I’m always looking for ways to get more organized. If you know me, you know, I both bless and curse sticky notes! I use them during the day to capture thoughts and ideas and then process them at the end of the day – most of the time. On the days I don’t process them, i.e. put them in to Action Method, my desk can look like a forest of sticky notes. Not good.
A couple of months ago, I started using a small dry erase board to capture thoughts. It worked OK, but was kind of a pain to erase, and my notes would sometimes get smudged.
Then, earlier this week, I got a Brookstone Boogie Board. I LOVE it! It is a digital note pad that is a great way to capture thoughts, create “to do” lists, or just doodle. Very cool.
Check it out for the yourself or the techie in your life. If you want to do even more with your Boogie Board, check out the Boogie Board Rip.
I spoke with two clients today, who, during the course of our coaching calls said to me, “Nora, I’ll try.” Every time I hear those words, I think of Yoda and one of my favorite quotes. It’s from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Whenever you are making changes in your life, you can’t try to make the change. You’ve got to do it. Or in the words of the Jedi master: “No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
Whether you already have an iPad or are thinking of getting one, you’ve no doubt seen the ads for them. iPads are cool. They are neat “toys” for grown-ups. All that’s true, but what you may not know is that iPads are incredible business tools that can help you get organized, manage your cases, and even help you present your case at trial. Many of the apps listed below are free. Others range in price from a couple of dollars to just under $90. Also, be sure to check out the great iPad cases from Zagg.com. They’re made from aircraft-grade aluminum. Get one with an embedded wireless Bluetooth keyboard and you’ll be the talk of the courthouse.
Thanks to Finis Price at TechnoEsq.com and an excellent RocketMatter webinar for turning me on to some of the apps listed here!
Skyfire: Web browser for iPad allows you to watch videos, including flash videos.
Kindle: I couldn’t live without this one! If you love to read, it’s a must.
Brushes: This is just for fun. Turn your photos into works of art. Easy to learn, but used by the pros, too. Illustrations made with Brushes have graced several New Yorker covers!
Netflix: Watch streaming movies right on your iPad.
Productivity
GoToMyPC: Allows you to connect to your office right from your iPad.
iTeleport: Similar to GoToMyPC, and supports VPN-based encryption.
Dropbox: Free cloud-based file storage. A must for all iPad users.
Penultimate: Cool note-taking app for iPad. Great for quick notes, very easy to use.
Notes Plus: Another great note taking app allows you to mix drawings/text & move them around.
Dragon Dictation: This free app lets you dictate to your iPad. – Then with a couple of taps email, tweet or post to Facebook.
AudioNote: Note taking app that is also a voice recorder. Use this app during interviews; record the interview while taking note; the sound syncs with the text.
Evernote: This app was inducted into the Apple “App Hall of Fame.” Save everything from photos to web pages to written and audio notes in one place and easily sync everything with your computer.
iAnnotate: Allows you to annotate PDFs on your iPad & create your own custom toolbars. Syncs with Dropbox.
Line 2: Turn your iPad into a second phone with Line2. Line2 is designed as an iPhone app, but it works on the iPad as well, and features call waiting, hold, transfer and conferencing.
QuickOffice Connect Mobile Suite: This app allows you to open and edit documents and spreadsheets on your iPad. Very easy to use.
Legal
Court Days Pro: Court Days Pro is a rule-based calendaring program you can customize. Very cool.
FastCase HD: As a member of The Florida Bar, you have a free access to Florida case law through FastCase. Make the most of your subscription with this free app.
TrialPad: At $89.99 this is one of the pricier apps out there. But if you’re in the courtroom a lot it’s worth checking out. It allows you to organize and present evidence right from your iPad.
LawBox: Free app that contains the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and other Federal resources, as well as the Florida Statutes.
Florida Evidence Code: Tekk Innovations created this app, together with Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure.
Travel
Gate Guru: Want to know where to eat in Concourse B at the Denver International Airport? Gate Guru will give you a complete list of restaurants with reviews.
Flight Track: Get live flight status from virtually all major airlines.
Kayak: Excellent search engine for flights and hotels.
February is the month of love. So, I’d like to share the love with you. Here are 10 cool gadgets, apps, and services that can increase your productivity, decrease your stress, and maybe even help you to love your practice!
MozyPro: Are you backing up your data offsite? If you’re not, stop reading right now and please check out MozyPro. Your data is the lifeblood of your practice. Keep it safe, secure and easily accessible should the unexpected happen. And it usually does.
Dropbox: How many times have you been away from your office and needed to access a file or folder? Dropbox allows you to save and share documents in the cloud and make them accessible from any computer. It’s free for up to 2 gigs of storage and is super easy to use. You can download it and get started in less than 10 minutes.
Action Method: Knowledge may be power, but action is everything. Action Method Online is based on the work done by Behance Corporation, thought leaders on productivity and creativity. Action Method is a simple project management tool that is free and easy to use. It will help you get your “to do” list “done.” You can learn more about the Action Method in the book Making Ideas Happen.
