Year: 2013

This is one of those tough things, specially for a person that drool over technology, and useless shine stuff. During years I had bough useless junk just for the reason that it is shiny and had circuits. I have hacked computers, PDAs and more. All that I learned is that until you simplify your technology, you will have a lot of fun playing with it, but not necessarily being really productive.
Kindle, iPad, iPod, iPhone, Headphones with microphone, Noise Cancelation headphones, Voice Recorder, Camera, Android Tablet, Laptop, Moleskines (5 actually), pens (3), USB Pen Drives (5), Cables (too many)
This list is the backpack contents of a client of mine, before we begin working together. That was the I need, I wish, I have in case of… Simplify your technology, not only you are spending an incredible amount of hours dealing with keeping update, sync and more, but you are spending on an incredible amount of money on redundant equipment. If you like iOS, use only iOS. if you like Android, same. Unless your work requires, use MacOS or Windows or UNIX. You don’t need to carry all of them with you. Stick with one, and learn how to use it really well. Most people that have many devices have them because they had never learned to really use them well.
After we work on simplifying her technology approach, this was the backpack content:
Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Headphones with Mic (A good ones, instead of a cheap ones) (Software for Voice Recorder, Camera), 1 Moleskine (divided appropriately), 2 Pens (Current use and Backup), 1 USB Pen Drive, No cables, unless the trip is longer than 1 day.
Big Difference.
i.e. As this writing, I carry most of the time, my iPhone, my iPad, Logitech k810, Kindle PaperWhite, a Pen and 10-15 Index Cards (Plain White and Levenger Ruled) That’s the full set. The ultraportable one is just the iPhone. I can do almost everything there.

For years I was convinced that I was a night owl. I struggle in the mornings, and thrive at nights. Last year in the name of productivity, (and desperation) I decided to test waking up at 4:00 A.M. to work. I was like many struggling with lack of focus, concentration and a day full of distractions, and was exhausted at night.
What began as a test out of desperation, looking for something that I had lost, quickly turn into one of the most interesting tricks I had discover in productivity.
Our house sleeps until around 7:00 A.M. Thats the time my 4 year old daughter wakes (or get waked up) and I need to get her ready to go to school. My old routine was simple, I wake up at 6:30 A.M., shower, dress and get coffee and do my daily review. Then I went and get my daughter ready.
When I decided to change the rules of the game, and begin waking up at 4:00 A.M. I discover that I could shower, dress and get coffee to do my daily review between 4:00 A.M. and 4:30 A.M. It was exactly there, that the best came, I was basically free of distractions, between 4:30 A.M. and 7:00 A.M. but even better, I had just sleep 7 to 8 hours and was totally fresh. In other words, I was in prime condition, and had two and a half free hours of silence and no interruptions.
I could not believe my luck, I had discover two hours of really quality time, without interruptions, and highly focus time. In many days I can accomplished more on those hours than the rest of the day, same as you will accomplished if begin doing this.
I understand that you are a night owl, as I was. I understand this will not work for you. For years I tried to get those hours at night, work hard all day, have my family time, wait for them to go to bed, and try to work after that. The problem was, that in many days I was simply exhausted. Even that I push trough, took me hours to accomplish the stuff I was looking forward to accomplished. The next morning I began the same race, and continue walking the world, simply exhausted.
These days, I go earlier to bed, sit in my desk at home at 4:30 A.M. and work for the next two and a half hours in silence and without interruptions and distractions. In many days, I accomplish more on those two hours, than the rest of the day. Not only that, on a bad day; you know those that you feel that you did nothing, I was really productive the first hours of my day. On a good day, I feel unstoppable.
Think for a moment what you can do with two hours of no distractions, stop snoozing television at night and go to bed. Wake up earlier and discover a couple of hours of full focus and without distractions, then begin working on that really important thing.
If you are wondering how I do it everyday, let me leave you with a little trick: “Negotiate your wake up time at night and avoid doing it in the morning” at the morning your brain is clever and will found a way to convince you to not do it.

Many of my friends writers as well as people that aspire to be one (the difference is simple, the first one is actually writing constantly, the second one is talking about it constantly) need to create a Writing Environment. Sit for a moment and considering what you will need to sit and write. What will make a perfect writing session?
A Computer? Paper? Silence? Music? Coffee? Tea? This is as important as the writing act per se. Until you learn to create a Writing Environment, you will most likely not write, not for any other reason, that your mind will distract you on how nice will be to have this or that.
i.e. Mine is simple, I need Water, Coffee (Double Espresso, no sugar please.) and LOUD music. Therefore I carry headphones and the music on my iPhone with me constantly. I can create a Writing Environment almost anywhere. (even with bad coffee)

I have wrote previously about this. My main machine is an iPad. Most of my work is contained into the iOS ecosystem. The reality is that like everyone I know, somedays I need help focusing, it is when my iPad (or even the iPhone) comes to the rescue.
Need focus on the iPhone or the iPad. Activate Guided Assistance (SETTINGS/GENERAL/ACCESSIBILITY) and next time you need to focus on something but your mind is to scattered, simply triple click on the home button, activate, and work with the assurance that the extra step will serve as a reminder of your real purpose.
i.e. Even when active, I will get distracted, but the fact that I need to enter the password and require one more step is in general enough for me to keep me in task.

