Productivity
What’s In My Bag: Work Tote Edition
Hey Everyone! Here is a video featuring my new Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote that is my official work bag! I hope you enjoy seeing the contents and what I carry around with me for work all day!
How to Stay Organized in 2013
How to stay completely organized in 2013 or What I’ve learned about the nature of organization
When I was 13, my mother and step father bought me a Handspring Visor PDA for graduating the 8th grade. I don’t think any gift before or after that had ever kept me as continually gratified. You see, I have been a tech geek for a long time, and I was obsessed with my step-fathers more expensive Palm PDA that I would steal away at every available moment to take notes, create useless calendar appointments and play games. I begged them for weeks for my own, I searched the web and Best Buy for the latest models available and when I found the Handspring Visor, which was more of a value PDA at the time, they agreed to buy it for me as my belated graduation gift. I didn’t get it until later in the summer, right before my freshman year in high school began, but I immediately began searching the internet for free applications I could download to my new device. Books, dictionary’s, note-taking and task management apps were my particular favorite. Go figure!
Once I got to high school, I ended up using my PDA to track everything from my homework assignments to my class schedule, extra-curricular events and social gatherings. I was particularly fond of tracking the money in my bank account, making sure to immediately input any purchases I made into a banking specific app that I used. The school newspaper even featured me in an article during my junior year that was all about students who use new technologies to keep themselves organized. I was certainly one of the few who relied so heavily on a PDA, in fact I only ever met a handful of other students during high school that even owned one. Eventually, I upgraded to a Palm Vx and then a Palm m505 (the later featured a color screen which I considered put me in the big time of PDA users!) during the course of high school. I loved my PDA so much and kept it with at all times. It stayed on my person or in my bag during the day, and after using it to read at bedtime (like the precursor to a kindle), it stayed on my dresser beside me as I slept.
I would say that this was definitely the most organized I had ever been and that was because for the only time thus far in my life, I used one dedicated device and method to organize my life. Once I got into college, something slowly pulled me away from my PDA. I think it was the lack of a rigid daily schedule. In college I had anywhere from one to three classes in a day. My wake up and bed time varied, and I was provided with a student calendar that was infinitely useful to me as a freshmen. So, instead of using my PDA, I switched to the pen and paper of the student calendar. Eventually, I wasn’t even using my PDA anymore and my entire system had been broken. Gradually, I was turning more and more away from the PC world I had grown up in and instead turning towards Apple products. One day, it eventually clicked in my mind that my PDA was the technology of a bygone era and it was time to search for the next big thing in personal organization.
However, after college ended, things pretty much stayed the same. I tried to get myself back into the PDA mentality when the iPod Touch first released. It seemed to me like the iPod Touch was the rebirth and natural progression of the PDA I had once known and loved. Almost like it was a PDA 2.0. But, alas, some mixture of lack of early functionality in the device and the touch based input never felt right to me. The Handspring and Palm devices used a stylus input method in which I could type on a virtual keyboard or, more frequently, write with the “graffiti” single stroke handwriting system that felt more natural to me.
After that, it was all downhill and uphill battles for me in the search for complete organization. I’ve learned a lot along the way about my own personal needs and about the nature of keeping organized so lets run through those ideas now.
- Its more natural (for me) to ‘write’ than ‘text’. Even though I am a 20-something with an iPhone, two iPad’s and a decent run with gadgets of all kinds, I am not a serial texter. This is probably the main reason I haven’t been able to use my iPhone or previous iPod Touch as a primary means for organization. I like to write. Its more fluid for me, and second only to typing on a full sized keyboard, its my quickest means for data entry.
- To stay as completely organized as possible, you must use only one dedicated means to capture your data. Whether it be an electronic device like a smartphone or tablet; a software program that syncs through multiple devices or to the cloud; or an analog system like a filofax or moleskine, you can only have ONE. One is the magic number… and the loneliest.
- You must keep said dedicated means of data capture with you at all times. It must be like an extension of yourself, a third arm in a way. It needs to be with you all the time and you need to always use it to capture information of all sorts. Learn to feel incomplete without it and get into the habit of using it to capture more information than needed until its your knee jerk reaction to reach for it.
I hope in the future I find a means of organization that feels as natural and exciting to me as my Handspring and Palm PDAs did at one time. Maybe its my fault for not trying hard enough to form a habit with one particular piece of technology, but it seems like everyday there is a more exciting and more promising option for organization that its often hard to focus on one means for too long. Perhaps thats the real problem though, a short attention span. These conundrums aside, I do know one thing for certain when it comes to personal organization. The best method for complete personal organization is the one you stick to completely. So, pick a method, stick it out and see what 2013 brings you!
