Tag Archive for: save time

Cocktails Delivered Right to Your Door

IMG_6549As you know, I’m always on the hunt for easy and efficient ways to get things done. So when I heard about Cocktail Courier I was intrigued. Here’s how it works – you pick a cocktail you’d like to make at home and they send you all the pre-measured ingredients to mix the perfect drink.  Professional mixologists create every recipe, which range from Moscow Mules to a twist on an Old Fashioned.  These are probably drinks I wouldn’t tackle at home.  But with the kit they sent me — I tried took on The Sideshow, which is a variation of a Sidecar. Read more

Apps That Save You In a Pinch

iphone-410311_1280If there is one thing organized people fear, it’s when life doesn’t go as planned. It’s because we make lists and detail everything out in order to leave as little room for error as possible. Sadly, no matter how organized you are, things can still go wrong.

I’ve struggled with this my whole life. But I think there’s a reason I became a TV producer – it has helped me deal with this. When I worked in live TV – I always needed a backup plan…just in case.

Here are some apps you should download for when things go awry you aren’t caught off guard and can immediately move on seamlessly: Read more

3 Steps to Overcoming Your List-Writing Addiction

listsI got an email this week from a regular reader of this blog asking me for some help. She writes:

“What should I do if I’m spending more time writing out lists than crossing off tasks on those lists?”

Given that we make the most lists around holiday season I imagine a few of you might be suffering from this same problem, so I thought I would share my advice with you. Read more

Read Faster with the Blinkist App

Blinkist app (Photo Credit: allmyfaves.com)

Blinkist app (Photo Credit: www.allmyfaves.com)

There are so many books on my reading list, that are sadly still waiting to be read. I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction lately like “How to Make Every Man Want You” by Marie Forleo and “Less Doing, More Living: Make Everything in Life Easier” by Ari Meisel. But between work and my day to day schedule, it’s hard to find the time to sit down and enjoy a book in it’s entirety.

However, I recently discovered a new solution to my problem– the app Blinkist!

Blinkist works the same way as sites like Cliff Notes by providing a quick and short synopsis of a book—this time on your iPhone or iPad! The app takes the full text of a non-fiction book and turns it into quick snippets of information. Rather than scrolling through pages and pages of text, Blinkist gives you the most important information from a text in just fifteen minutes! Here are some of the perks Blinkist has to offer:

1.     The books are put into categories, helping you to find what book you’re searching for easily. There’s even a productivity and self-help category! Read more

5 Time Wasters to Get Under Control

(Photo Credit: www.fitlike51.com)

(Photo Credit: www.fitlike51.com)

I go to a lot of conferences and meetings and when I ask people “how have you been?” they often say “busy.”  I get it – we are all busy but some people are addicted to this idea and this mentality.  They say busy as a place holder and it becomes their story.  But when you really think about it — all that busy time could probably be a lot more productive if you canceled out the time wasters.  While those extra commitments can help fill up your time, it doesn’t always mean that you’re using your time wisely. Most people waste time each day without even realizing that they’re doing it!

Here’s a list of time wasters that tend to sneak up on us:

1.     E-mail: While e-mail can be a quick and easy way to communicate, there are times when a phone call can get the job done quicker. I love e-mail, but sometimes it can be a pain waiting around for someone to respond—and sometimes people forget and never do! When needed, it can be more effective to pick up the phone or meet in person to get a question answered faster.

2.     Multi-tasking: It’s great to be eager and take on as much as possible, but there comes a point when enough is enough. When you take on too many projects at once, it often results in nothing getting done. By prioritizing your tasks (with a to-do list!) you’ll be able to focus and plan out what task to do when to make sure it gets accomplished. Plus, I don’t believe in multi-tasking, it’s impossible.

3.     Meetings: Nothing is more frustrating than unproductive meetings! There are so many times when meetings lose focus and nothing gets accomplished. It’s important to make sure there is an agenda that is being followed at all times. If you’re going to be using any kind of technology in the meeting, be sure to set that up ahead of time so people aren’t waiting around. Plus, write down a few key points that you hope to get across so when it’s you’re time to speak you can be succinct and efficient.

4.     Using your computer mouse: Who knew that something as simple as reaching for the mouse can waste your time! By using keyboard shortcuts, tech experts say you can save two seconds per minute. While it may not seem like a lot—believe me, it can add up! When the clock never stops ticking, even the smallest things make a difference.

5.     Social Media: Probably what we’re all most guilty of– wasting time on the Internet. Quickly checking your notifications on Facebook or Twitter can lead to hours of wasted time—even when we don’t mean for it! It’s natural to click from one thing to the next and end up with no progress on your work at the end of the day. If you find yourself guilty of this, there’s an app called SelfControl that lets you block specific websites for up to 24 hours.

What’s your biggest time waster?