Productivity Links

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I spent a lot of time this weekend thinking about links, but I
couldn't come up with a really good set to put together. Then I was
reading Paul Stamatiou's excellent post, How To: Cultivate That Killer
Idea, and it made me think about the great productivity blogs
that are out there.

I should mention that I'm a productivity aficionado. What that
means is that I dream of finding the magic system that's eventually
going to make me completely productive. I read productivity books and
blogs, I watch videos and I listen to tapes. That said, I haven't
hit on the perfect system for me. I get somewhat bored of keeping
the same system going all of the time, which is, I guess, what makes being a
productivity hobbyist so much fun.

So I've pretty much accepted the fact that I won't be as productive
as I dream of being, but you know the
old quote,
"Winning is not everything - but making the effort to win is." The
links listed below will help in your efforts to be more
productive. Even if you only find a few things here that make sense
for you, I think you'll find that you can be more productive.

  • 43 Folders - 43 Folders is one
    of the premiere productivity sites on the Web.From the site
    description: 43 Folders is an independent web site by Merlin
    Mann.Topics that come up a lot include: productivity and time
    management tips, “life hacks” to improve efficiency and get things off
    your mind, interesting Mac OS X programs and technologies, ideas about
    modest ways to improve your life and reduce stress, and cool or
    helpful shortcuts that make life a bit easier.
  • Lifehacker - Another great
    site. From their own FAQ: Lifehacker, the software and productivity
    guide, is a blog that covers tips and tricks for streamlining your
    life with computers (and sometimes without). Updated several times
    daily, Lifehacker points out software downloads, web sites,
    do-it-yourself projects, how-to's, tutorials, shortcuts and tips for
    going beyond the default settings and getting things done in the most
    clever, unexpected and efficient ways. Think of Lifehacker as
    self-help for geeks.
  • D*I*Y Planner - Does paper make you more productive? A lot of times I
    take the advice from this site and I make similar tools in Word and
    Excel. From the site's description: We are a community of people who
    see the value of paper as a medium for planning, productivity,
    creative expression, and exploring ideas. We encourage visitors to
    share advice and inspiration, and we love to see submissions for
    templates, kit images and story articles. We are also the official
    home of the free D*I*Y Planner kits. Please enjoy your stay, and make
    yourself at home!
  • moleskinerie and notebookism - These two sites are all about notebooks
    and are great for artists and thinkers who like to use notebooks to
    capture data.

Of course, there are more of these kinds of sites out there. These are the ones that I try to read all the time. After you take a look at these sites, come back and take a look at how you can use the tips you find with your Office for Mac
products. The two Office tools that I mostly associate with
productivity are Word for Mac in Notebook Layout View and the
Project Center in Entourage. (Though arguably an office suite is all about productivity.) Also be sure to check out
the Articles
and Tips at Mactopia. This is the link for Word tips, but you'll
find tips for all the products at the site. I learn something new
nearly every time I visit these pages.