3 Ways to Get Organised
You know, I’m a fairly busy guy. Running a successful acting studio, building opportunities out in Sydney, Australia, writing the blog, working on two eBooks, starting a full-time doctorate and trying to get a bit of a social life in between. I’m sure I’m no busier than you, and yet, sometimes I am the most organised person I know, and sometimes, I’m a train wreck and when I’m a train wreck, I’m bloody awful.
So today, I started to use my considerable amount of technology in my home to the purpose of becoming really organised. I’ve chosen to use just three simple Apps to restructure my time and really get myself organised and more importantly, PRODUCTIVE.
I have a thing about productivity, I like to believe that I was productive every day. Not that I just did things, but that I was actually productive in what I did.
If you’re an actor, you’re also busy, moving from audition to audition, maybe you have a family too, or you’re also going to school part-time/full-time or working and you also need a little help getting things done.
I’m sorry, this is going to be a little Mac-centric, but they’re ALL FREE. I’m going to speak about are multi-platform, so if you have Windows or Mac, iPhone or Android, iPad or one of those other vastly inferior tablets (sorry ) then these apps will really help you…
Ever Note
Totally my favourite way of taking notes. A note that I take on my iPhone is quickly synched with my iPad, MacBook Pro and iMac. It’s TOTALLY FREE (there is a premium version but folks, you just don’t need it) and it allows you to add photos, video and voice clips to the notes.
You can individual notebooks for different uses and the ability to keep your notes in one place, regardless of what device you’re using or where you are is second to none. In the last 7 days, this app has transformed the way that I make notes and I make a lot of NOTES! (Ideas for blogs, stuff on my PhD, notes on the eBook, little things I need to remember, class notes – well just about anything that I might need) Totally free, you can get more information by clicking the icon.
6WunderKinder – WunderList
The ultimate ‘TO DO’ list app. Again, this is another totally FREE product. Again it syncs across all your devices. Again, I can’t believe I lived without it. You can make separate lists for different parts of your life, so I have a DOMESTIC LIST (which includes domestic chores that need doing – yeah if I don’t write them down, I don’t get round to them and also includes grocery shopping I need to do.) I have a PHD list, an Acting Coach Scotland list etc. I can share my list with other people, I can prioritize the To Dos on your list. I can email it to people, I can print it and the best thing is that when I’m at work in the studio, or in a breakfast meeting with Ian, and I have an idea come crashing into my brain, I reach for my iPhone, add it to the list, press sync and all the other connected devices now have that list. I can give my To Dos deadlines, or I can just let them stand until I get to them. Oh sure, I hear the Luddites claiming they have pen and paper, but I’m not suggesting that Wunderlist for those who are well organised with pen and paper, I’m suggesting this for those that are bombared with stuff all day and night and need a better way to organise themselves across their devices than a pen and paper can do.
iCal is for events, you do need a separate To Do app, and this is it. TOTALLY FREE. It’s great for PROVING to myself how productive I’ve been that day by looking at all the items I struck off my TODO list. MOTIVATIONAL!
Minima Timer+
Okay, this one is only for iPhone and iPad, but I find it utterly invaluable. It allows you to run a series of timers concurrently. Oh Wow, really Mark, what do you use that for then?
Well, if you have persistent Monkey-Mind like me, you can’t get that little fellow to stop chattering, so I organise my productivity around timers, frequently switching tasks to keep the long tailed hairy chap from getting too bored. So, I might split an hour up like this: 20 minutes of reading, followed by 20 minutes of writing for PhD, followed by 5 minutes for email, followed by 5 minutes rest and 10 minutes of working on an eBook. (That’s just an example, I don’t usually split individual hours, I split blocks of 2-3 hours) Again this APP is totally free (you can pay to remove the ads and pay for a few additional alarms) but it’s a great way to remind yourself to switch tasks. When used with the other apps above, it’s a great way to get the most out of the time I allot to tasks, and it really stops me from fannying about while I’m meant to be working on a particular task.
I know this wasn’t about acting, but I hope that you will see it as a useful way for you to begin to organise your time. Me? I’m already convinced it’s making me better organised, more productive and much calmer, I don’t wake up in a panic having forgotten to do something, it’s all taken care of before I get to bed. (9 hours on a timer btw with a school bell to wake me up – just in case you were wondering!)