Principles of Execution

42 Apps for iPhone That Will Increase Your Productivity - Part 4 of 4

 

“Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done.” By Peter Drucker

Part 4 - My favorite apps, numbers 31 - 42:

31. Pandora: Pandora is an internet music app that allows you to listen to music from your favor artist and also hear other artist that are in the same genre. The app has a free version which includes commercials and a subscription service for a low monthly cost that is commercial free.  Pandora allows you to create radio stations or music channels and is a great way to discover new music.

42 Apps for iPhone That Will Increase Your Productivity - Part 3 of 4

 “Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may make you feel like you're flying high at first, but it won't take long before you feel the impact.” By Barack Obama

Part 3 - My favorite apps, numbers 21 - 30:

21. HootSuite: The HootSuite app allows me to publish a single tweet to multiple social platforms with one click.  When I find a great story, blog post or quote I can share it using the Hootsuite mobile application. I can also schedule multiple tweets to be delivered at various times throughout the day or weeks so that tweets are forwarded while I’m meeting with clients or working on internal deliverables for my company.  This is a great way to share tweet during a vacation without sacrificing time with your family and friends.

42 Apps for iPhone That Will Increase Your Productivity - Part 2 of 4

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” by Steve Jobs

Part 2 - My favorite apps, numbers 11 - 20:

11. Dictionary: Do you ever find yourself stuck, trying to figure out the right word or wondering if you’re spelling the word correctly. The Dictionary.com app allows you to carry an entire dictionary in your pocket. One of my favor features is the word of the day. Dictionary.com includes new features like the hot word, suddenly popular, Translator and Thesaurus Rex. The app also has add-on that can be purchased such as Medical Dictionary and Science Dictionary. This is a must have app if you blog or write a lot.

42 Apps for iPhone That Will Increase Your Productivity - Part 1 of 4

 

"Innovation is the creation of the new, Or the re-arranging of the old in a new way." by Mike Vance

Most of my career I've used Microsoft products (Project, Project Server, SQL and SharePoint) and I love technology but I use the Apple iPhone for my smart phone device. What I love about these apps for the iPhone is the impact they can have on your effectiveness and efficiency. I’ve had a number of friends asked about the applications I use to increase my productivity. I then show them the app and how I use it to reduce errands and automate a personal task. After receiving a number of these request I decided to create a series of posts that explains which apps are my favor and have had the greatest impact on my throughput.

This week I'm starting a four part series that covers mobile apps that have increased my efficiency and reduce my time and cost to operate in a pre-mobile app world. I hope that you will gain insight into how you can increase your productivity using one or more of these applications listed below.

1. Amazon: I use the Amazon mobile app as I traveled throughout my day going to meetings, client visits and running errands to help me capture books I discover that I’m interested in reading and add them to my wish list. I like to check out what others are reading and what books they have on their bookshelf. I'm able to type in the name of the book and add it to my wish list or order the book from Amazon right then and there. This app allows me to capture a number of books and enter them once without having to log into from my laptop. 

Book Review: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John Maxwell

Premise:

• The premise of The 21 Laws of Leadership is that leadership can be learned and it's based on principles and laws of nature. Once you understand the 21 laws and practice them you will improve and increase your leadership capability. It's only when you enhance your leadership ability can you truly increase your personal and professional effectiveness.

What I learned:

• Each of The 21 Laws of Leadership principles transcend time. Leadership is leadership no matter which period of history it is practiced.

Book Review: Thinking for a Change - John Maxwell

 

Premise:

• The premise of “Thinking for a Change,” is that to make changes to your life begins with a change in the way you think. The idea is that every habit, every action and every emotion is triggered by a thought. Your thoughts determine everything about your life. The way you think determines who you are and who you are determines what you do. Your thoughts determine your habits and your habits determine your future. People who are in the top of their industry think differently than those who are not. What I like about this book is how it guides you to change the way you think and it provides the step by step how to process to do it.

Book Review: First Things First - Stephen Covey

Premise:

• “First Things First,” is a book written in 1994 by Stephen Covey and the Merrill brothers that changed my life and focused me on a daily habit of scheduling first things first. The premise of the book is to keep the main thing the main thing.

• Ken Blanchard in his endorsement of the book states, "Together with the Merrill’s, Stephen Covey has written a thought-provoking book that makes us look at ourselves in life more importantly, First Thing First gently guides us to the basic principles."

