Writing software that will help you with Time Management:

When I write I use Q10 writer software that will put up a full screen of space to write. This limits my distractions and there are no frills on the screen. It’s a screen with words, that’s it. I find that I type faster and can get my articles done faster with fewer distractions. You can set the timer so that you can time yourself and see exactly how many characters and words you have completed with a quick glance. I set the timer and start writing and when the timer goes off I know that I need to wrap up my article. Usually with knowing that the article is being timed I can write faster and try to beat the timer. This software is free and downloads quickly and you can be more productive.

Talk to Text:

This is free with Windows Vista. It’s easy to set up and what you do is talk and it will type what you say. You don’t have to type much, just talk and watch the words appear on the screen. This is a real time saver for me. I can knock out articles faster and be more productive during the day. This software resembles Dragon Naturally speaking software, but it’s free with the operating system.

Microsoft office:

I use excel allot to write my tasks down so that I know where I stand with writing and getting the other tasks done. I also rely on Microsoft outlook calendar to remind of appointments and goals that I have set.

Google:

Google has many products that you can use for free. They have an online calendar that you can share with others, as well as a similar program like Microsoft office which can be shared also. You can assign talks to others if you are working with other people on the projects and everything is saved online and can be password protected.

These are just some of the free software that you can use to increase your productivity and help your time management and make you more productive throughout the day.

Make lists:

Make a list of all the tasks that you want to accomplish that day. Usually I write it down on paper with Daily Goals as the title of the paper. This way I can cross off what I have completed and able to stay on tasks when I do what I need to get done. I also write on this paper other tasks that aren’t job related so That every morning I know what I need to complete with work, family and home life. It works well for me to know first thing in the morning what I need to complete.

I have a daily list, but I also have a monthly goal sheet that I have posted so that I know what I need to complete in the month. From the Monthly goal list I am able to then able to break it down to weekly, then daily lists. This will show you how well you are progressing for the month also.

Find software that will make your mundane chores and tasks easier to keep up with. Excel works well for me to keep up with goals and listings that I need to do. I also use Microsoft Outlook calendar that will pop up reminders for me when I have meetings and appointments. You can set it to tell you a few days ahead or hours ahead of time for the appointment and meetings so that you can be prepared. You can also write notes that you need to be reminded of for these meetings. I use it when I think about what I need to ask the doctors when I have a doctor’s appointment scheduled. I would be lost without it.

Limit distractions:

When working on a project, try to limit distractions and complete it before moving on to the next task. If you don’t you will have many projects started, and have a rough time to get back to finish them. Complete the projects when you start them. Work till they are done. If you get distracted they say it takes about 7 minutes to get back on task for that project. So you will want to work on the biggest projects when you have the least distractions so that you can complete it.

Make your lists and get your projects done and you will be more productive. Software that helps you stay organized and breaks down your tasks will also help with productivity. If you write allot then set up your word processor to automatically save every few minutes so that you don’t lose what you have already completed, keep files organized on your computer so that you don’t waste precious time looking for a file.