Top Android App Picks to Improve Efficiency

By on September 9, 2010 in Productivity & Organization

Android phones have become so popular as of late, I don’t want to leave them out of my productivity technology series. Not an Android user? Check out my posts on apps for Blackberry devices or iPhones.  Tools are an indispensible part of your productivity strategy. Choosing the right tool for your needs can be a confusing and somewhat daunting task. The decision must be based on your needs, working style, and level of comfort with technology.

Is there is some particular device or tool you’d like to learn about?  Please let me know and I’ll try to report on it.

My picks:

Checkmark ToDo Manager Pro – This is one of the most popular task/checklist to-do managers in market. It has a hierarchical checklist structure supporting multiple level subgroups, actions, templates, repeating tasks, sorting and more. It also has built in widget support, syncs to Google calendar and can share tasks via email

cloudListPro grocery todo list – cloudList helps you and your friends organize your busy lives together. You can share grocery or shopping lists, tasks, checklists, playlist, to do lists, etc. You are able to update your lists at online and see your lists in a widget. Really neat if you want to collaborate.

Evernote – Free, open source note program, but way more than just notes. Evernote allows you to capture thoughts using text notes, voice recordings, photos and web clippings. You can tag notes or separate them into different notebooks. All notes are fully searchable and sync with a companion desktop application is desired.

Goals ToDo – This is a very useful personal task manager, featuring a to-do list, Getting Things Done (GTD) support and lots of fresh ideas. It seamlessly integrates with your phone’s calendar, maps and contacts. It includes a widget and extensive support to get you started. 

HootSuite – If you’ve read my blog before you know this is a favorite tool of mine. Lucky for you Android users, the HootSuite app is now available for Android phones! Hands down my favorite app for every day social media management. Monitor Twitter and Facebook accounts, send and schedule updates, view statistics, watch lists and track keyword searches.

Pomodoro Tasks – Really neat timer that helps you to focus for short periods of time and reminds you to take breaks. You can set the length of time and breaks if you don’t want to use the default 25 minute periods.

Quickoffice for Captivate – Finally! This Microsoft® Office productivity suite for Android devices allows you to view and edit Microsoft® Word, Excel & PowerPoint files with integrated access to multiple remote storage providers. You can access, transfer, share and manage files on Google® Docs, Dropbox, Box.net, and MobileMe. A must have if you need to work with MS Office on the go.

TimeClock – Time Tracker – TimeClock is a super neat time tracking tool. It calculates hours worked and wages, plus allows you to view and edit time records within the app. You can enter notes or create custom fields. The customizable reports can be exported via email and enables you to track clients and work efficiently. This is a great little tool for  anyone who bills by the hour (contractors, lawyers, etc.)

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How Investing in Your Yourself Can Improve Your Career or Business

By on September 7, 2010 in Uncategorized

When the children start back to school it is a good time to think about what areas we need to learn more in. Do we have skills we need to brush up? Is there a class we want to take? Are there any training courses that would benefit us? Learning is a lifelong process that is never finished. If we want to hold on to our competitive advantage and stay at the top of our field then we must constantly invest in ourselves. We are our best and more useful asset, especially if we are small business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals or high level executives. Or if we’d like to have any one of those job descriptions.

Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study.  Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life. ~Henry L. Doherty

So, where do you start? Think about what skill or area of expertise you would like to improve your proficiency in. Don’t limit yourself to the field you work in or the specific job you do currently. You might want to be a better public speaker or improve you typing because you’re sick to death of using the “hunt and peck” method of typing your proposals and memos. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn Italian or desire to learn new management methods. Whatever the skill may be, both you and your company will benefit. More knowledge is always an asset.

The first step is to decide what you want to focus on:

  • Do you need to go back and finish your college degree? Choose one class or enroll full-time.
  • Do you need to learn a new skill to advance to the next level? Management, leadership, HR might be good choices.
  • How are your communication skills? Take a public speaking class or join a group like Toastmasters. Take a writing course or one on advanced Microsoft Word techniques.
  • Speaking of Microsoft, how about a course on Excel or PowerPoint?
  • Is there a seminar for ongoing training in your profession that you’d benefit from?
  • How about a new skill? Marketing, Social Media or record-keeping?
  • Do you need to get better at managing your finances? Even if you have accountants and financial managers, you still need to have an understanding of what is going on financially in your business.
  • Almost everybody could use a refresher on office skills, no matter what level you are at. A course on organizational skills maybe or learning to use dictation software for faster writing.

The possibilities are endless. You are you most valuable tool. Investing in yourself will almost invariably have the highest rate of return.

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Month Two: Lessons Learned

By on September 3, 2010 in Mind Matters

Two months down already. Time is whizzing by it seems. We are at day 63 since my husband left for Afghanistan, and closing in on a third of the way done. This month has been filled with excitement, a bit of drama, vacation, new experiences and some frustrations. As I am finally settling into my deployment period routine the nights are getting earlier (though not early enough yet,) the sleep is getting better (though not good enough yet,) the task list is still long, some chores still get pushed aside and the tears are now few and far between. I have learned to rely on others and to reach out to my network of support to maintain my sanity and keep my life from falling apart.

