how to be more productive | List Producer

Orchestra To-Do App is Discontinued

July 30, 2013/1 Comment/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Technology, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Another to-do app is shutting down! Orchestra is joining Astrid and closing up shop.

Here’s the story

Despite Orchestra’s great success (ranking as the App Store’s Productivity App of the year in 2011,) the Orchestra team is changing their focus. Part of what made Orchestra a great app was its compatiblity with email — you could forward an email to Orchestra and it would turn it into a task on your to-do list. Somewhere along the way, the Orchestra team decided that they wanted to take this idea a step further and created Mailbox, an app to streamline your email.

4 Ways to Escape a “School’s Out” Mentality

June 20, 2013/0 Comments/in Increase Productivity, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Summer family jump (Photo credit: Evil Erin)

Summer is here and it can be hard to escape the “school’s out” mentality. Co-workers are leaving for vacation, and the office is slowing down. The sun’s out and all anyone wants to do is head to the beach or camp out poolside. It’s easy to start counting down the days until your own vacation.

This can be tempting, but we can’t spend the whole season with our minds somewhere else — unfortunately! It’s important to keep a good balance between your work and the rest of your life, especially in the summer.

Here are 4 ways to stay focused when it matters:

5 Reasons to Say No and Get More Done

June 18, 2013/1 Comment/in Decision Making, Increase Productivity, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

NO! (Photo credit: guercio)

Everyone wishes they had more time — more hours in a day and more days in a year. Who would have thought that making more time for yourself could be as simple as saying “no?” Yep — that one word will give you your life back.

It’s easy to agree to a coffee break or to see that movie your friend has been obsessed with for weeks. But its important not just to say “yes” as a default answer. Do you really want to drop whatever you’re doing to get coffee? Or just not say “no” to a friend? We all end up saying “yes” to things we don’t actually want to do. Then you don’t get to do the things you really want to do. Of course, there are some things that you just can’t get out of. Read more

Congrats to Astrid: An Amazing To-Do List App

May 2, 2013/5 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Technology, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Would you like a personal assistant to help you remember appointments and check things off your to-do list? I know of one who will work for cheap and keep you organized and make sure you hit all your deadlines. Her name is Astrid. And I’d like to offer my congratulations since the company was just sold to Yahoo.

Who is Astrid?

Astrid is an adorable little octopus and one of my favorite to-do list apps for iPhone or Android. If you don’t have one of those devices you can also access this productivity tool by going to Astrid.com.

Astrid will keep all of your tasks organized and remind you of what you need to do with motivational and encouraging nudges like “How about it? Ready tiger?” You can also rename all of your lists and maintain them however you like — set reminders or not, give your tasks due dates or not. It’s up to you. Read more

10 Phrases That Will Make You More Efficient

January 27, 2013/11 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Guest Posts, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Oprah, Reduce Stress, Relationships, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Included in the list of topics I write lists about are quotes. Any time I hear an exceptional one I will email it to myself or enter it into my Evernote account to save for later. My favorite personal quote is one that I’ve borrowed from Oprah — “You Become What You Believe.” Isn’t that an amazing quote? I love it because it’s so true. If you think you can do something — you can!

Another believer in quotes is Meggin McIntosh who hosted my list-making teleseminar last January. She’s extremely productive and helps people to do the same with her vast knowledge. These aren’t quotes that famous people have said but they are extremely helpful in allowing you to do your job well.

A List of 10 Phrases & Statements to Remember

by Meggin McIntosh | The Ph.D. of Productivity™

A number of statements and phrases are worth remembering in your quest to be more productive. Consider the following 10 (and in most instances, after you make the statement – stop talking.) These aren’t questions. They are statements:

1. “No, but thanks for asking.”

2. “Not now.”

3. “Let me get back to you after I’ve checked on a few things.” Read more

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