You know the phrase “stop and smell the roses?”
I always thought it sounded a little cheesy. But now that we’re in the seventh month of quarantine (wow!), I’m starting to think that whoever thought of that phrase has the right idea.
I used to be all about bucket lists, but I want to introduce you to the “Thimble List” — AKA “the stop and smell the roses list.”
BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.
As you know, I’m all about lists. I’ve tested lots of list-making apps — there are thousands on the App Store! I used to always suggest Wunderlist, but it’s shutting down on May 6. Here’s three alternatives that I recommend:
Clear is a beautiful app — I love looking at it. The simplicity of the design helps me stay focused. You use gestures (pulling down, pinching, and swiping with your fingers) to add and manage tasks. Each task can only be 30 characters, which means you have to write exactly what you need to do and nothing else. If you have complex things to do that require longer explanations, this might not work for you, but it’s great for unloading your mind and keeping track of straightforward tasks. I also like how the tasks are color-coded according to urgency.
The app costs $4.99.
Todoist is great if you’re looking for a straightforward, well-designed task manager app. There’s lots of features I like in this app, including the option to connect with your other apps and devices, like Google Calendar, Dropbox, and Amazon Alexa.
You can schedule recurring tasks or use “quick add” to pop something on your list. Todoist also has a business version so that your team can assign tasks, communicate with each other, and share files all in one place. It’s a nice mix between a complex task management system and a simple list-making app, since it has lots of features but it’s also easy to use and you can use as many (or as few) extra features as you need. Plus, you can also import data from Wunderlist into Todoist.
The basic app is free, and the business and premium versions cost $29 per year per person.
Zenkit To Do is probably the most complex of the three apps. It’s still intuitive to use, but it has the most options and add-ons, making it great for people who need to manage lots of complex tasks. You can share lists with other uses, assign and add due dates, and leave comments. There are also “quick add” and recurring task features. I especially like the offline feature, which lets you keep working when you’re not connected to the internet. You can easily import all your due dates, tasks, and lists from Wunderlist to Zenkit To Do — you can learn how to switch here.
The personal version is free. The version that allows multiple users to collaborate is $4 per month per user, and the business versions start at $19 per month per user.
I hope this helps you find the list-making app that fits your needs. If you have recommendations of list-making apps you like, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.
BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.
Since I started working for myself as a media strategist, author and speaker, a few years ago, I’ve become an expert at working from home. I really love it actually.
But I know all about how hard it can be to adjust to remote work when you’re used to an office environment and being around people all day long.
Many more employees are working remotely now because of coronavirus (COVID-19) — and if you’re one of them, you might have run into new challenges with keeping up your motivation and productivity.
BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.
Doing acts of service can feel like a big challenge – just one more thing to add to your already long to-do list.
But what if making time to be of service to yourself and your community could actually make you happier and more productive?
My friend Kate Hanley is all about the idea that being generous and making small changes in your life pays off.
Kate is the author of a book called, “How to Be a Better Person” and she also hosts a daily podcast of the same name.
She’s an expert on how to make small but meaningful changes in your life that will have a big impact.
You can check out our full conversation here.
Here are some highlights from the conversation::
Make it seasonal.
When you’re trying to come up with plans for doing service or helping your community, take the season into consideration. For example, one of Kate’s goals is to start a compost bin. Leaves are really important for composting, so fall is a great time to start helping the environment in this small but important way.
Let people know you care.
Kate loves sending thank you notes, because it’s a small gesture that can make someone’s day. Sending a note will remind you to slow down and give thanks to the people in your life, whether it’s your child’s teacher or a new client. I can’t agree enough with this – I still send paper thank you notes whenever possible!
Think local.
Being a better person doesn’t mean you have to save the whole world! Instead, look in your community for ways to give back and make a difference. Drop off some canned goods at a food drive or attend a pasta dinner fundraiser. These acts of service will help you feel more connected to your community.
People often talk about self care in terms of things you done alone or for yourself, like setting aside time to read a book or learning how to say “no.”
But like Kate says, self care also means being mindful of yourself in relation to the people around you, whether that’s your family, co-workers, or neighbors.
When you feel good about your place in your community, you put yourself in the best position to be happy, healthy, and productive.
BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.
There isn’t an expert, an author, or entrepreneur I know who wouldn’t love to give a TEDx talk. Or to do more speaking in general.
The problem isn’t opportunity (events alone are more popular than ever–and there are tons of TEDx events happening all over the world, year round).
The problem certainly isn’t passion or desire. You’ve got that in spades.
The problem, for most people, is they aren’t sure what it takes to create or land a TED-worthy talk. And they aren’t sure what to do theirs on.
But I know someone who does know—and she’s going to be sharing it in her first-ever live event.
Terri Trespicio is a brand advisor, award-winning writer and top-rated speaker with two TEDx talks under her belt—one of which has 3.6 million views to date. I met Terri when she worked as a magazine editor and since then we’ve become good friends and business partners! We created Lights Camera Expert together, which helps experts get media attention. Read more