Take Only What You Need To Survive
Five Tools That Make My Workflows Easier
This week I wanted to drill down on some tools I use to get work done. The five below are the absolute must-haves over the years. Even if you implement one of these, your workflow will get better and a lot more fun.
After writing this, I realize I'm not doing any of these full justice here. I encourage you to pick one or two of these and see what works for you.
1) TextExpander
TextExpander is one of the longer running apps in my arsenal, and for a good reason. This app stores large blocks of text that are triggered by "snippets." If you already use the Text Replacement feature in iOS, you're off to a good start. TextExpander is that on steroids. There's a golden rule (so I hear) that if you do something more than three times, write it down and outsource it, and the same can be said about writing and using text.
For those of us who swim in text-on-screen as our primary method of work communication, I'll take all the help I can get. Got a cold pitch email? You can put it in Textexpander. Are you tired of typing your cell phone number, email address, home address? Make snippets and save time. Reports, groups of email addresses you frequently send to, all of it goes faster with this kind of tool. Here are a few links to point you down the right rabbit hole. [try it] [learn more]
2) 1Password
1Password calls itself the easiest way to store and use strong passwords. Log in to sites and fill forms securely with a single click, and that's spot on. The best part about 1Password is that it takes all the complicated details of creating, keeping, and using strong passwords, making it easier for you to manage. You only have to remember ONE password, hence the name. I currently have 600+ passwords stored, and I couldn't name one of them off the top of my head. I wish 1Password were around years ago; it would have stopped me from buying so many Post It Notes. [try it] [learn more]
3) Sanebox
Sanebox is a folders system that sits on top of your current inbox and offers tons of automation to keep emails you don't want to see out of your face. Newsletters, press releases, coupons, marketing emails - all get funneled into a folder or series of folders for you to check later. Ever get an email and think, "that's great, but I don't need to think about that for four weeks"? Drag that email into the @Sanebox4weeks folder. It'll pop back into your inbox when it's convenient for you. I also use a feature called Sane Reminders. Dear so and so, I need XYZ for blah blah blah -- just add 1w@sanebox.com into the BCC field, and if you do not get a reply from that person, a reminder will be sent to the top of your inbox so you can follow up. [try it] [learn more]
4) Drafts
I admit that I do not use Drafts to its max capacity. Drafts is where text starts, and its strength is in its syncing capabilities. Type something on your phone, and it's on your Mac and your iPad within seconds. Need to keep and store blocks of text for work? Drafts is excellent for that. Everything is organized by tags, which makes it endlessly searchable. The power in Drafts comes from its action library. Type into drafts, and what you can do with that text is enormous. Create a calendar event, text your friend (or group of friends), append or prepend a Google Doc or plaintext note in DropBox, all possible. The #1 feature in Drafts is the ability to compose emails and send them all without ever laying eyes on your inbox. [try it] [learn more]
5) Fantastical
The calendar app that comes with any Apple device works just fine, but why settle? Fantastical (3) is the calendar app for power users who live and die by their calendar. Its natural language event creation is its strong spot -- type "Lunch with Bob at Toledo Grill at 2 pm on Sunday," The event is created and sent off to its invitee. No need for fifty clicks to generate lunch plans. [try it] [learn more]