Lessons Learned:

  • Be open to support from wherever and whomever it comes -You never know when you will meet you next friend or gain your next inspiration.
  • Know who to ask for what – Identify (at least in your mind) who will give you emotional support, who is your shoulder to cry on, you ear to vent in, who will offer sound advice, who will offer practical wisdom and think about the details, who can give recommendations and who can do repairs. This brings to mind the familiar saying, “Don’t go to the hardware store for milk.” Do not expect gushing support from your reserved details person and don’t expect a detailed action plan from your overly empathetic person.
  • Keep your sense of humor – Life is so much easier when you laugh (even at yourself.) Don’t take life so seriously. Stuff happens, plans get derailed, things break, dogs throw up, your pool turns green, you get stuck in the ditch the first night of your vacation or maybe those things just happen to me…but at least I can still laugh at them.
  • You will have to disappoint some people – You can’t accommodate all requests for your time and attention even if you are Supermom. Don’t feel guilty about telling your kids that you can’t take them somewhere, buy them something or entertain them. Don’t feel bad if you need to take time off from work so that you can get appointments and errands done or to take a much needed break. Be honest if you don’t have time to take on that volunteer project or a new assignment at work. Yes, needing to spend time with my family and take care of my home are valid commitments.
  • Guard your time – I have become a ferocious hoarder and protector of my time. No, I won’t attend a meeting on the nights I am scheduled to Skype my husband. Yes, I do need to get my haircut, have an occasional massage and take time for exercise. Just because I work from home does not mean that I am available all day for taxi service or unnecessary phone calls or Facebook chats.

Once again this month I have discovered that by stretching just a bit beyond my comfort zone I can experience some wonderful new things. I can do more, have more and be more than I ever could have envisioned. Perhaps my biggest lesson learned this month is that I am already capable of so much more than I thought possible. I wonder what other treasures lie still inside that I have yet to unearth. Life is full of exciting possibilities…

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Clarify Your Objectives

By on August 31, 2010 in Uncategorized

Many people confuse goals and objectives and in fact it’s true that the terms are often used interchangeably. I prefer to differentiate between the two for my own purposes and those I work with. Goals are usually more general in nature and less tangible. Objectives tend to be more specific and “vision-able.” I think I might have made that word up, but it suits my definition so I’m using creative license here. What I mean by that term, “vision-able” is that you can picture the objective in your mind – see it, hear it, taste it and feel it. I like to think of goals as “big picture” ideas.  Objectives are more nitty-gritty.

For example, I want to lose 20 pounds by January 1st is a decent goal. It meets all the S.M.A.R.T. requirements. But it’s sort of “flat.” I will lose 20 pounds so that I can fit into my size “whatever” pants, be healthy and run a 5k by January 1st is a better objective. You can almost see yourself wearing your smaller pants and feel the exhilaration of running that race. It is more “real” and therefore much more effective for our purposes. I am not knocking goals, but for today let’s focus on clarifying your objectives instead.

Let’s try another example. I intend to start my own business, replace my income and quit my job by June 1st. Okay.

What does the objective look like?

  • What type and form of business?
  • What is the real purpose or intention?
  • What is the specific amount of income needed?
  • What will your work schedule look like?
  • What will your work environment consist of? At home or in office?
  • Will you have employees?

I intend to start a catering business for parties operating out of my home kitchen by June 1st. I will employ two part time employees and gross $200,000 annually.

Do you see the difference? This objective is much clearer and more “real” to me. This also makes it much more motivating and actionable.

Take a look at each one of your objectives and make sure it is so clear you can almost reach out and touch it!

This is part of an ongoing discussion on my rules to maximize productivity. To read more see Golden Rules of Productivity.

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How To Use Feedback To Improve Performance

By on August 27, 2010 in Old, Productivity & Organization

Many people do not want to hear opinions or assessments from others about their work and/or life quality. It is an unfortunate part of human nature that we prefer to avoid all potentially negative information in order to insulate ourselves from criticism. Why do we do that? And why do we assume or fear that the feedback will be negative? Maybe it’s the underlying feeling that we are not good enough that is so pervasive in American Society or the habit of only giving feedback when something is wrong. I’m not a psychologist, so I won’t delve into the reasons here (though I have my theories.) The plain fact is that feedback is an often overlooked, yet extremely valuable component of productivity. If used properly it can be an indispensible tool in your productivity arsenal that can give you a competitive advantage over your peers.

Feedback is simply a tool; an instrument if you will for both validation and growth. Be cautious not to attach personal feeling to this information. Keep it in its proper perspective however and only give it the importance it deserves. Feedback is not about you as a person; it is about assessing and improving work or activities that you do.

A few weeks ago, just about when I had started questioning if anybody was listening to me or cared what I had to offer, I received a gift from Ezine Articles that made a significant impact on me. Every individual wonders if they really can do the job and we all need a pat on the back once in a while. The beauty of this gesture was twofold for me: first, it provided validation that I do quality work that does indeed have value in the marketplace; second, it was a great example of how can give appropriate feedback to others with whom I work and live.

With that in mind, let’s talk about how to use feedback properly:

  • You must ask for it – Many people just do not think to give feedback or only do so when it’s negative. Make it a regular practice to ask your co-workers, supervisor, clients or customers how you are doing. (You may also consider asking your partner or children if you dare.)
  • Listen – It does no good to ask for feedback if you do not really listen with an open mind.
  • Filter – Consider the possible bias or perspective of the other person before you decide how much importance to place on their opinions. Do you respect the person’s views? Are they knowledgeable in the specific area? Do you trust them to be honest with you?  If not, feel free to disregard them.
  • Analyze – If the feedback is positive, how can you use it to continue to improve? Don’t dismiss praise or accolades! If it’s negative, what can you learn from it? Where is there room for improvement? Note: Any feedback that is purely destructive has nothing to offer you and should be ignored. Feedback that is mean-spirited is not useful to anyone.
  • Give positive feedback – Learn to offer positive feedback to others. Be honest, thoughtful and constructive in your opinions. Even if your assessment is negative, find a way to offer it coupled with helpful ideas.

Don’t be afraid of feedback or opinions of people whom you value. Use it, bask in it and learn from it. Open your ears and open your mind; grow and thrive.

Do you have any feedback for me? I’m all ears….

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