SimplyFile: I could not live without this Outlook plugin. It is an elegant little tool that will help you keep your inbox organized. Here’s an example of just one of its features: You have an email in your inbox. You reply to it and hit send. A little dialog box will pop up asking you to file your reply AND the original email in your inbox. It will help you clean out your inbox by filing your replies together with the original email. Remember: Your inbox is not your “to do” list! Clean it up! Download a free trial of SimplyFile.
Google Desktop: Everyone has wasted precious time looking for files on their computer or network. But with Google Desktop there’s no need to. When you download this free app, it will continuously index your computer network. Then when you need to find a document, enter a couple of key words in the search box, hit enter and BAM, you have access to every document and email in your system containing those key words. For even more search features check out Copernic.
Google Scholar: I recently discovered Google Scholar after googling the name of a 1953 case. Imagine my surprise when Google Scholar returned the full text of the case with hyperlinks to all the other cases cited in the opinion, and a listing of how other courts have cited the case. For more about Google Scholar, check out my friend, Rick Georges’ FutureLawyer February 11 blog post on research tips.
Line2: Want to turn your iPad into a phone with great conference calling capability? Check out Line2.
Credenza: It amazes me that some attorneys from firms large and small are still not using any type of case management software. If you fit into that category, your time has come! Credenza is a plugin for Outlook that puts powerful case management and time and billing tools right at your fingertips. I’ve written about Credenza before, and I still love it. Check it out for free for 30 days. Then if you decide to keep it it’s only $9.95 per month for each user.
Dragon Dictation Mobile Apps: If you haven’t ever tried Dragon Dictation software, or if it’s been a while since you used it. Download Dragon’s free app – Dragon Dictation. It’s available for iPhones and Androids and it works like a charm. Dictate notes to yourself, dictate emails to others, update your Facebook status, tweet, and do it all with a couple of taps. Super simple.
We’ve all heard the Jeff Foxworthy jokes, “You might be a redneck if . . .”
You’ve ever raked leaves in your kitchen.
You have an Elvis Jell-O mold.
You’ve ever bought a used baseball cap.
You think the last words to the Star Spangled Banner are, “Gentlemen, start your engines.”
OK, maybe you’re not a redneck. But chances are, you just might be an adrenaline addict. Did you know that you might be an adrenaline addict if . . .
You cannot go for more than five minutes without checking your Blackberry.
You find yourself checking your email in the middle of the night.
You run from meeting to meeting with no time in between.
You feel as though you always “over-promise” and “under-deliver.”
You always feel overwhelmed.
You’re usually running late.
You arrive at the office already feeling rushed.
These are just a few of the telltale signs of adrenaline addiction. And many leaders suffer from it. But it’s no laughing matter. Adrenaline is the most potent stimulant created by our sympathetic nervous system. It’s created response to stress and increases heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure. And it raises the blood levels of glucose and lipids, in addition to having other metabolic effects, according to The American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. We are not built to have adrenaline coursing through our veins 24/7. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happens to adrenaline addicts.
In his article, The Painful Reality of Adrenaline Addiction, Patrick Lencioni, explains:
“There is something particularly insidious about adrenaline addiction that makes it hard for many leaders to kick the habit. Unlike other addicts whose behaviors are socially frowned-upon, adrenaline addicts are often praised for their frantic activity, even promoted for it during their careers. And so they often wear their problem like a badge of honor, failing to see it as an addiction at all in spite of the pain it causes. When confronted about their problem, adrenaline addicts (I’m a recovering one myself) will tell you about their endless list of responsibilities and all the people who need their attention. And while they’ll often complain about their situation, they’ll quickly brush off any constructive advice from spouses, friends or co-workers who “just don’t understand.”
The legal profession has a long history of encouraging adrenaline addiction. How many lawyers have you heard brag about the long hours they work? Maybe you’re one of them. If you are, why not make 2011 the year you kick the adrenaline addiction?
How? Start by downloading and reading Lencioni’s article here. Then slow down. One of the most effective things you can do to begin to overcome adrenaline addiction is to slow down. Take control of your calendar and ask your staff to help you. Give them permission to tell you when you are getting out of control.
Einstein said that the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result. If you’re an adrenaline addict, make this your year to do something different. Kick the habit.
I’ve written more than one post about the evils of interruptions and multitasking. Interruptions steal your time. In fact, recent brain scan research shows that it can take our brains up to 20 minutes to recover from an interruption. Multitasking, or as Dave Crenshaw, author of The Myth of Multitasking, refers to it – “switchtasking” – only serves to shorten our attention spans and make us more susceptible to interruptions – both internal and external. Interruptions and multitasking create a sort of self-induced ADD.
As a practice advisor with Atticus, I’ve coached my clients for years on the importance of “Power Hours.” Power Hours are blocks of “focus time” that are scheduled in your calendar and allow you to work, uninterrupted, on your most important tasks. Blocking focus time is one of the most valuable things you can do to improve your productivity. But for some, the idea of working, uninterrupted, for an hour or more can be intimidating. So, we look for ways to interrupt ourselves. And the more we interrupt ourselves the more difficult it becomes to focus. It’s a vicious cycle.
