The End Of The Series

Hi everyone.  Welcome to another episode from Productivity Matters.

In fact, this is the last in the current series; but don’t worry, I’ll be back in the new year. 

I've had a lot of fun making these, so in the great tradition of end of year shows; I thought I'd take look back at what I've talked about over the last 18 weeks.

What is productivity

If we're to understand how the tools and methods can help us, then we need to get to the heart of productivity, and what it actually is?

Productivity means different things to each of us; but one thing I think we can all agree on is that it’s the means to getting things done in the most efficient manner. 

It may be that the easiest way to do this is using good old-fashioned pen and paper.

The tech world has been overtaken with all sorts of apps to help us do something better. 

ToDoIst

Task managers are designed to help you make sure you've done what needs to be done.  Tasks are either one-off single jobs that need completing, or they are a bigger project broken down into more manageable chunks.

The market is a flood with task manager apps; GoodTasks, Things3, Wunderlist, and even Google have one called Keep.

I use ToDoIst for my task management; and the main reason I chose this is ease of use and the integrations into the other tools I already use.

One of the strengths of ToDoIst is the ability to use natural language to set dates and times, for reminders. It's simple to type 'Call Mum every Wednesday at 6pm'

ToDoIst will automatically create a recurring task, that appears each Wednesday. On the paid-for service, you can also set a reminder for 10 mins before (or whatever time you decide), to pop-up on your mobile phone, or desktop, so you'll never forget again.

On the paid for version you get extra functionality, including:

• Task Labels & Reminders - adding more control to the way you can filter and be reminded of tasks
• Add tasks via email - This is a good one. Simply forward emails direct to ToDoIst; either to the default Inbox, or straight into a project. A real time-saver
• Task comments & file uploads - Add extra comments to your tasks, and upload files to support the tasks
• Productivity tracking and charts
• iCal synchronization - Add your tasks into your calendar, so you can see them in one place.

I use the premium version; which at the time of recording is $36 per year (about £28).

www.todoist.com

Evernote

ToDoIst integrates nicely with Evernote, so that any reminders I set are automatically created in ToDoIst.

Evernote is my note-taking app of choice.  I have tried others, such as Bear and OneNote, but I just can't seem to get on with them as well.  Maybe that's because I've been using Evernote for so many years, and it's second nature.  Certainly, Evernote have had some negative press over this last year, with their new brand image; but the product itself is very stable.

I use Evernote for almost everything, from scanning documents to store them, for storing e-receipts that arrive by email, and their webclipper which I use to capture and save information from the web.

Evernote has a basic, free, version which will be just fine for many.  There is also a premium offering which unlocks a boatload of functionality.  

www.evernote.com

Online Security

On the subject of the web - how safe are you?  In one episode I talked about security, not only of your passwords, but also general steps you can take to make sure you don't fall for the scammers that are so prevalent, and increasingly clever, nowadays.

Staying safe online doesn't have to be hard, and must be considered all the time. 

Here are a few simple steps:

• Don't write passwords down where they can be easily found
• Never give out your credit or debit card PIN
• Change passwords frequently and
• Use different passwords everywhere
• Be aware of phishing attacks too - if an offer looks too good to be true; then it probably is.

I also talked about using multi-factor authentication, also known as two-factor authentication, as an added layer of security.  It sounds more complex than it actually is.  Simply, set up a second device to act as a barrier for the scammer.  When you log in to an online account, then you'll need to use your mobile phone to authorise the login.  Even if the scammer has your login and password, without your second device, they won't get access to your account.

A good password manager will help you to manage all your passwords - I use LastPass; but others are available, such as 1Password and Dashlane.  They're well worth investigating.

www.lastpass.com

Online Photos and Online Storage

When I looked at these, in separate episodes, I claimed that Google was the winner in both cases.  I still maintain that. As a service, Google really is second-to-none and since they are available across all platforms, then you're not constrained by the device you use.

Plus, they're free to use.  Although I did caveat that statement; since Google don't charge you, they do make their money by selling information for advertising purposes.  So, whether you class the services as free is probably semantics.  The majority of us have a Google Gmail account, or use their Photos app, or Drive, for storage. 

Or used one of their other plentiful services; like Maps; Translate and more. 

I did also look at Apples photos and Amazon also have a Photos app; which is free for Prime members.  For online storage, as well as Google Drive there are also offerings from Microsoft OneDrive, Apple (iCloud, for Apple users only), Dropbox and Box.

Fantastical 2

Time management in a busy life is important, and I use Fantastical 2 for my calendar.  

I know that each operating system has their own calendar; like Calendar on iOS, or Google Calendar; but I prefer the way Fantastical 2 can be used to enter information.  It's natural language capability means I just type the entry, without really thinking about the format.

Available on iOS and Mac, with some great Apple Watch integration; Fantastical 2 is also integrated very well with ToDoIst.

