As a productivity junkie, I am always looking for the hottest new apps that promise to help me boost my productivity! I’ve tried games, guided meditation, and brainwave boosters, but most recently I have been using an app that creates a playlist of scientifically optimized productivity music to help you focus called Focus@Will. How’s that for a name, right? Who doesn’t want to have complete focus at will? I know I do! So when I first heard about this app, I knew I had to give it a try, so I downloaded the app, signed up for a free trial account and got started.
Now, the thing you need to understand about this app is that it’s essentially a semi-customizable playlist of relaxing, almost sound machine types of music. The UI of the app itself is pretty minimal and I found that it wasn’t quite adapted to my iPhone 6 Plus’ large screen, but then again, I guess that doesn’t matter very much because you’re not really supposed to be spending much time looking at your iPhone screen with this app on!
For those of you who may already be familiar with the concept to working to music, you may be wondering what makes this app so special? I think it all comes down to the thought that classical and similar styles of music make one more productive than other types of music, and in fact on their website, Focus@Will explains that modern music that most people listen to through the workday is not effective in forcing our concentration because such music normally evokes an emotional response that distracts us. Now, I can understand that! Personally, I am not productive at work with music on, I do better when I listen to music while cleaning the house or doing another physical activity that doesn’t require much thought. If you tend to work with your favorite playlist on in the background, you may want to ask yourself how satisfied you are with your productivity to really understand if this is an app you would want to try!
So, moment of truth, does the app actually work? Well, as I sit at my desk writing this review, it’s about 7:30 in the morning and I’ve been up since 6am working on blog posts, listening to and enjoying the music from the app. I haven’t been distracted by notifications, I haven’t taken moments to pause and rest, unsure of what to write next. I’ve been enjoying the soothing sounds radiating from my iPhone, and I think the science behind this app is correct. I don’t focus this well listening to regular music and I find that even in complete silence, I am not as productive as I seem to be as I type along to the rhythm of the spa playlist I’m currently enjoying. So, I would have to say that for me, yes, this app is working. Now, will I be signing up for a monthly subscription to the app once my 30 day trial is over? That will take some more thought. I am not completely sold on the app as a monthly subscription, although I would have no problem paying out $5.99 or even upwards of $10 to have full access to the app without a subscription fee or at least the option to buy a pre-made playlist flat out. I’m not entirely sure what sort of updates and value the Focus@Will team is adding on a monthly basis to validate the charge, which is my major hesitation right now, but I would say the app is nice, I do see a use for it and I would pay something for it, I’m just not sure how much value will come from the subscription!
If you have ever tried Focus@Will let me know what you thought of it in the comments below. I’d love to hear about your experiences with the app and if you are subscribed, let me know what value you feel you get from the app on an ongoing basis! If you have never tried Focus@Will before, definitely give the app a try, it’s available for download on iOS and Android devices and there is even a desktop client as well!
On my iPhone is a monthly feature on Strange & Charmed where I give you a peak into what I have been loving on my iPhone for the month! Covering topics like apps, games, podcasts, music, websites, books and more, I hope this series helps you all discover new and exciting content out there that can be enjoyed from your iPhone! To stay up to date with this series, make sure to follow the On My iPhone tag!
So this month, I have a bunch of fun iPhone related news for you all. In case you hadn’t noticed, I actually just recently upgraded to the iPhone 6 Plus for my birthday! It was a present to myself and also a much needed tool for my business ever since my iPhone 5 really started taking a turn for the worst. This month I also embraced a lot of fun apps I had always wanted to try and even brought back some oldies that I forgot that I loved so much!
Currently Playing, Headspace: This awesome app was a recommendation from Pat Flynn that I had to check out! It is a guided meditation app that basically helps you manage stress and live in the moment. I actually have really been enjoying the app, which is basically free for the first 10 sessions, but then you have some subscription options to get more guided meditation regularly. I think the plans are pretty well priced, especially for the fact that it really feels like you are in a one to one guided meditation session. Definitely check it out if you want to start meditating or get a little help from your iPhone.
Currently Reading, Flipboard: Okay, so Flipboard is an app, not a book, but I have been loving reading articles from it, none the less. This was actually one of my favorite apps once upon a time but for some reason I stopped using it. Now that I have rediscovered the app I can’t live without it. I try to read a few articles a day in the app, which you can customize to bring you a dedicated feed of articles that fit the topics you enjoy!
