time management | List Producer

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

Carrot: Bossy To-Do List App Makes Productivity a Game

April 7, 2013/4 Comments/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I don’t usually respond well to bullies but for some reason I’m really liking the Carrot app because of it’s pushy ways. I downloaded the to-do list app after a friend told me about it and I’ve been using it for several days.

The idea is that this to-do list with a personality will help you to get all your tasks ticked off. And when I say “personality” I mean “attitude.” Carrot’s mood changes depending on how productive you are. It’s pretty funny actually. But as you finish a task you earn points and unlock new features and get rewards.

Here’s my list of pros and cons:

PROS:

The fun game-type format makes you want to complete tasks to find out what Carrot has in store next.
It’s very easy to use and intuitive.
One of the gifts I was given was a cat named Captain Whiskers. How cute!

CONS:

Not very forgiving if you make a mistake at first. As you work your way through the levels you are able to edit, undo and change tasks.
There aren’t any pictures of Captain Whiskers. I think they will probably improve on this in future versions to increase the fun factor.
I could see people getting tired of Carrot’s schtick and not using it after the novelty wears off.

I think this could be a fun way to get more done for a lot of people. It’s definitely worth a try. Let me know what you think of Carrot if you’re using it. Also — I have no idea why it’s called Carrot.

Fancy Hands: Make Your Life Easier With An Assistant

January 31, 2013/4 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Home, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

image from twilio.com

Even very productive people have trouble getting everything done throughout the day. But the secret really is being able to delegate. If you can take something off your plate so you can work on something else that you’re better at — you will be much more efficient. Enter…the assistant.

I know you’re thinking “I can’t afford an assistant!” I know because I said the same thing until I found FancyHands.com. It’s basically a virtual assistant service. Read more

Founder of “Bootights” Relies on To-Do Lists

November 27, 2012/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Guest Posts, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Oprah, Saving Money, Saving Time, School, Tool for Success/by Paula Rizzo

I love clever stuff. Those things that make you go “why didn’t I think of that?” That’s how I feel about Bootights! You know how you have to wear socks inside your boots even when you’re wearing tights? Just so you don’t destroy the tights or your feet don’t freeze? Well Bootights are tights that are especially designed to wear with boots! Yep — brilliant, right?

The founder Shelby Mason is a list maker just like us! So naturally, she’s my featured list producer: Read more

6 Tips for Working Through Distractions

November 6, 2012/2 Comments/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

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