Tools, apps help manage the ups and downs of productivity
About 20 years ago, I learned that I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and have had it since childhood (or birth). I quickly realized I was going to have to learn how to keep my rear end in the chair if I wanted to prosper.
Luckily, it all worked out, and I went on to write or co-write more than 85 books (“MacOS Mojave for Dummies,” “iPhone For Dummies” and “Working Smarter for Mac Users,” to name a few), along with thousands of columns, reviews and articles. What’s impressive is that I rarely missed a deadline in those 20 years.
Here’s my secret: I’ve developed a plethora of tools and techniques designed to help me stay focused on the work at hand while keeping my butt in the chair.
One is Posture Keeper (www.posturekeeper.com; $89), which I wrote about last July. Billed as a “lumbar support system,” it looks like a backpack with its front half removed. You strap Posture Keeper to your chair and then strap yourself in. Not only does it prevent leaning forward or hunching over, but it also has the added benefit of, quite literally, keeping your backside in the chair. Posture Keeper is great at both; I have mine affixed permanently to my office chair.
Another tool I find indispensable is called the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method that uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.
It’s based on the idea that frequent breaks can improve mental agility. For me, it’s an excellent idea and one I use almost every day. Moreover, I’ve tried a variety of Mac and iOS timers and time trackers over the years.
The one I like best is called Zonebox, free in the App Store.
I love it because it’s not only a great Pomodoro timer, it also lets me create a list of tasks for the whole day (or week) at once. And I love how it displays the time remaining in a session with progress bars and numerical displays.
For me, the combination of listing today’s tasks and a Pomodoro timer suits my workflow perfectly, but it might not suit yours. If so, I suggest you search the Mac (or iOS) App Store for Pomodoro timer or time tracker to discover dozens of other options.
One last thing: If the Pomodoro Technique sounds useful to you, I recommend learning more at its creator’s website (https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodorotechnique), which is chock full of tips and hints for getting the most out of the technique from the guy who invented it.