Currently Watching, West Wing: My husband and I are always looking for a new TV series to get involved with that is on demand so we don’t have to bother with TV schedules and all that jazz. We were thinking about it and realized that we really enjoyed political dramas, so we decided to start watching the West Wing, which is another throwback show that I used to watch years ago, but to be honest, I can’t remember much of what I watched, so this is like discovering a hidden gem! Definitely check it out if you were a West Wing fan or if you enjoy political dramas!
Currently Surfing, AlexBeadon.com: As you know, I am always on the lookout for great female entrepreneurs online that are hitting it out of the park. I love following them for inspiration, tips and insights, and I recently discovered Alex Beadon through a client. Alex is a photographer turned online entrepreneur who is something of a girl after my own heart. She shares her business tips and tricks via her blog and YouTube channel, so definitely check her out if your looking for great female business role models!
Currently Listening, The Power of Habit via Audible: I really enjoy audio books, but as you may already know, they are pretty pricey! I was actually surprised when I learned how affordable and practical an Audible membership was, for some reason I didn’t realize that once you downloaded an Audible book, its actually yours forever (I previously had thought you were essentially renting the audiobooks with your monthly membership) which really changed my perspective on the service and I just had to sign up! Luckily, I was also able to sign up with an incredible offer of not one, but TWO FREE BOOKS with my trial membership, so if you would like to give Audible a shot and would like to take advantage of this super offer, click here and sign up for free today!
iPhone Case, Kate Spade Diagonal Stripped Hybrid Case: Of course when I bought my new phone I had to get a new iPhone case to go along with it and I found this perfect case from Kate Spade at my local Best Buy! Unfortunately, it looks like the case is currently sold out, but if you’re looking for a similar case for your iPhone 6 Plus, check this one out from Kate Spade, it was my number two choice!
Things I Read & Loved
So now for the second part of this post, a selection of articles I read from around the web that I loved.
With so many of you that tell me on a day-to-day basis how much my work has inspired you to live a more productive and organized life, I got to thinking that I should perhaps share with you all the people, specifically, the women, that inspire me. I definitely go through phases where I become very interested in and inspired by the work of certain notable women, but for the most part, I find that I keep coming back to the same ladies and their work over and over again. So, here is a collection of 10 awesome females that I believe all millennial women should know!
You really have to be living under a rock to not know about Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, her controversial book, Lean In, and her work promoting and supporting the roles of women in executive positions through her foundation Lean In.org. Sheryl Sandberg has been everywhere since her book released in 2013 and she has become something of the unofficial face of women in leadership, opening up an important dialogue within the U.S.
Marie Forleo is a very awesome lady whose work I just recently discovered early in 2014. Known predominantly for her eponymous website and business coaching practice, Marie is definitely a mover and a shaker, rubbing elbows with Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins and Sir Richard Branson to name a few. Through her weekly web series, Marie helps inspire her audience of entrepreneurial women with refreshing candor and a hit of sass! Oh, and did I mention she’s from Jersey? What can I say, she’s my type of lady!
3. Malala Yousafzai
Seventeen year old Malala Yousafzai has been making major waves on the international scene for years through her human rights advocacy and especially her support for the education and advancement of women in her native country of Pakistan. In 2014 Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Prize, making her the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious honor. This brave young woman already has accomplishments galore under her belt, and the world can only expect more great things to come from her in the future!
So when you think of Felicia Day you probably think, geek girl, gamer, actress, writer, but what you should be thinking is web media innovator. In case you didn’t realize it, back in 2012 Felicia launched Geek & Sundry, a Youtube Channel featuring a laundry list of popular web series’ and has basically carved out a nice piece of the new media pie for herself, but then she turned around and sold that pie two years later after turning one single YouTube channel into a media entity in and of itself! She is one savvy multi-talented business woman who is building her media empire, brick by brick!
Do you ever find yourself pining for a younger, more tech savvy version of Martha Stewart that would be accessible to the modern millennial women? Well, clearly you haven’t been acquainted with Brit Morin! As an entrepreneur and modern business woman, Brit has built up a lifestyle brand akin to Martha but with a twist. She is something of a digital homemaker with not only her own popular website and shop, but also her subscription based DIY box service that gives millennial women a creative outlet in their busy, often stressful lives! I’ve been following Brit for years back since the days where she was blogging under her maiden name and working for Apple & Google, and I have to say that it has been very exciting watching the progression of her brand into what it has become today, and I know there will be so much more in store for her in the future.
