Blog: Time Management Archive
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!
General
Roboform: Excellent free password manager
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.
TruPhone: A phone app designed for the iPad.
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.
WeatherBug: Very cool weather app.
That ought to get you started. Now grab that iPad and have some fun!
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.
- Clio and Rocket Matter: If you’re ready to take a leap to the cloud, Clio and Rocket Matter are both worth checking out. They each offer a full menu of case management services to help you take control of your practice. Click here for a prior blog post about cloud-based case management.
- 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.
P.S. It took me two Pomodoros to write this post.
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.
So, before you’re tempted to start doing something else while (or instead of) reading this post, check out How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking, by Peter Bregman of Harvard Business Review online. Stop what you’re doing and read it. Please.
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…
I just returned from the Atticus 2-day attorney boot camp officially known as The Practice Builder. I spent Friday and Saturday with my fellow Practice Advisors and over 50 awesome attorneys from all across the country. The Practice Builder is designed not merely to motivate and inspire participants, although it certainly does that. It is designed to move them to action and to do those things necessary to reshape their practices and reclaim their lives.
The Practice Builder is all about innovation. Innovation and systems. So when I got up this morning, I pulled one of my favorite books off the shelf, The Circle of Innovation: You Can’t Shrink Your Way to Greatness, by Tom Peters. The book was first published in 1998, and while some of the references are dated, the insights are as true today as they were then. Some even more so.
In the book, Peters loudly proclaims “The System is the Solution.” But having a system (or systems) alone, isn’t enough. Systems must be beautifully designed, client focused, and fun. He refers to Southwest Airlines as a “systems company.” Since its founding in 1967, Southwest has maintained its brand: low prices, reliability and fun. And despite the economic downturn, it has also maintained its profitability. In 2009, Southwest turned a profit for the 37th year in a row.
What can your firm do to become a “systems firm”? What can your firm do to innovate? What can you do to build or reinforce your brand? What can you do to create systems that work beautifully to serve your clients? Try this. Meet with your entire team today (this week), and ask them this question: What is one way we can improve our systems to serve our clients better? Get their feedback; make a list of the suggestions; choose one; and commit to implementing it. Now.
First, a disclaimer, I have absolutely no relationship with the companies or products I’m about to recommend. Well, other than the fact that I use them. I’m talking about these two products because I want you to try them out. If you’re using Outlook as your case management, contact management and calendaring system, I can practically guarantee that they will make a huge impact on your productivity and your bottom line. Both of these products are plug-ins for Outlook. They are incredibly simple to install and use and insanely cheap. And once you try them out, you’ll probably feel like that woman up there on the right!
SimplyFile
Its name implies exactly what it does. SimplyFile helps you organize your inbox by automatically filing your incoming emails and replies. Here’s the cool thing about SimplyFile: It uses an algorithm to analyze your inbox and your folder system. Then it “learns” how you file your emails. The process of analyzing your inbox can take several hours depending on the number of emails and folders you have. So install it when you can be away from your computer for a few hours.
Once SimplyFile has analyzed your inbox, you’re set. The next time you reply to an email and hit send, you’ll get a pop-up dialogue box prompting you with the appropriate folder for filing. Of course, you can select another folder, but SimplyFile is usually correct in its suggestion. In addition to “simply filing” your email, you can also choose to automatically create an appointment or task from the email. And here’s the really cool part, you can set up SimplyFile to automatically file the email you’re replying to when you hit the send button. Result? As you reply to emails you clean up your inbox by filing the emails you’re replying to in the appropriate folder. It is fantastic!
Download a 30-day free trial of SimplyFile at: www.techhit.com
Credenza
Credenza is a new Outlook plug-in from Gavel & Gown, the makers of Amicus Attorney. It is designed as a case management tool that works within Outlook. Here’s just a short list of what it can do for you – right in Outlook:
- Create a file in Outlook for all of your clients, matters, cases and projects.
- Organize emails, appointments, tasks, phone calls and notes for each file.
- Allow you to see all of your documents on the file.
- Create a complete chronology of the file: emails, phone calls, notes.•Bill your time for emails and phone calls with one click.
Outlook can function as a very effective case management tool. If you’re already using Outlook to manage your calendar, contacts and email, Credenza will take you to the next level of productivity. Credenza works seamlessly with Outlook to make your case management and billing simple. You can try out Credenza for free. Then once you’re hooked – and you will be – it costs – are you ready? $9.95 a month per user. That’s a couple of lattes!
You can download a 15-day free trial of Credenza at: www.credenzasoft.com
Do you remember that catchy slogan for Wrigley’s Double Mint gum? Way back when, “the Double Mint twins” used to sing about the joys of all things “double.” Well, I have something to add to their list: double monitors. If you’re still working with only one computer monitor, you’re limiting your productivity more than you know. In fact, Jon Peddie Research estimates an average of up to 42% increased productivity when using two monitors. Chew on that!
You can add a high quality monitor for a few hundred dollars. And it will be one of the best technology investments you’ll ever make. Think about it. With two monitors, you can have Westlaw open on one monitor while you draft your motion or brief on another. You can review a deposition on one screen while you draft your opening statement on the other. You get the idea. Two monitors will give you incredible flexibility, and you’ll see your productivity increase dramatically. The universal comment I hear from my clients who have made the switch is, “Why didn’t I do this years ago?!?”
So, double your pleasure, double your fun, double your monitors. I promise it will pay off for you. And while you’re at it, get everyone on your staff two monitors. You’ll see their productivity increase. It might even double.
P.S. After you install your second monitor – or if you’re already working with two – check out Ultramon software. It makes using two monitors even easier.