On the iOS version you can choose your default maps application, to open directions; from either Apple Maps or Google Maps. You can also choose the default browser, for opening links.

On the MacOS version, I have a work calendar that will automatically be displayed when I arrive in the office. This allows me to concentrate on what's ahead of me for the day, and not be distracted by personal events. When I return home, my personal calendar will be displayed.

Calendars can also be set up in 'sets', which allows me to limit certain calendar views. Calendars I've subscribed to can also be set up within these 'sets', so I can see them too.  The Mac app also offers the choice of light or dark theme.

This isn't a free app; like many others, but you do get a whole lot of bang for your buck.

www.flexbits.com

Notion

Billed as the workspace for all your online 'stuff'.  Lego bricks for software.  Notion can be used for pretty much anything and is possibly this years fastest growing app.  You can capture notes, add tasks, use tables, include a calendar, upload images, link to other sites and much much more.

The note-taking isn't quite as good as Evernote; in my opinion, and the task manager doesn't yet allow for recurring tasks, so is a little limited.

However, it is one app that really does cater for everyone and everything, and is definitely worth a look.

It's free to use (if you don't use up all 1000 blocks) but you can delete blocks and free up space if you need to; so it genuinely is free.

www.notion.so

Feedly, Pocket & Pocket Casts

There are two apps that I use daily, usually multiple times a day, to get my fix of the news and articles I'm interested in reading.

Feedly is a news aggregator and is brilliant at serving up the news I chose to receive.  They've recently been undergoing some enhancements, and the upcoming new version is totally brilliant.

The other app is Pocket, and they have had a makeover this year.  Pocket is where I capture all the articles and news items that I want to read later.  It syncs up to be able to read offline, if necessary, and the update makes this a seamless and smooth experience.  They have also made their read-out-loud functionality more prominent - so you have have the app speak the stories.  It's spookily good! o

Talking of reading out loud - podcasts are a great way to listen to interesting discussions, reviews or entertainment - although I don't need to tell YOU that!

Pocket Casts is a great podcast app, and has also had a new release in the last few weeks.  I use Pocket Casts daily to listen to the podcasts I subscribe too.  There are others on the market, including Castbox, Overcast and more and I will take a look at some of them in the new year.

Feedly, Pocket and Pocket Casts are all free to download and use; but they also have premium versions available.

www.feedly.com

www.getpocket.com

www.pocketcasts.com

IFTTT & Zapier

Automation is probably the biggest part of being as productive as possible.  Using technology to streamline your workflows, means you can spend more time doing what matters most.

I gave some examples of the relatively simple ways I use automation; using IFTTT (If This Then That) to update a shopping list, and using Zapier to update a Google Sheet. 

For Zapier, one of the main uses I have is to add a line to a spreadsheet whenever I buy something from Amazon.  Whenever a confirmation email is received, I have set up a Zap that will look in the email, take the information and add to a line on a Google spreadsheet.  Now, I can see at a glance what I’ve bought!

Again, both of these are free to use.  IFTTT is available via the web and as an app. Zapier is only available via the web; and does have a cost if you need more than the basics on offer. 

www.ifttt.com

www.zapier.com

Drafts 5

Drafts 5 is an app purely for capturing text.  It's brilliant at that; but with some formatting, and integrations, I can update a field on a Draft 5 document, then run an Action which will, bear with me, run a Zap, from Zapier, and add a line to a Google Sheet.  It's really quick to do, and saves having to open the sheet, navigate to the row and type the info.

I also use Drafts to add to my To Do list, in ToDoIst.  Entering the task details, I then run an action to create a task directly.

There are times when I'll receive an email with lots of different dates for various meetings.  In Drafts, I will enter each one on a separate line, along with the date and time.  I then run an action called Fantastically Good Event Parser.  Then it will take each line and create a separate event in Fantastical 2, using the natural language ability of the app.  This has saved tons of time.

Unfortunately, Drafts 5 is only available on iOS; with a Mac version in the works.  It's free to download and use, but the pro version does unlock additional functionality - but this is not necessary to get the main benefits of this great app.

www.draftsapp.com

Thank You

So, that's it.  I've looked at ToDoIst, Evernote, IFTTT, Zapier, Drafts 5, Feedly, Pocket and Pocket Casts, Google Drive,  Fantastical 2 and Notion. 

I hope you’ve found this episode, indeed, this series, interesting. 

Links to all the apps I've mentioned are in the show notes. 

If you have any questions about anything I've talked about, or have any suggestions for future episodes, then please get in touch via Twitter @prodmatters

The series will return in the new year, with a fresh look at some of these apps, and a look at more productivity apps and ideas to help you be better at getting things done.  

Of course, all the previous episodes are available to listen to wherever you normally listen to podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, so that you're ready for the new series.