As the daughter of international businessman Carlos Ghosn, Caroline Ghosn clearly comes from a background of wealth and privilege, but instead of using her families money and connections to get herself into parties, play dress up and live in lala land like some other privileged socialites might, she graduated from college and started her own business in her early twenties; Levo League. You have probably seen me talk about Levo before, I’ve written articles for their site and really love the work they do helping young women connect and network with resources and mentors that will help them advance personally and professionally. Although Levo is a new company and still rather small, I have seen them take on massive projects and make such an impact already that it is exciting to see what will come next!
Carly Zakin & Danielle Weisberg are two names on this list that I expect you are most likely unfamiliar with. In fact, I myself am still not familiar with their names although I enjoy their work and product on a daily basis. Carly and Danielle are the founders of one of my favorite email subscriptions, Skimm.com, a daily email that catches you up on the important news of the day. As someone who doesn’t really read the news (I know, it’s not something I’m proud of) their service has really helped me keep an eye on important events around the globe by providing a skimmed down summary of the important facts, key players and possibly impacts. Oh, and did I mention this is a free service? Well, it is, so you really have no excuse not to become an informed and educated citizen, thanks to Carly & Danielle!
Gabby Bernstein is one of my personal favorite modern spiritualists. By day, she is a motivational speaker, author and life coach, but really, the thing that makes her stand out to me is that she is a spiritual thinker, yogi, and all around kick-ass lady! You may have seen me talk about her latest book Miracles Now, which I love, it’s basically a how-to guide to solve life’s little (and not so little) problems in the moment by changing your mindset and using your body’s natural energy to help you live a better life. I always love thinkers that really seem to practice what they preach, and to me, Gabby is one of those authentic, do gooder types who works to empower people through spiritual methods rather than through gimicky or commercial means. She is just one of those people who really inspires you to live a better life by embracing love and light in your own life and letting go of all those insignificant things that often times trip us up. She’s definitely one to watch if you are into spirituality, meditation, yoga, and self-help!
I really thought that this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning an inspiration woman who is part of the U.S. political system. Wendy Davis is a former Texas State Senator who came to national popularity when she took a stand on women’s rights and stood for an eleven hour-long filibuster to block a Senate Bill that would place harsh regulations on women’s reproductive rights in Texas. Now, no matter your political affiliation and no matter your stance on abortion and reproductive rights, you have to admit that one single woman standing up against the political system in one of the largest states in America and facing huge amounts of opposition for her actions is really, honestly, amazing! You really need a plethora of courage and strength to do what she did, and although her actions weren’t successful in preventing the legislation from passing, she did manage to bring national attention to the issue and help open a dialogue in support of the right’s of all women, and for that I think she is pretty awesome!
I hope this article helped introduce you to an awesome and inspirational woman who you may not have been familiar with before and if it did, please let me know in the comments below. If you have other great women that you draw inspiration from I would love to hear about them as well. Perhaps you can introduce me to someone great as well!
I am so accustomed to being busy and having a never ending to do list that when I do get down time, my mind blanks on how I should be spending it. Inevitably, I end up wasting time planning out what I should do and then, there goes half my free time down the drain! Does this ever happen to you? Well, if it does, I think this post could be a helpful reference when you have nothing to do or find that your struck with boredom but still want to do something productive. I suggest printing this out or book marking this page and rereading it whenever you have extra time that you don’t want to waste!
Choose a room or small area of your house to clean and organize
Create a new playlist from your existing music collection
Take pictures of all the valuable items in your home and save them in a file in case you one day need to file an insurance claim
Think of a topic you have always wanted to learn about and google the heck out of it
Collect all the loose change around your home and start a change jar
Read the entire front page of a news website or newspaper
Find things around your house that you are no longer using and take them to be donated
Okay, now go forth and be productive! Did you like this list? If you would like me to do lists like these more often, leave me a comment and tell me what sort of list you would like?
I often find myself wide awake at 3 o’clock in the morning wondering what in the world is so important inside my own brain that I cannot enjoy the benefits of sleep! Although I try desperately to try to calm myself down, going through the motions of my night time rituals hoping to get my brain on the same page with my body, the affect is often lost and I find myself more awake then I was before. So, what do I turn to? Well, my iPhone! Although professionals say that it is best to avoid gadgets within an hour of bedtime, I find that when I cannot fall asleep no matter how hard I try, the quickest way to get myself asleep is by playing on my iPhone! Now, when it comes to trying to get myself to sleep, I won’t start doing anything major with my phone, but I have found that there are a few apps and games that actually help put me to sleep on those nights when I can’t stop tossing and turning.
