A Look Inside my Productivity Apps

Do you ever wonder what makes people tick?  Is it their tireless work ethic or the support system around them?  Is it their DNA or an incredible role model that inspired them to be great?  Or, maybe if all else fails, their good looks.  

The answers probably vary for each of us.  (except for those of us who are actually good looking in which case appearance is mighty important for just about, well, everything!  I submit Gisele Bundchen as proof.)

If we're really honest with ourselves, the answers are like a layer cake.  Many layers make for many victories in daily life. Remove one layer and the others start to sag.  

In my life, an essential component to staying productive is my toolbox of productivity apps.  Some of these translate onto iPhone for mobile use but for now, I'll stick to what's working on the desktop for MAC.

We'll update these 1-2 times per year but for now, here is my list:

• Nozbe: my ToDo app of choice.  Works on iPhone and iPad and my favorite, on the Mac.
• Gmail: the email client I use for work.
• Google Docs (Google Drive): we use Google Drive as a file sharing system in the cloud.
• Google Calendar: while Google Calendar doesn't sync perfectly with my iPad, I can settle for a "most of the time" success story.
• Tweetbot: it's pretty and has a nice multi-collumn layout.
• Apple Mail: not very fancy but simply works well.  Configure the keyboard shortcuts and you can really fly through email.  I use Mail for my personal email.
• Google Chrome: browser of choice.
• Omni Outliner: a simple outliner that I use for my podcast prep.  Simply amazing!
• Pocket: while Instapaper has its fanboys, I reallly enjoy Pocket for anything I'm reading online or via Twitter but can't get to right away.  
• Scrivener: every blog post begins in Scrivener.  
• Camtasia: what I use for my screencasts and demos.  

 These are what are helping me get more done.  What's in your toolbox of apps?

 Photo courtesy of BH

What I Learned From a Week Without Power

I write this post hesitantly.  There’s this little voice that feels guilty even reflecting on “blessings” when so many of my closest friends are still without power, heat and running water. 

Hurricane Sandy came and went but left her mark, that she did.

There is also a sense of quick relief, maybe too quick, because our “normal lifestyle” has been restored and is now almost like it was prior to the hurricane.  Our minds are so well trained to seek pleasure that I can feel the pain of last week drifting away.  I want to put it out of my mind and download some dumb computer game while turning on all of the lights in my house and streaming live video on my iPad.

But I also don’t want to forget.  Not at all.

I don’t want to forget last week.  I don’t want to because a part of me feels guilty because of what has been restored to my own family.  Lights.  Heat.  Hot water.  Internet.  More importantly, I don’t want to forget because, for one small stretch of life, I could relate to the poor.  We were poor in heat, lights, food, comfort, and leisure.

It didn't feel good.

On the other hand, we were rich at the same exact time.  We were wealthy in how much more we spoke with our neighbors. We were rich in how we tried to encourage each other when one of us felt like complaining.  We were rich in the time that it took to prepare meals.  With the microwave out of commission, simple meals of bread and soup came alive thanks to the help of a side burner on the bbq grille.  

For five long days, we were rich while at the same time being poor.

I kept a candle lit tonight after dinner.  My eight year old reminded me that our power was back and we didn’t need the candles any more.  I told him that I didn’t want to forget last week.  Innocently and honestly, he said, “I don’t want to remember last week at all!  It was horrible.”  He is, of course, very right.  One would never choose to be out of power for a week.  Why would you?

Suffering is like that.  It repels and attracts at the same time. We walk by homeless people and simultaneously want to stare and look away.  Can you relate to that?  For many thousands of people in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey after the hurricane, the response is the same.  Some just want to move on and forget that it all happened, like my eight year old.  Others will have to live with the devastation for months or years to come.  

So what did I learn from a week without power?  First, what I missed the most:

1. The ability to communicate with my friends and colleagues.

2. Hot coffee at any time of the day.

3. High speed internet.

4. Heat and afternoon lighting.

5. The ability to charge my devices.

6. Podcast listening during my commute.

What didn’t I miss?  (And some of these may surprise you!)

1. Refrigeration.

2. TV.

3. All Saints Day.  It’s not that I don’t like All Saints Day, I do.  It’s rather that I was so consumed with getting my family through the day that we had forgotten all about All Saints.  

What have I learned through all of this?  