Enter: Francesco Cirillo and the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is a simple process that combines 25 minute blocks of focus time with five minute breaks as a means of managing your time and powering through your tasks and to-do lists. The technique gets its name from a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato – a Pomodoro tomato. – Sort of silly, but very effective. (If you don’t want to use a kitchen timer, download a Pomodoro timer, such as FocusBooster, for your computer.) Some of the goals of the Pomodoro Technique are to:
Enhance focus and concentration by cutting down on interruptions
Increase awareness of your decisions
Boost motivation and keep it constant
Bolster the determination to achieve your goals
Refine your ability to estimate the time it takes to complete a task, both in qualitative and quantitative terms
Improve your work or study process
Strengthen your determination to keep on applying yourself in the face of complex situations
Here’s how it works:
1. Write a list of tasks for the day.
2. Choose a task to be accomplished.
3. Set the Pomodoro timer to 25 minutes. This 25 minute block of time is referred to as “a Pomodoro.”
4. Work on the task – no interruptions! – until the timer rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper next to the task.
5. Take a 3-5 minute break.
6. Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.
If you’re having trouble focusing during your Power Hours, or if (heaven forbid), you don’t think you need uninterrupted production time or don’t have the control over your calendar to schedule Power Hours, why not try a Pomodoro instead? Start with a 25 minute block of time and a 5 minute break. Maybe you can work up to four Pomodoros in succession as a way to really power through your production time.
For more information on the Pomodoro Technique and to download a free e-book and other resources, visit www.pomodorotechnique.com.
OK, I’m getting ready for a little vacation. You know what happens when you’re getting ready to go on vacation? You go into hyper-focus mode, right? That’s where I’ve been for the past few days. – Plowing through work. – Finishing up “to do” lists. – Whittling my inbox down to (almost) empty. All with the focus of Zen master. Well, maybe not that focused, but you get my drift!
When we’re getting ready for vacation, we are very, very focused. So, if you want to increase your productivity . . . “go on vacation.” Get yourself into that mode as often as you can. Reward yourself for work well done. Make it a game! “If I can get my inbox down to 50 by the end of the day, I get to [you fill in the blank].”
I promise if you can get yourself into “vacation mode” more often by rewarding yourself with little things you love, you will be more productive. And you really will go on more vacations!
Don’t look for another blog post until after the Fourth of July. I’m going on vacation!
OK, I admit it I multitask…sometimes. Even though I know that it is totally unproductive. I know multitasking doesn’t work, but I still do it sometimes. To borrow a phrase from Chicago, Oh, Multitasking . . . “you’re a hard habit to break.” But I’m working on it.
When we’re multitasking, we’re really allowing ourselves to be distracted by interruptions and jumping from one thing to another. And interruptions are time stealers. – Big time stealers.
This is a great, quick read and totally debunks the idea that any of us can effectively multitask. “In a compelling business fable, The Myth of Multitasking confronts a popular idea that has come to define our hectic, work-a-day world. This simple yet powerful book shows clearly why multitasking is, in fact, a lie that wastes time and costs money. Far from being efficient, multitasking actually damages productivity and relationships at work and at home.” Read more or buy it…
It’s not enough to be busy. The question is: What are we busy about?
- Henry David Thoreau
It has always been a badge of honor for lawyers to work ridiculously long hours. The law firm culture says work late, every night, no matter what you are working on. This has long been a recipe for stress and burn-out. Now there’s research showing that those long hours may be jeopardizing your health.
A recent study from Health.com and reported by CNN has found that “people who work more than 10 hours a day are about 60 percent more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack than people who clock just seven hours a day.”
According to Dr. Marianna Virtanen, M.D., doctors “should include working long hours in their list of potential risk factors” for heart disease. And Peter Kaufmann, Ph.D., says that people who are driven and impatient at work “may be equally driven and impatient with . . . family and friends.”
Just as you’ll eventually go broke if you make constant withdrawals from your bank account without offsetting deposits, you will also ultimately burn yourself out if you spend too much time and energy too continuously at work without sufficient renewal. . . . When you’re running as fast as you can, what you sacrifice is attention to detail, and time to step back, reflect on the big picture, and truly think strategically and long-term.
So, get busy working on your time management skills. Replace bad work habits with good ones…and get the heck out of the office…before it kills you.
I’m always looking for ways to get more organized. If you know me, you know, I both bless and curse sticky notes! I use them during the day to capture thoughts and ideas and then process them at the end of the day – most of the time. On the days I don’t process them, i.e. put them in to Action Method, my desk can look like a forest of sticky notes. Not good.
I’ve written more than one post about the evils of interruptions and multitasking. Interruptions steal your time. In fact, recent brain scan research shows that it can take our brains up to 20 minutes to recover from an interruption. Multitasking, or as Dave Crenshaw, author of 