Sky Guide: Sky Guide is a wonderful app with an intensely peaceful atmosphere! It uses your phone’s GPS to create a map of the night’s sky above you, whether you are indoors or outdoors. With a delicate soundtrack that sounds like a gentle lullaby, the app allows you to explore the sky around you, selecting stars, constellations and galaxies and providing you with histories and explanations for each and every celestial body. It’s almost like counting sheep, but your interacting with objects light years away.
Splodes: One of my favorite and most relaxing games is Splodes. Again, there is something about its gentle soundtrack that puts you into a state of easiness and comfort. The game itself is very slow paced, and all you need to do is “pop” a few splodes causing a chain reaction that may or may not release you into the next level. The game isn’t so much about winning as it is developing a simple strategy and I think one of the reasons it helps to put me to sleep is because it focuses my brain on the gameplay so that I am not lost in thought in my own mind. Definitely a game you will want to try if you have not already!
Osmos: Another super slow paced but very popular game that I suggest for late night decompression is Osmos. This game launched to much acclaim as one of the earliest iPad arcade style games, but it translates nicely to the small screen of the iPhone. Again, a new-agey but very calming soundtrack paired with simple gameplay mechanics soothes you to a zen like state that is very conducive for falling asleep!
Zen Brainwave Meditation: Speaking of Zen, one of my favorite on the go relaxation apps is Zen Brainwave Meditation, an app that is a portable sound machine for your iPhone. Simply choose your favorite ambient noise like the sound of rain or thunder and then select the evening brainwave program and the duration of your session and you are lulled to sleep by the science of brainwave stimulation. Its really something out of Star Trek but it helps to put me to sleep so I can’t complain! Also great for morning and afternoon meditations as well!
iBooks: When all else fails to put you to sleep there is nothing like spending some quiet time reading. Now, one of the benefits to night time reading on the iPhone is that the brightness of the screen as you read creates a heaviness on your eyes that almost immediately forces you to sleep. So, have a few good books downloaded on your iPhone just in case you have trouble falling asleep. And make sure the books are easy bed time reads and nothing to heavy and complicated for a midnight reading session. The goal is for you to fall asleep, not stay awake anxiously reading a best-seller!
Conjuring your desires is a new weekly feature for the month of March that focuses on using your natural power and energy to bring yourself everything you are looking for in your life. Each Thursday visit back for a new installment covering the topics of talismans, love, money, and luck!
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Money is an easy thing to acquire but not an easy thing to keep, which is why we need a constant and steady stream of it in order to balance our lives. When it comes to conjuring money, you need to take into account not only the receiving of money in one form or another, but also the respect for money. “Waste not, want not,” is a sure quote to live by when it comes to cash, but there are a few easy things you can do to attract money to yourself and a few not so easy things to do to get it to stick.
Wearing and displaying gold will help to attract money to you.
Cinnamon sticks and orange peels also attract money. Try drinking orange tea with cinnamon or keeping those scents around you.
Burning sandalwood incense on Sunday morning an hour after sunrise and doing a simple meditation will also help bring money to you. Sit quietly during this time and reflect on what your monetary needs are and how you will honor and respect that which is given to you.
While trying to attract money it is very important that you also respect it or else you can scare it away.
Do not make any frivolous purchases, make regular deposits into your savings account and keep your wallet and purse in order.
File receipts, keep clean bills in your wallet and make sure to store your change with care.
All these things will help to attract money to your pockets! Once you begin to see that you are attracting money into your life, make sure to continue to practice respect towards it. Money is fickle and will stay away if you waste it!
This week I believe I have gathered a great group of links to share with you! They range from fashionable tech accessories to newly released applications, and from Apple news to meditation. So, without further ado here are this weeks Missing Links!
If you’re one of the many Apple fans who were unimpressed with WWDC read this.
Are you a student looking for a new Mac? Read about Apples new Back to School Deal!
Wish your iPhone could get you a date? Well, there is some good news for you!
Are you interested in some new fashionable accessories? Click here Apple Fangirls and Fanboys.
The 5th Avenue Apple Store is getting a facelift, read about the cost of all that glass here!
Stuck in a mental rut and need to get the creative juices flowing, try meditating on this one.
I think this is a very interesting bag solution for the modern male.
Wacom introduces some Paper to go with their new iPad stylus.
Feel like your iPad Facebook experience has been lacking? Perhaps you won’t for long!
