a productivity blessing. They provide you with instant access to hundreds of apps designed to help you get more out of your day. However, smartphones can also be a productivity curse. Because you also have access to hundreds of apps designed to get you addicted and take up all your time!

As much as I write about the importance of not being distracted – I too, sometimes get addicted to apps and get thrown off course.

The latest being Periscope.

The app allows you to live stream video from your phone from anywhere in the world. It’s very exciting for me, as a news producer, to think of all the possibilities. When I downloaded the app I had expected to watch a few videos of people going about their lives, but I quickly found myself becoming addicted.

Here are some of the things I’ve watched so far:

  • Pizza delivery guy arriving at a house in Utah
  • Kid playing super mario brothers for the first time
  • Pearl Jam tribute band
  • Guy hiking in Arizona
  • Person hanging out near the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Guy walking through the mall in NJ
  • Little girl learning to ride her bike for the first time
  • Guy who couldn’t sleep in the UK drawing
  • Newsroom tours in Waco, TX, Lexington, KY, Las Vegas, CNN
  • A puppy that is afraid of a cat in Alabama
  • Mother daughter dance at wedding
  • Malibu Beach sunset
  • Some nascar race
  • A firehandler on the beach in Florida
  • A cat yawning
  • A puppy eating
  • The MTV Movie Awards red carpet
  • Cherry blossoms in DC
  • Behind the scenes tour at The View

You can download the app here. Follow me — I’m @listproducer of course. Remember it is seriously addictive – so consider yourself warned!  So use is as a reward when you get something checked off your to-do list.  Then you can check out someone walking through Times Square or a Disney parade in real time.  Let me know what you think if you check it out.

I’m on the “So Money” Podcast

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Take a listen to my So Money Podcast to (1)What do lists have to do with money — you might be thinking?  Well a lot actually.  If you’ve read my book Listful Thinking, you’ll know that I believe a list can be adapted to any situation. In particular, lists can be really helpful when your trying to stick to a budget and get a handle on your finances.

I met Farnoosh Torabi a few weeks ago and we connected immediately. She is also an avid list maker – she’s been making lists since middle school. Plus she used to be a TV producer and is an author too.  She asked me to be a guest on her daily podcast So Money!  I’m not into numbers so much but you’d be surprised how much a list can help you keep track of financial stuff.

In the podcast we discuss:

  • How using lists can help you lead your best life.
  • The idea of a permission list when it comes to budgeting and how it can help.
  • My biggest habit – besides list making – that helps keep my finances in check.

Listen to it here:

Get Control of Your Calendars

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sunrise

I often hear a common complaint from productivity seekers like yourself — “I wish I had a better way to keep track of all my calendars.”

I get it – I have the same problem.

I have an Outlook calendar for work and I use Google Calendar for my personal and book stuff. And sometimes iCal gets thrown in the mix too.  But sometimes they don’t cross pollinate and I forget stuff.  I never like feeling like I’m missing out or not hitting a deadline.

Not to worry — I’ve found a pretty cool solution.  I was a guest a book club last week (yes, they read my book Listful Thinking and asked me questions about it!) — and we started talking about apps of course.  And one popped up that I’d never heard of — the Sunrise App.

So I took a closer look and it’s basically amazing.  It allows you to connect multiple Google Calendar, iCloud, Exchange and Facebook events all in one place.  So you’ll be able to keep track of your appointments, work meetings and social events.

Pros:

  • It’s really pretty.  In my book a gorgeous design goes a long way.
  • It can be used on your desktop, iPhone and Android.
  • It’s smart and uses appropriate icons for your entries.  For example, if you enter “Lunch with Ali” it will instantly assign the knife and fork icon for quick reference.
  • It includes the weather forecast and any holidays or sports schedules you’d like to add.

Cons:

  • You’ll need to rework your alert system.  I still had my Google Calendar alerts on when I started using Sunrise and I was getting double notifications.  So that’s really annoying but totally fixable.
  • I’ve had a friend (Ok, so it’s my friend Terri, who you all know by now as the host of Solopreneur on the Whatever It Takes Network) tell me that it doesn’t update quickly enough and changes made outside of the app take a while to show up on Sunrise.  This hasn’t happened to me but don’t say we didn’t warn you!

 

Checklist to Spring Clean Your Desktop

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messyIt may seem simple but clearing clutter will do a world of difference for your stress levels.  In fact – there was a UCLA study that found whenever a woman is around clutter, her stress hormones skyrocket.  We don’t want that!   So let’s start small — like by decluttering your desktop.

I can’t believe how long I let my desktop stay littered with photos, documents and even shortcuts that I never used.  I would navigate around all the clutter and it would slow me down.  Don’t forget — every second counts!  So just having to clear away unnecessary photos and folders or wasting time looking for something you “know is here somewhere,” takes up your precious time.  Well let’s take it back!

Here’s how:

1. Create categorized folders like ‘photos’ and ‘documents’.

2. Move all the picture files into the photos folder, etc.

3. Look at the remaining files, think – do I really need this? If you haven’t looked at it in over a year the answer is probably no.

4. If you still have files left over put them in an ‘Odds and Ends’ folder.

5. Revisit this practice every so often.  I’d say every 3 or 4 months.  Because even though now you have folders and order — sometimes it’s tough to keep to using them.

Once you get in the groove of clearing digital clutter — you can attack your Facebook page, Twitter feed and even your apps.

What are some other ways to clean out your digital life?

Biz Coach Ali Brown Had Me on Her Podcast!

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Review Ali BrownI’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge fan I am of Ali Brown’s Glambition Radio podcast. I’ve actually listened to every single episode.

They’re great for keeping me company on the subway and teaching me a thing or two. So I’m very excited to reveal that I was fortunate enough to be a guest and chat with her about productivity, lists and how I got into the television business.

I first reached out to Ali when my book was still in the works because I thought it would be right up her alley.  She revealed that she was a list maker in one of her podcasts or an interview I’d heard her give.  So I thought she’d love it.  Turns out — she did!  And she was kind enough to endorse Listful Thinking.

I highly recommend you take a listen to the podcast . We talk about what got me started as a list maker and where I think the future of lists is headed.  I also touch on the best way to structure your lists, and even how to pitch media if you ever find yourself in such a position.

Listen to it here!