• Steve Young quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers stated, "The greatest successes I've had in my life can be attribute to the life-changing principles Covey teaches in First Things First."

• Melanie Mackenzie co-author of “Managing Your Goals” stated, "Time management gives us the tools but First Thing First delivers us to a place where we can each make the right choices; fueled by powerful vision of a life lived as a legacy - a life of enduring meaning."

Book Review: Understanding Michael Porter - Joan Magretta

Premise:

• The premise of the book, "Understanding Michael Porter" is that clear strategic thinking is essential for managers at all levels of an organization. This essential guide provides the foundation for understanding the basic principles of competition and strategy and establishes a framework in which Michael Porter's writings are easier to digest than his original texts. A direct quote from the book states that, "Strategy is not fast food". The essence of strategy is not only choosing what to do but also choosing what not to do.

What I learned:

• The key to competitive strategy rests on an organizations ability to create unique value and to be uniquely focused on creating value that customers understand within the structure of their industry and your company’s relative position.
• Good strategy helps explain how an organization in the face of competition will accomplish superior performance and greater profits.

Book Review: Strategy for You - Rich Horwath

Premise:

• The premise of “Strategy for You” is that strategy is a bridge for going from where you are today to where you want  to go tomorrow in your personal and professional life. Strategy is a bridge  that spans over the challenges and obstacles you will face from going from
  point A to point B.

What I learned:

• Strategy is a plan for using your personal resources, managing your time, identifying which talents you want to invest in and how you want to use your finances to accomplish your goals. This  is the goal of developing a personal strategy.

Book Review: Mind Mapping - Michael Gelb

 

Premise:

Mind mapping is a brain storming technique basis on word association with keywords such as family, democracy, revolution and others that trigger other words, thoughts and ideas. This is basically how the mind works as we think of ideas and brainstorm concepts. Mind mapping is a process for unlocking our individual genius and enhancing the we naturally think.

 

What I learned:

• You can think faster and more creatively using my mapping. It allows you to capture ideas the way your mind naturally thinks.

Book Review: The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth - John Maxwell

 Premise:  The premise of the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell is that focusing on growth is more important than focusing on goals. Obtaining a goal will help you accomplish a task or dream but personal and professional growth will change who you are.

 

What I learned:

• You need to be intentional about growth. You have to be focused on growth and you have to desire to want to grow and develop a plan for growth. You need to identify where you currently are and where you would like to be over a period of time and then establish a program that will take you there. Take the time and map out how you are going to accomplish your growth goals. What are you going to learn, read, and study to develop your skills and knowledge in your area of interest.

You Don't Have To Be Anthony Robbins To Live A Life Of Continuous Improvement

 

Every great improvement has come after repeated failure. Virtually nothing comes out right the first time. Failures, repeated failures, are the posts on the road to achievement." by Charles Franklin Kettering

Anthony Robbins has become one of the top inspirational speakers in the world. He has been considered an authority on the psychology of leadership, organizational turnaround and even peak performance. He’s a humanitarian and has been able to transform the lives of many individuals to include a higher quality of living.

Little Known Ways To Communicate To Manage Change

 

“Effective leaders help others to understand the necessity of change and to accept a common vision of the desired outcome.” by John Kotter

Brian Tracy has been a businessman for many years. Prior to becoming the CEO and chairman of Brian Tracy International, Brian was the CEO of a company handling development and before that, had booming careers in the world of sales and marketing, management and strategic planning. As a result, he has been able to develop a wealth of information about training and development.

How To Choose Your Team Like James Cameron

 

Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. by Vince Lombardi

 James Cameron is one of the most world-renowned producers in the film industry. With dozens of Academy Award nominations for his films, he has become very successful. He wasn’t always the successful filmmaker you see before you, however. In fact, when he wrote Terminator, he was living out of his car.

The Secret Of Arnold Schwarzenegger Success – Perseverance

  

 Genius is perserverance in disguise. by Mike Newlin

You must read, you must perservere, you must sit up nights, you must inquire, and exert the utmost power of your mind. If one way does not lead to the desired meaning, take another; if obstacles arise, then still another; until, if your strength holds out, you will find that clear which at first looked dark. by Giovanni Boccaccio

 The accomplishments of Arnold Schwarzenegger are no secret. No one would have expected the Austrian born bodybuilding world champion to go on and be anything but that – a world champion of bodybuilding.