productivity | List Producer

9 Unique and Productive Gift Ideas

December 9, 2012/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Holidays, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Gift giving is such a fun and rewarding activity if you do it right. Around the holidays people get so bogged down with crossing off everyone from their lists that sometimes they miss the best gifts! I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorites for productivity, practicality, and fun too, but in case you are still looking for the perfect gift you should head over to giftlist and get some inspiration from their lists too. Hope this helps you put a dent in your holiday shopping.

GustBuster: If you’ve ever had a fight with an umbrella, had one turn inside out or bust through the frame during a downpour — you need to buy one of these for yourself and a friend. I’ve had my current Gustbuster for 11 years! Yep, you read that right. You can find them at most golf stores and online too. They run between $30 and $60. It’s much more productive to buy one umbrella that really works instead of going through one after another of those other ones you can get on the street. Read more

6 Tips for Working Through Distractions

November 6, 2012/in Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot : FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Being back to work after Hurricane Sandy with my whole team has been a great morale booster. So happy everyone made it in and I could see all their familiar faces — it’s one more sign that life is returning back to normal.

But it’s easy to get distracted with all the war stories being tossed around. Plus — many people have to deal with insurance claims (myself mostly) and worries of childcare, heat, hot water and power at home. So getting actual work done is quite a challenge. Here’s some tips:

1. Tune out: I’ve gotten very good at this over the years from working in busy news rooms but it does take some practice. Engage for a bit and listen to all the stories from your coworkers but then at some point you have to mentally check out. This will allow you to focus on tasks in front of you. Sometimes headphones will help — I suggest blasting Dave Matthews Band or your favorite to drown out sounds around you. Read more

Sniff This to be More Productive

October 23, 2012/in Boost Memory, Fellow List Producers, Health, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

Lavender (Photo credit: Iakobos)

Turns out certain scents will boost your productivity power. I’ve never tried it but it’s worth a shot especially because these smells are pleasant. Entrepreneur.com checked in with Beverley Hawkins, owner of the Vancouver-based West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy for her favorites:

Lemon
Lavender
Jasmine
Rosemary
Cinnamon
Peppermint

Aromatherapy is an ancient practice that can help relax, destress and empower, through the use of products such as a Scentsy Scent Circle, room sprays and essential oils.

There’s no need to go over the top and spray down the entire office. Just put a few drops of any of these essential oils on a cotton ball and sniff.

For more on why these scents will have you finishing up your work in no time — check out the original article here.

Making an Ignore List

October 15, 2012/in Uncategorized/by Paula Rizzo

L is for Lists (Photo credit: Swiv)

Sometimes even more important than a to-do list is an ignore list. I just made one this weekend actually. I wrote down all the to-dos that I wanted to accomplish. Then I reevaluated this list.

Sure I wanted to finish the slides for a presentation I’m doing in December…but it didn’t need to get done right now. Doing that task would push other more important tasks to the bottom of the pile. So I added it to my ignore list. This doesn’t mean I’ll never get to it – it just means that I don’t need to get to it right now. So I’m ignoring it this weekend.

Doing this will help you to prioritize and really look at each to-do individually. If you don’t have the drive, resources or time to complete that task right now — don’t. Put it on your ignore list. Eventually you can move it to your to-do list and get it done.

Evernote: An App to Organize Your Life

October 8, 2012/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Holidays, Home, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Technology, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I basically tell anyone who will listen to me about how amazing Evernote is. It’s an app and website that keeps track of nearly anything you want it to. A friend who is also obsessed with it once called it an “extension of her mind.” I think that’s pretty accurate. Anything you want to keep track of but might forget — should go into Evernote.

Here’s how I’m using it: Read more

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