If you've already subscribed, then thank you very much; I really do appreciate it.

Have a great time over the festive period and wishing you all a very productive New Year.

Until next time, remember, Productivity Matters.

---

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Being Productive

Introduction

Hello and welcome to episode 15 of my Productivity Matters Podcast. 

What does being productive mean to you?  It’s all very well having some great apps to help you organise, but if they don't help you to actually be productive, then what's the point.

I’m Julian and on this episode I'm going to look what it actually means to be productive.

Coming up on Productivity Matters.

What is Productivity?

We need to get to the heart of productivity, if we're to understand how the tools and methods can help.

Productivity means different things to each of us; but one thing I think we can all agree on is that it’s the means to getting things done in the most efficient manner. 

It may be that the easiest way to do this is using good old-fashioned pen and paper.  A chart on the wall to track tasks.

However, as we know, and the main reason for this podcast, the tech world has been overtaken with software and apps to help you do something better.  Throughout business there are tons of methods designed to help navigate the swathes of red tape and challenges of project work. 

Tools

If you've heard previous episodes, then you’ll know that I’m a proponent of using the tools available. 

They’ve helped me to get organised and they should help you too. 

However, using apps is a habit forming process. Sometimes we actually need to remember that we have them; and with all the options available it can sometimes be easier to not bother. 

On the other hand. Do you actually need the app?

Does having an app make you more productive or does it, in reality, slow you down?  Until you have used the app or software for a while, it can seem to take longer to do something.

Consider you have a big task to complete.  Alongside it, there are smaller pieces of work that also need to get finished. 

What do you do first?

Well, and remember this is my opinion, what you should do is focus on that one big task. The one that looks hard. Get it done and out of the way!

You’ll feel a great sense of achievement once it’s complete, knowing that, finally, you’ve got it done. 

Now you can work on all the smaller tasks. 

ToDoIst

Let’s look at the apps that I use that help me. Now, these aren’t in a particular order, because what comes first? Is it the note-taking or the information?

I use ToDoIst for managing individual tasks. Now, admittedly, it took me some time to get into the habit; but now everything I need to do goes in there. 

There are quick entry methods to capture them and it takes little to no time to record what I need to do. I even forward emails to ToDoIst so the info is there.

In my ToDoIst, I have a number of projects; from work to personal and the Cubs group.  I have a project called ‘Routines’, which is broken further to Daily, Weekly and Monthly - this is for all the recurring tasks.  

Now that I’m in the habit, absolutely everything I need to do is entered, and it sits in the default ‘Inbox’ until I review them.  I have recurring task to review everything at the end of each day.  Whether that’s to prioritise them, categorise them or simply delete them, because they’re no longer relevant.

I use dates and reminders, so that I can stay on top of what needs to be done.

Evernote

Next, there’s Evernote. I’ve recorded a couple of podcasts about Evernote and it’s my number one choice for taking notes and capturing info for later use. I scan pretty much every official letter or document that comes through the post and I collate clippings from the web; using their Web Clipper; which is just brilliant.

It’s a terrific app for storing notes and thoughts and important information - instantly available. 

I can set reminders for notes, to pop-up at a certain time; and I have also created a Zap (through Zapier) that has that reminder appear in ToDoIst!

Email

Using a good email client will help manage the mail; I use Spark at the moment; on my phone and MacBook.  The Smart Inbox means I always have a Zero inbox - since I clear messages almost immediately.  

Then I use Fantastical 2 as my calendar; also on my phone and MacBook. I like the natural way that events can be created. 

Feedly and Pocket

For news I use Feedly and I use a recipe on IFTTT to add items to Pocket for reading later. 

Does that class as being productive? Well, it may not help to get things done, but it streamlines some of my workflow. 

Thank You

And there you have it.  A quick look at some of the apps I use.  

Being productive to me means getting the best result in the most efficient way. The tools I’ve mentioned help me to do that. 

What does being productive mean to you? What motivates you to get things done? Get in touch via Twitter @prodmatters

I hope you’ve found this episode interesting.

Don’t forget to subscribe where you normally listen to your podcasts and until next time, remember, Productivity Matters.

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If you purchase from these links then I may receive a commission.  This does not affect the price you will pay.  Thank you.

Feedly and Pocket

Introduction

Hello and welcome to another episode from Productivity Matters; a series about the apps and methods that help you get things done. 

How do you normally consume your news? Traditional newspaper? Online newspaper? Do you get it from lots of sources?

I’m Julian, your host for this episode and I’m going to take a look at two services that will help you to aggregate your news.

Coming right up.

Busy Lives

We’re all busy; and some would say busier than a generation ago. We travel a lot further for work and our attention is being drawn by a multitude of things happening in our lives.. 

Where we once used to consume a daily newspaper along with our breakfast; nowadays we no longer restrict our news reading to a single publication. 

