Here are some of the tools and techniques I use to stay productive. Your mileage may vary, but these have been game-changers for me.
Task Management
OmniFocus is a big win for me. I am a passionate list-maker (which goes along with that Single Prioritized Backlog). OmniFocus has perfect and seamless sync on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Web. It’s not cheap but worth every penny. And their support is tremendous. I pair it with three books:
- Getting Things Done, by David Allen
- A Sense of Urgency, by John Kotter
- The Effective Executive, by Peter Drucker
Launcher & Shortcuts
Alfred is a truly awesome tool. I basically only use the “ctrl-space” shortcuts for LinkedIn, Google, Drive, etc, but it probably saves me 15 minutes/day.
Meetings
I use and try to abide by Google Speedy Meetings, so that we can all get a couple minutes to breathe, go to the restroom, and catch up on those urgent Slacks for 5 minutes between every meeting.
Time Zones
We live and work around the world, don’t we? So I have Menubar Clock at the top of my screen.
Speaking of the fact that the world is round, I couldn’t live without either the World Time Buddy website, or the Time Buddy iOS App, configured as a widget.
Screen Capture
For screen or window captures, Snagit is truly marvelous. Because, after all, a picture is really worth 1,000 (or more!) words.
Calculator
The best calculator that I have ever found is Soulver. Hands down.
Email & Calendar
I truly hate using Gmail / GCal as a browser tab, so I use Boxy Suite for them – except when on planes, when I use disconnected Gmail.
Keyboard Remapping
I have decided that life is too short to always move my hands for the delete key and arrow keys, so I have remapped CapsLock+IJKL to the arrows and CapsLock+H to DEL on all my devices.
Video Calls
I am very passionate about connecting with people on Zoom, so I bought a Logitech BCC 950 camera and place it almost exactly in front of the face of the person I’m talking to in order to make eye contact.
Ergonomics
(Geek alert) I love my trackpad on my laptop… but don’t get it on my detached keyboard. So I bought this ergonomic masterpiece and placed an Apple Magic Trackpad between the two halves. It’s glorious.
Browser
Google Chrome Grouped Tabs – ’nuff said.
Automation
Slack + Zapier integrations – I have Zapier slack me when key emails arrive, and I can add “todo” items to my task manager by simply clicking “save for later”. No more cut and pasting. Just go to Slack > Apps > + > Search > Zapier and try it out.