Time management is an essential issue in any office, whether it is a law firm or not, and one of the most nit picking wastes of time is the subtle, yet ever persistent mind looping of an unfinished task or idea. David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done – The Art of Stress Free Productivity, got it right when he said close the loop by taking action and reducing all those things undone to one list – and then deal with it. Dealing with it could mean delegating a task, doing it yourself, deleting it or deferring it, but it gets done, rather than rattling through your brain all day at the worst possible times.
I battle the mind loops with Evernote, the free “Remember everything application”, that lets your brain have the peace and quiet it deserves by grabbing all your tasks, gathering them in one place, and letting you do something about them, as you see fit. It’s easy to use and can handle anything you throw at it, from mp3s to web clips and from articles to emails. If you’re so busy you don’t have time to get to everything in a day, and hate having it strewn all over the office on sticky notes and other types of reminders, this may be the application to simplify your work day.
Evernote, when used with the iPad application, OmniFocus, is a powerful combination to deal with anything that comes up during the day, from brain storms to notations about pending cases. Use OmniFocus to snag, process, plan, and review while you are away from your desktop computer. Or, if you’re so inclined, leave it right by your computer for use on the fly.
The one thing I like best about it is the fact that it organizes itself in real time, without the refresh step, and it is capable of tracking a weekly review, on each project you are involved in. Its superlative flexibility is an appealing extra. Add in the fact that this application in now slashed down to half price, and it’s not a bad deal at $19.99. OmniFocus for Mac is priced at $39.99.
Robert Armstrong
President and Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (800) 846-1555
www.aaepa.com
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