Last december I decided to replace the Apple Bluetooth keyboard that I have been using since I got my original iPad. The reason was the Logitech K810.
I had been jelaous of the Mac Book Air iluminated keyboard for a while. I sit in my office at 4:30 A.M. and having light on the keyboard is really cool. Aside of that, it does 2 more things that really make a killing on the Apple keyboard.
First it has an ON-OFF switch. I know you can turn the Apple keyboard off, but it had turn on in the bag more than what I am willing to admit. This one has an actual switch, works fantastic.
Second allow you to use the same keyboard with up to three devices, and do fast switch between them. As my iPad is my main machine, my iPhone aside. I can now use the keyboard in one or the other, hiting F1 and F2. The switch is fast, and incredible convinient.
Those where the three reasons to get this keyboard, Lighted Keyboard, an ON-OFF Switch and the ability to use it in more than one device.

I remember that my mother always said that you can do anything in life. Even that during certain period of time I though she was lying, later in life understood that the missing part of her sentence was that you can do anything, but not everything. There is a need to understand and learn that for every YES you provide there is something you are telling NO, consciously or not. So pick wisely, doesn’t matter what you pick, you can do anything, but you can’t do everything. Pick wisely.

For years I was convinced that I was a night owl. I struggle in the mornings, and thrive at nights. Last year in the name of productivity, (and desperation) I decided to test what will happen if I wake up at 4:00 A.M. to work. I was like many struggling with lack of focus, concentration and a day full of distractions.
What began as a test out of desperation, looking for something that I had lost, quickly turn into one of the most interesting tricks I had discover in productivity.
Our house sleeps until around 7:00 A.M. Thats the time to get my 4 year old daughter wakes and I need to get her ready to go to school. My old routine was simple, I wake up at 6:30 A.M., shower, dress and get coffee and do my daily review. Then I went and get my daughter ready.
When I decided to change the rules of the game, and begin waking up at 4:00 A.M. I discover that I could shower, dress and get coffee to do my daily review between 4:00 A.M. and 4:30 A.M. It was exactly there that the best came, I was basically free of distractions, between 4:30 A.M. and 6:30 A.M. but even better, I had just sleep 7 to 8 hours and was totally fresh. In other words, I was in prime condition, and had two free hours of silence and without interruptions.
I could not believe my luck, I had discover two hours of quality time, without interruptions, and highly focused time. In many days I can accomplished more on those hours than the rest of the day, same as you will accomplished.
I understand that you are a night owl, as I was. I understand this will not work for you. For years I tried to get those hours at night, work hard all day, have my family time, wait for them to go to bed, and try to work after that. The problem was, that in many days I was simply exhausted. Even that I push trough, took me hours to accomplish the stuff I was looking forward to accomplished. The next morning I began the same race, and continue walking the world, simply exhausted.
These days, I go earlier to bed, sit in my desk at home at 4:30 A.M. and work for the next two hours in silence and without interruptions and distractions. In many days, I accomplish more on those two hours, than the rest of the day. Not only that, on a bad day; you know those that you feel that you did nothing, I was really productive the first two hours of my day. On a good day, I feel unstoppable.
Think for a moment what you can do with two hours of no distractions, stop snoozing television at night and go to bed. Wake up earlier and discover a couple of hours of full focus and without distractions, then begin working on that really important thing.

Breaking promises to our kids over time simply breaks the relationship. Our kids stop trusting us. Don’t take our promises seriously. To my knowledge, after certain point, there is no return.
Parents don’t break promises because they are bad parents, they break them because they don’t see how that little promise will cause an important effect in the future. The problem is parents forget all those that they had broke already. Our kids remember each one of them.
Learn to keep your promises to your kids, write them down, make sure your kid is clear on what you are offering. Ask him/her to explain the promise to you. Then honor them. Always!

I mention this Tip on my Book 25 Tips for Productivity. The idea is simple, begin a list on witch you will write down all those things you will stop doing, because it is more efficient to hire someone, or because you shouldn’t be the one doing them.
i.e. I don’t wash my car, it is item #1 on my Do Not Do List. Wash the car put me in a faulty mood, therefore, I pay happily.

No one can eat Beans and Rice seven days a week (neither steak and fries), so why do you think you can consume an unlimited amount of information seven days a week. Pick a day (mine is Saturday) in witch you will not consume media. No web articles, no books, no seminars, no new inputs, no email. Sport athletes rest at least once a week. You should do the same. Pick a day and declare it UNPLUG DAY.