It’s already 11:00?! Between getting settled for the day, checking email, and having a coffee – it’s almost like the morning’s completely gone, and I haven’t actually accomplished anything! Know how that goes?
Even the best thinkers use some assistance to get on track. Before, it was scheduling and to-do lists with paper and pencil (link to BF), now, there are lots of applications available for your computer that serve the same purpose; making your job easier and more productive. Here’s four that we use at the Steelcase store:
1. Doomi- Described on its website as “dead simple to-do’s,” Doomi does just that. It’s clean, unobtrusive, and allows for you to save completed tasks as well as set reminders for when things pop-up.
2. FocusBooster- It isn’t much more than a timer, but FocusBooster operates according to the Pomodoro technique – 25 minutes of focus, take a break, and start again. After four sessions, take a longer break. You’ll be surprised what taking control of your time, and concentrating on one thing at a time can do.
3. Think – When there’s too much fighting for your attention on the desktop (iTunes, iCal, eMail, web browsing power users know what I’m talking about), Sometimes, its easiest to block out the noise. Think does exactly that. When installed, you select an application to work with exclusively (eMail, calendar, Microsoft Word, etc.), and Think blacks out the rest of your screen. When you close the app, pick another, and finish the job without interruption.
4. Tweetdeck- For those of us that use Twitter, it’s an invaluable asset of real-time information and communication about our friends and company. Problem is, sometimes it’s either too much information, or a black hole of time wasting. Tweetdeck cleans it up by allowing for multiple columns that you dictate – whether you’re checking two different accounts or getting alerts for when a certain keyword is mentioned (like Steelcase and awesome). They even have an iPhone app.
What apps do you use that help out your productivity? Did we miss any?
Let us know in the comments!
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