Productivity at Work: There's an App for That

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Top Ten Apps you need to help stay productive at work

You’ve taken the plunge and bought yourself a new iPad. Whether this is your first (or your third, like some of us), it can’t hurt to use your new tablet to find a little extra productivity. In an effort to get you started, we’ve compiled a list of 10 apps that will get you working smarter, not harder. Check out the top 10 apps for the workplace. Wouldn't we all like to be more productive at times


1. Feeddler RSS Reader Pro ($4.99) – I’ve recommended this one before and for good reason: it’s fantastic! Feeddler is a full-featured RSS reader that lets you keep up to date on all of your favorite news from a single source with syncing between your devices so you can stay informed without having to worry about duplication or needing to visit dozens of websites every day in order to keep up. Manage your feeds with Google Reader, making it very easy to add new sites to your blog roll now that you have the extra time to follow them!

 
2. Priority Matrix ($3.99) – Are you a visual person? Use the Priority Matrix app to pull together your day by deciding which tasks are low priority and which are of escalating importance right up to critical, making this a to-do list on steroids. With progress tracking, reminders and a variety of sorting options available (all with an easy to use drag-n-drop interface), this app will help you to be more organized and a lot less panicked. If it suits your needs this app can also help you to build pro/con lists and perform simple project management tasks.

 
3. Dropbox (Free) – Dropbox is the kind of free service that will blow your mind. Giving you the ability to share your docs, photos and videos between virtually any and all of your computers and devices (regardless of platform), this app makes it easy to pull together the materials you need for your work and personal life. Whether you want to flip through your favorite photos or keep reference materials within reach, Dropbox is the perfect tool to help.

 
4. GoodReader ($4.99) – Often described as the Swiss Army Knife of iOS apps, GoodReader is one app that you will soon learn that you can’t live without. Use GoodReader to read a variety of file types including PDF, Microsoft Office formats (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), iWork, HTML and more! The really special features are the PDF annotation that allows for the use of typewriter text boxes, sticky notes, lines, arrows, and freehand drawings right on top of the document you are reviewing and the ability for GoodReader to handle really large files that often crash lesser programs.

5. Evernote (Free) – Everybody takes notes. Whether you are trying to remind yourself of some little detail you are bound to forget just in the nick of time or you attend a lot of meetings and need to keep a record, Evernote can help. Sync your notes across all of your computers and devices so you always have access to your most important thoughts and share them out to friends, colleagues and family using handy in-app tools. My favorite feature satisfies my crazy need to organize by letting me create new notebooks and add tags.

 
6. Penultimate ($0.99) – There are entirely too many of us who have left meetings with sketches on napkins or spare pieces of paper that really weren’t spare. Now we have Penultimate, a sketching app that lets us make a note, visually think through a workflow or scribble together a design idea so we don’t lose the inspiration when it hits. Using ink and paper tools that feel as close to the real thing as digitally possible, Penultimate will become a trusted companion.

 
7. 2X Client RDP/Remote Desktop (Free) – If you use remote desktop to connect to servers you need to do your work, the 2X Client RDP app gives you the chance to use your iPad to get online from anywhere you need to be. Seamlessly run any Windows applications through Windows Terminal Server and virtual desktops with high level security and built in support for the requisite right mouse button clicking that you need in order to to properly navigate around Microsoft machines.

8. 1Password Pro ($14.99) – Our digital lives contain an awful lot of passwords. Even if the various security policies requiring us to have alphanumeric passwords with special characters that we chose while hopping on one foot, chewing gum and rubbing our tummies allowed us to use the same password everywhere, it’s not a good idea. But how do we remember which secret access code goes where? Using this app you can store all of your important information (and even log you in to the websites directly).

 
9. Blogsy ($4.99) – Are you a blogger? Should you be embracing social media more than you already are? Using Blogsy you can post your thoughts on the fly from wherever you happen to be with support for nearly any blogging platform your site is based on. Easily add photos and videos to your posts, schedule them for later, leave them as drafts for later review or even just use it to do those quick edits when you realize you need to update with a quick new link or to fix a typo that will drive you crazy.

 
10. 2Do ($0.99) – Everybody can use a little reminder now and then and 2Do on the iPad is a great way to get just that. Whether you like to use a simple checklist for all of your to-do list tasks or you want to organize them, tag them, share them or export them to your calendar, you can accomplish it easily with this app. For those with a lot on their plates, built-in scheduling and search capabilities will keep you from falling behind.

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5 Scientifically Proven Ways on How To Be Happier at Work

American workers are increasingly miserable on the job. No wonder: Those who survived mass layoffs during the recent recession often were rewarded with more work for the same or less pay.
A survey released last fall found that nearly a third (32 percent) of U.S. workers considered quitting their jobs, up 9 percentage points from the last time the same survey was taken in 2005. Another found that only 45 percent of American workers were satisfied with their jobs, the lowest level since record-keeping began 22 years earlier.
For many workers, though, quitting just isn't an option. So what else can you do to make yourself happier in the job you have? 

• Get organized: Yes, organization requires work, but you'll find it pays off. Knowing which tasks need doing first not only means you'll have to spend less time working, it can also improve your productivity -- and ultimately how your boss views your contributions. When performing any task, ask yourself: Is this the best use of my time?
• Now that you have more time, work less. Because of the extra effort you put into getting organized, you'll accomplish the same tasks in less time. So stop working overtime. Working more hours isn't the best way to get ahead at work. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (via The Washington Times) also shows that those who regularly worked overtime had increased levels of anxiety and depression -- regardless of gender or vocation.
• Balance where you spend your mental time. Maintaining happiness requires that you not spend too much time walking down Memory Lane or focused on planning for the future. And while "living in the moment" is promoted by many personal-happiness gurus, workers also shouldn't focus too much on "the now," according to a new study from researchers at San Francisco State University (via LiveScience). "If you are too extreme or rely too much on any one of these perspectives, it becomes detrimental, and you can get into very destructive types of behaviors," says lead researcher Ryan Howell. "It is best to be balanced in your time perspectives."
• Strive to work autonomously. Research shows that most workers are happiest and most creative when they are the masters of their own destinies, and that can be hard to achieve if you have a micro-manager for a boss. So, it may be time to sit down with your supervisor and ask to be given a longer leash and more say in the work you do. That doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't ask for help when you need it.
• Stop thinking about your job when you're at home. It can be hard to shut that off just because you've left the office (and perhaps even harder if you work from home). But it's important that work not bleed into your personal life, especially when you already spend a third of your day toiling away. Say, "Adios!" to work the moment you start for home.

Hope this helps with your workday. I will follow this blog with a Get Organized one to help you get started!