The internet has brought world news into our own homes, not forgetting all the other areas of interest; entertainment, technology, science, business and specialist publications too. 

News Aggregation

One way to keep on top of the subjects we want to read about is to use an aggregator. A service that will pull in stories from a variety of sources. 

In the Good Ole Days, the biggest service was provided by Google, called Google Reader; but they pulled the plug on that back in 2013; apparently due to lack of use! At the time it caused upset amongst its fans. 

Whilst this was happening, another service, called Feedly, was working quietly in the background. 

When Google announced their intention to close Reader, the number of users to Feedly jumped to half a million in 48 hours!

Within a couple of months they had over 12 million users. 

Feedly is a news aggregator application for various web browsers and mobile devices running iOS and Android, also available as a cloud-based service. It compiles news feeds from a variety of online sources for the user to customize and share with others.

Feedly

Throughout the day, Feedly is “listening” to the topics and news-feeds I have selected and then pulls in the up-to-date stories ready for me to read. 

You can select sources from a variety of choices, or, if you know the RSS feed, RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, you can add that manually. 

Over the intervening years, Feedly has grown and developed a number of features; such as the ability to read later, create boards to store stories from a particular subject, sharing the article with other people and teams and also with other apps. 

As is usually the way, Feedly is free to download and use, but, of course, they do have a Pro version that offers more granular control and more sharing options, such as integrations with Buffer, Zapier, Hootsuite, Evernote etc 

You can also filter out noise with mute filters, add notes and highlights, have unlimited feeds and get news articles faster amongst other functionality.

It’s my number one app for reading the headlines. 

Pocket

From these headlines, I save the article into Pocket.

Pocket was founded in 2007 to help people save interesting articles, videos and more from the web for later enjoyment. It’s like  your Sky+ box. Save for later. 

In fact, the original name was Read It Later and was designed to be used on a desktop browser. 

Not only can you save items for reading later, but Pocket also curates and provides links directly to articles, some old and some new. I’ve found some quite interesting long-form articles here. 

Over the years, development has continued to the latest version of the app and once saved to Pocket, your content is visible on any device — phone, tablet or computer. It can be viewed while standing in a queue, on the couch, during commutes or travel — even, especially, offline. 

Pocket is great.

In the latest version, they’ve improved the access to listen to an AI voice reading the articles to you. I was dubious about this and it’s not perfect, but it’s not a bad way to consume the articles if you can’t read them. 

Using Pocket

You can add articles to Pocket in a variety of ways. 

I’ve already mentioned that I add Feedly for my news. But you can add anything in here. 

You can use the share extension or the browser extension.  It’s also possible to email items directly from your inbox.

If you copy the URL from your browser, Pocket will ask you if you want to add it. 

You can also use tags, so that you can effectively create ‘folders’ of related articles. 

Pocket is also free to download and use, and there is also a premium version.  

This includes the Permanent Library which automatically creates copies of the articles and webpages you’ve saved to your account. That way, even if an item changes or is taken offline, you will be able to open the version that you have saved in Pocket.

Full-Text Search provides fast and powerful search functionality. Pocket will search through the entire content of every item you’ve saved, making it extremely easy to find what you’re looking for.

With Pocket Premium, you’ll see a list of Suggested Tags whenever you tag an item. It's very well designed, as the tags that are suggested are inspired by the item’s topics as well as the tags you already use.

Cost

So, both Feedly and Pocket are free to download and use. And there is no need to pay if you don’t require the advanced functionality on offer. 

But, if you do want to have the full experience, then both the Feedly Pro version and the Pocket Premium version are $45 each per year.

I did try and use Feedly on it's own, using their Read Later function; but in many cases, only the headline is saved, or just the first part of the article, so I ended up having to use a different app to read them in full.  That app is Pocket.

I love Pocket. It’s variety of options to download articles automatically, link to your accounts on various publications, different reading modes to make it easier on your eyes really make this an excellent app to keep up-to-date with your interests.

Fun fact: at the end of last year, I received an email from Pocket, telling me that I was in the top 1% of readers for the year. 

I might not mean a whole lot; but it’s fun to know. Also shows that my reading is being tracked!! 

Thank You

I hope you’ve found this episode interesting.

Links to both of them are in the show notes. 

If you have any questions about Feedly or Pocket, or you have comments about other aggregator services that you use, then please get in touch via Twitter @prodmatters

Don’t forget to subscribe where you normally listen to podcasts.

Thank you very much for listening and until next time, remember, Productivity Matters.

Equipment I use to make my podcasts:
Blue Yeti Microphone - https://amzn.to/2R2am1N
Pop Filter - https://amzn.to/2OVMbQP
Professional Microphone Boom Arm - https://amzn.to/2P4EIio

If you purchase from these links then I may receive a commission.  This does not affect the price you will pay.  Thank you.