(This article is the last in a series of five addressing how to spend less time at work – and still be a good employee)
There’s millions of ways to distract yourself on your computer. Literally every day there is a new website or software that will detract from your productivity.
Occasionally, a software program or web app is released that can really improve your ability to get things done. I’ve implemented a handful of such products into my daily routine to great success.
The tools I use fall into three categories:
- Organization
- Distraction Reduction
- Time Management
Organization
Evernote
I use this program to organize my thoughts and to ensure I never forget any idea I have, no matter how big or small. Nearly every post on this blog was started on Evernote.
When I was in college the most indispensable tool I had was Microsoft OneNote. Every single note I took in class for three years was entered into OneNote. However, the program had two major drawbacks that ultimately led me to to abandon it after college. First, it cost a lot for a license, around $50 at the time. Second, backing it up was a pain in the ass.
I wish I had found Evernote when I was in college. The program is FREE for basic users and it automatically backs up everything you do. Evernote offers several different ways to use the program. You can use it over their web interface, install it on your desktop, on your U3 enabled jumpdrive, or use it on your mobile device – including an iPhone app.
Without getting into the specifics of each version of the program, Evernote lets you
- Write notes
- Create multiple notebooks
- Search across all notebooks
- Take screen clippings
- Copy & Paste from websites
- Upload & view PDFs
- Search text within photos
- Clip entire web pages to a notebook
An installation of Evernote on your iPhone and your U3 enabled jumpdrive will let you use the program everywhere you go. No forgotten ideas and no more time wasted on organizing notes.
(Click here for the Evernote website)
Basecamp
Basecamp is a web app that streamlines project management. I use this program to manage web-based projects with multiple members.
Basecamp is used by everyone from small fries (like me) to Fortune 500 companies. There are multiple levels of subscription, but plan on spending at least $20 per month on the service.
The program totally replaces email, chat programs, and shared calendars amongst groups. It allows you to assign tasks, send messages to multiple members, upload files, create chatrooms, establish to-do lists and milestones, and a handful of other things.
There’s also several iPhone apps to let you check up on projects while you’re mobile.
(Click here for the Basecamp website)
Simplification
Filters, folders, and autoresponders
As I’ve said before, I consider email to be the biggest timesuck in the office. Tools such as filters, folders, and autoresponders can greatly reduce the amount of time your inbox requires. However, overzealous application of these systems will end up taking up more of your time, rather than saving it.
The most common office email clients are Microsoft Outlook and Google’s Gmail; both of which should be able to handle my suggestion for dealing with email. In addition to checking email no more than once every two hours, you can make the process of checking email much more streamlined.
Email simplicity is based around an empty inbox. First figure out what types of email you receive most often: interoffice memos, emails regarding particular deals, publications, personal emails? Create a file system that addresses these types of emails. File a bunch of them (a couple hundred or so) then stop and review what’s in the files.
At this point you should have enough info to create filter which will automatically file most of the emails that come in to your inbox. This method allows you to focus your efforts on the topics that are truly important.
Autoresponders are fantastic for asshole clients or customers. If you took my advice about when to take phone calls, your clients are already adapting to your phone schedule. Some clients and coworkers will email and call for no other reason than to consume time. When these clients email, you can file all of their emails into a folder and ping the client with an Autoresponder that says
Thank you for your email. I have received it. Due to current project load, I will be returning emails on Thursday.
Now you just need to make sure you reply on Thursday.
Dark Room
Dark Room is a wonderfully simple tool. All that it does is mask the Notepad in Windows so that all you see is a black screen with green type. There are no distractions! No popups, no navbars, and no formatting to take away from the process of writing. All files are saved as .txt files, so when you’re done creating content, simply paste it into whatever program you’d like and update the formatting.
The program is free. You’ll never know how valuable it is until you try it.
(Click here for the Dark Room website)
Time Management
RescueTime
RescueTime is a small plug-in that simply tracks the time you spend on the computer. Tracking your time will help you figure out how to improve your time usage. They’ve got a free option that is stout enough for most individuals.
I wrote a full review here. Check it out.
Google Calendar
I have found Google Calendar to be much more streamlined and simple than the calendar within Outlook. There’s not nearly as many buttons or options to confuse you. An appointment can be entered with a simple text description “Doctors appointment at Dr. Jones on Sept. 1st at 2:30PM.” If you change an appintment, you can simply drag and drop it with your mouse, as well as adjust the length of the appointment by shortening or lengthening the appointment box on the calendar.
Sharing calendars is very simple as well. You simply enter in the email address of the person with whom you’d like to share the calendar. You can also embed a calendar within a webpage very easily, as I’ve done on the Calendar page.
Google Calendar can also track tasks, but I found creation & display of multiple lists to be cumbersome. There also isn’t a good solution for displaying your tasks on an iPhone, so I don’t use this function.
(Click here for the Google Calendar website)
Zenbe Lists
Zenbe Lists is a very simple (but not too simple) program for tracking to-do lists. Zenbe Lists lets you create multiple lists and assign due dates for each item. The web version of this app consists of just one page, allowing you to see all of your lists, edit their order, and enter and create new lists all on the same page. It’s beautifully simple.
There’s a few other list programs out there, but I’ve found others to be to complicated (multiple pages, too many options), or too simple (lack the ability to make multiple lists or assign dates).
Best of all, there’s a great iPhone app that syncs with your web account, making it very simple to keep your task on track while on the go. Zenbe is the only list app I’ve found that is simple enough to let you make a grocery list that contains tick boxes so you can check off each item as you pick it up in the store. Sounds obvious, right? Apparently not to some developers.
(Click here for the Zenbe Lists website)
Turn a Web App into a Program
You can use Mozilla Prism or Google Chrome to turn any web app into a program that runs from your desktop. This takes away the temptation of bookmarks as well as makes launching them much easier!
What Software do YOU Use?
Are there any great programs or apps that I am missing? Post a comment and let me know about them!