NaNoWriMo 2012 Resources
It’s that time of year again! November has come and it’s the National Novel Writing Month in case you haven’t heard! Whether you are a NaNoWriMo vet or a newbie, there are many resources out there to help you get to 50k success at the end of the month. I have rounded up as many of these resources as I could find for you, so hopefully something or other down below will make the month a little easier for you. Happy Noveling!
For Mac Users
Macworld has a number of staff members who partake in nano, here is their article series for success!
Not to be outdone by Macworld, MacLife also has a mini guide to nano-ing that includes some iOS apps as well.
Here’s a Mac app that turns off the internet for a set amount of time, for those of you who are easily distracted by the Internet. Aptly named SelfControl.
For those of you who have an iPad and want to use that to assist you with your noveling efforts, here is a link to a site with some great app suggestions for iOS.
For Linux Users
For those of you out there running Linux, this is a link of 5 Essential Linux Applications for Nanowrimo.
For PC Users
Here is a link to writer’s software and resources for PC users, not nanowrimo branded, but still useful for wrimo’s.
Popular Applications
Here is the link for the Nanowrimo trial version of Scrivener. In case you don’t know, Scrivener is a great application for writers of all types. They are also a sponsor of NaNoWriMo and if you win you can get half off the software!
Here is the link for WriteRoom, one of the distraction free writing applications that full screens your manuscript so you can focus on nothing but writing.
Here is a link to Write or Die, one of the full screen apps that prompts you to write with settings that can prevent you from backspacing, and can even start deleting your work if you procrastinate too long. This also has an iOS app in case you are interested.
Other Misc Resources and Motivation
This link is for timeline-mapping software that may help you keep track of events in your novel.
If you are having trouble naming characters, this website is very useful.
Here is Written? Kitten! Which appears to be a web app where you get a new picture of a cat/kitten once you have hit the interval word goal of your choosing. Helpful for those of you who require a dose of cuteness as positive reinforcement.
Found this series of articles from the Guardian on how to write a novel in 30 days.
My Current Obsessions
Ash
etsy.com
Brahmin
brahmin.com
Tech accessory
elaineturner.com
Ted Baker tech accessory
nordstrom.com
Tech accessory
fredflare.com
Rebecca Minkoff Cupid Handbag: Amazon.com: Clothing
amazon.com
Moleskine Plain Soft Pocket Notebook
$17 – liberty.co.uk
Starbucks App Pick of the Week: Instapaper
For those of you who may not already be aware, Starbucks Coffee has something of a partnership with Apple’s iTunes Store and for the past several years they have been participating in a program called Starbucks Pick of the Week. Essentially, when you visit a Starbucks location you can pick up a Pick of the Week card which will provide you, as a Starbucks patron, with a free download for a specific song off the iTunes store. The card has an image and description of the artist and track you will get and on the back is a code for you to redeem your free download. It’s very simple and a nice treat when you go in to get your daily dose of caffeine! The cards change up about once a week or so, and in recent years the Pick of the Week program has expanded to take on apps from the AppStore, tv shows from the iTunes store and even books from the iBookstore! I always make sure to check the Pick of the Week cards when I am in a Starbucks because although they often put out a lot of songs, shows, apps, and books that don’t interest me personally, every once in a while they will have a free download for something awesome! This was one of those weeks!
The App Pick of the Week was Instapaper, the highly acclaimed app for both iPhone and iPad that allows users to save internet articles for later reading on or offline. It basically caches the website so you get full text and images and also creates a simple but elegant filing system for you to keep track of articles you like as well as those you have saved for later reading. I have been very interested in this app but oddly enough never downloaded it because the $2.99 price tag always seemed a little much and I figured I could save myself the money by just bookmarking articles to read later on with an Internet connection. Then when Apple updated iOS to include a read later function that was similar to Instapaper (but, again, required an Internet connection for use) it seemed like there was no real reason for me to spend the money.
Of course, I never got over the feeling that I was missing something special with Instapaper. It was and is still frequently featured in must have app lists for both iPhone and iPad by everyone from the most prestigious technology magazines and pundits to the mass of dime a dozen technology blogs and YouTube personalities (to which I clearly belong). Today, however, is a new day as I have my own free copy of Instapaper. This is no watered down or lite version either! This is the full $2.99 version with all the bells and whistles and it will continue to be mine through updates and new iterations of the app until the end of time. I know, I am getting ahead of myself here but oh well, I am excited, what can I say?!? Stay tuned for now, as I intend to give a better review of the app after I get used to using it day in and day out. I have already established the link to save articles in my safari bookmarks menu thanks to a helpful tutorial provided through the app itself and have saved a few articles to test out.