1. Take nothing for granted.  Not your family or a good night’s sleep or a warm meal.  It could all go away in the blink of an eye so cherish it, hold it close to you and thank God for whatever you have.

2. Help those that you can.  I can’t cook my way out of a paper bag but I can brew coffee.  Today I made a pot of coffee for someone without power and poured it into a carafe.  When I gave it to my friend, she could only give back a hug which was way better than what I had to offer.

3. Put more stock into routines.  They bring momentum which brings success.  During a time of disaster, they also bring order, calm and a sense of stability. Get really good at them because they matter a whole lot. 

4. Try not to forget.  Whether you light a candle, frame a photo or keep a quote in your wallet or purse, remembering tragedy is very, very important.  It keeps you humble and helps to avoid careless waste.

I’d love to hear your insights from last week’s Hurricane event.  How are you doing and what are you learning?

Photo courtesy of AB

The One Question That Could Land You a Job

If you've been interviewed lately, you probably had a mixed reaction to the process.  So many companies never even get back to you after the interview and others are just inept at the process.  

This is a demoralizing process for folks who try but can't seem to nail down a job.

The folks at Manager Tools call this phenomenon "The Christmas Rule".  Just as Christmas only comes around once a year, interviews are just as rare.  As a result, most companies don't do them very well.  Their follow up is even worse.  

So here's a good question to ask if you are interviewing someone else for a position: how will we know that you've been here after a year of employment?  In other words, what difference will you make?  Someone who has an ability to answer that quickly and thoughtfully is on his way.

The one who can then deliver on that answer will be able to keep their job for a long time.

What is the worst question that you had to field during the interview process?

Photo courtesy of MT

Match Your Activity with Your Energy

It's 8:22pm in the St. Pierre household and you have one child to be put to bed in 8 minutes.  The other three are going to be sleeping (right?) by 9pm.  

This is pretty typical in my family and I'm wondering about yours.  The issue is simple enough- what do you do when you have small bits of time to spend?  Do you waste them or make the most of them?

The temptation is to say, "the heck with it" or "Mike, you're micromanaging the clock!"  All I know is that God gives us time in order to use it.  I figure we ought to use it well.

So back to the scenario at hand.  In my house, we typically try to match the activity with the level of energy.  Have ten minutes before bed?  Choose a low-level activity that doesn't require much brain power.  This could be tidying up a room or folding a pile of clothes.

On the other hand, if you're given a 30-45 minute block of time, you may want to settle in for a deeper level of activity.  This is a gift to use more wisely.  You could do some writing, have a meaningful conversation or clean out your inbox.  

Whatever your block of time, try to see it as a gift.  

Which tasks do you typically reserve for small blocks of time?  Likewise, which ones do you tackle when you have a lot of energy?

Photo courtesy of CK

10 Ways to Get Unstuck

I ran into someone the other day at a meeting and asked him how he was doing.  He responded in what I thought was a sad manner, "Same old, same old.  Just plugging along I guess."

Imagine going through your life with that "same old" mindset and yet that's what so many people do.

At the heart of this rather depressing outlook on life (and work) is a perspective of scarcity.  Rather than having an attitude of abundance and gratitude, my friend sees his days as a repeatingly boring cycle that repeats itself every day.  I feel badly for him, I really do.

Can you relate?  If so, how do you break up a cycle of monotony like that of my friend?  Here are 10 easy ways to put some zing into your weekly schedule:

1. Change your commute.
2. Change your morning routine.
3. Eat slower.
4. Send someone a personal note.
5. Pay someone a compliment.
6. Take a nap.
7. Enjoy a slow glass of wine.
8. Go for a nighttime walk.
9. Tidy up your workspace.
10. Wear something fun.

These suggestions do not work every time but they do help you to be more reflective.  Reflective people typically are more happy.  When you feel stuck in your daily schedule, a simple tweak can create a dent in the monotony that is a part of all of our lives.

God is there to be found in the world of work.

I really like the following quote from former president of Boston College, Fr. William Byron, S.J. because it speaks to the ordinary nature of daily life, "God is there to be found in the world of work. The daily finding of God in the things of work can deepen one’s faith and quite literally ground it in the familiar reality that becomes an altar from which an offering of praise and thanks is made."

Here's to your daily altar to God, that is to say the ordinary stuff that fills your day.  May you be unstuck through small changes.

Question: which of the 10 actions above have you tried recently?

Photo courtesy of FDP