Until next time my lovely readers {thepinkmac}
The Missing Links 4.14.12
- Take a look at this odd little gadget, and once you realize what it’s for and why you need it, you may find it hard to resist… And you may not want to touch your phone again until it arrives!
- I suffer from dry, bloodshot eyes after spending the day working at my computer. If you’re like me, than this article on how to keep your eyes healthy in the digital age is a must read.
- I will admit, I am usually obsessed with the latest and greatest gadget to help make the most of my iPad, but this kick starter project designed to amplify your iPads speaker is a little odd. Take a look and see for yourself.
- For a fellow productivity nut, you may be surprised to know the top five time wasters at work. Its quite an eye opener and may help you reorganize your time to be more productive.
- In case you were wondering why it was exactly that Instagram was worth 1 BILLION DOLLARS (Dr. Evil voice), here is an explanation. Nevertheless, it still seems like a plot for a bad spy film to me.
- And to just top off the Facebook stories, here is a surprising little tid bit you may want to print out and save at work just in case. Who knew allowing employees to play on Facebook was good for productivity? Still, I wonder if the study was funded by Zuck himself.
Happy Reading!
{Image via Flickr}
Paper: A Beautiful Experience
The other day I tweeted “is it possible for a productivity/creativity app to make you more of both?”
This has been the question lingering in my mind for quite some time now ever since I downloaded the new app Paper by FiftyThree. The app is a seamless mix of productivity, creativity, and note-taking. The variety of pens for the app give the user the ability to express themselves in a seemingly endless number of ways. From sketching to notetaking, drawing to idea mapping, Paper brings the best of creativity to a productivity app. With Paper the user has complete control over their experience, able to transform the app to fit different day to day needs in a way no previous app has been able to. It is as if the full potential of the iPad has been reached with Paper as the app itself seems to disappear under the stroke of the users’ finger, opening up the creative channel of the user themselves. Personally, I have never found an app geared towards productivity and creativity that allows me to work in what I consider to be my own natural mode. The thing other great apps like Penultimate lack is truly the ability to mix media. Allowing the user to switch from a true drawing experience to a true writing experience to a true painting experience, all while allowing handwritten notes in a variety of styles. And the beautiful interface doesn’t hurt either!
With Paper I am easily able to sketch out ideas in a beautiful and expressive way.
The app itself of course is not without some flaws. There is the issue of the apps rigidity when it comes to manipulating the Moleskine-like journals, (for example one cannot reorder pages of a journal or transfer pages from one to another) and also some issues with the sharing capabilities of the app that are sub par for today’s app standards. The app is also missing some great functions like text input and image uploads that could open the app up to scrap booking functionality. All this, however, does not detract from the creative genius of the app as a whole. This app has made my own personal brainstorming sessions even more successful and creative then I could have originally imagined. Perhaps it was my own creativity laying in wait for me, or perhaps it was the app’s ability to open up and take in my ideas that forced them out. Either way I am sketching and brainstorming and notetaking in creative ways I have never before experienced on my iPad. As someone who has multiple unused productivity apps downloaded to their iPad, it is interesting that I have found myself continually coming back day after day, hour after hour to Paper.
New iPad 3 Dodo Cases!
In a compulsive move that should surprise no one, last night I ordered this new Dodo Case for the iPad 3.
I am loving the grey linen exterior! I also made sure to order it with the camera hole cut out, which set me back an extra five bucks, but I did pass on the custom monogram/personalized text option. I’m still a bit unsure if this case uses magnets to activate the iPads sleep/wake function, but I am not to concerned about that because I prefer to swipe to unlock anyway. Dodo case announced a few different styles, so be sure to check them out at dodocase.com
Getting Things Done with my iPad and Apps
For the past week, I have been utterly obsessed with trying to implement The GTD system! I don’t have the book, but there is a plethora of information on the Internet. I recently purchased this awesome fake snakeskin case from Target for just $16! I really like it because it is folio style with a zip around closure, multiple pockets and a pen/stylus holder. Only negative is that the elastic straps block parts of the corners of the iPad. Overall, however, I find that the case has been great for keeping me organized and on top of my work.
{Happy GTDing}