3 New TGIF Time Management Tips from OfficeTime

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Happy TGIF Everyone!  This week’s Time Management tips are simple, but of course, not easy.  Give it a try anyway.

#1. If you’re like us, you end up working a lot of weekends.  Be sure that you start EVERY day with a sentence or two that defines “What is a successful day for me today?”  Ultimately, this serves as your main goal for the day, focusing your efforts – and when accomplished – the day feels great.  Remember to keep it realistic – if it’s a Sunday, maybe a successful day is defined as dinner with your family or a beautiful walk I the woods.  Remember, success means nothing if it’s not in sync with your definition of happiness!

#2.  An oldie, but a goodie: If it can be done in three minutes or less, do it now. How often do we put off things that can be taken care of easily and quickly, preferring instead to worry endlessly?  If you’re the type of person who those 3-minute interruptions drive you crazy, instead, keep a notebook handy, jot those things down, and set aside a 30-minute block to clear them up during the day.  BOTH of these policies will keep your mind free to accomplish the big stuff!

#3. Work in 60 to 90 minute intervals – especially during the weekends. To begin with, your brain runs on glucose – and believe it or not, you’ve used up aLOT of it after 60-90 minutes. (That’s why we start to feel burned out after long meetings or if we work without a break.) So take that break. Get up an stretch! Go for a walk. Spend some time with your friends or family. Do something to recharge so the rest of your time IS productive. It will also mean that you get to enjoy the things you work so hard for – like great relationships and fun times.
How do you use OfficeTime? Let us know – or share your own best time management tips – and get featured in our blog!

Time. The real commodity.
OfficeTime.net

 

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Sharing Our Latest PR: OfficeTime.net Announces Top 5 Time Killers

February 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Foreword:  Three weeks ago, we posted a survey on all of our social media spaces asking what other professionals felt were their biggest time wasters.  The response was huge, and TONS of people responded that Email was the #1 time suck out there. I wanted to share the entire PR to let you all draw your own conclusions around this – and hopefully come up with some keen solutions. If you’d like to share your OWN solutions here, by commenting on the blog, we’ll be happy to put them all into a follow-up piece and share it next week!  Here’s to your great weekend!  ~ Stephen Dodd

 

[prMac.com] London,England

OfficeTime.net, creator of the popular OfficeTime time and expense tracking software for Windows and Mac computers and iOS devices, recently conducted a survey of working professionals on their Biggest Time Killers. 53% of respondents were business owners, freelancers or executives, while 39% work in professional “white collar” positions.

Survey participants were asked to name their top-three time killers. Of all the ways people manage to squander their time each day, “Email” was named as this year’s biggest time killer by 47% of respondents.

Other Top 5 Time Killers included Procrastination (42%), Social Networking (36%), Meetings (34%), and Surfing the Internet (30%). Rounding out the Top 10 were non business-related conversations (24%), dealing with computer / technical issues (23%), “bureaucracy / red tape” (19%), travel time / commuting (14%), and playing computer games (10%).

“Time management is really about decision management,” says Stephen Dodd, director of OfficeTime.net. “Some people are better able to successfully choose what they do and how much time they spend on it. Some are more apt to be distracted by time killers that get in the way of a productive work day.”

To help counteract these Top Time Killers, OfficeTime.net offers its tips for prioritizing how people spend their time each day:

Priority #1. It’s important to recognize that while some issues that arise are not known at the beginning of each day, some of the urgent issues in our lives are known right now. Each Monday, take a moment and list the hot, urgent items you know must be done this week.

Priority #2. Priority 2 items are not only business-oriented. Be sure to include time with family, time to work out, time to feed the soul and body. After those items are scheduled, add in firm deadlines for the week – and then block out time before the deadline to work on the project.

Priority #3. All the rest of it. While the inbox is never empty and all the rest must be fit in as well, by going for #1 and #2 priorities first, your own Top Time Killers will be less of a distraction, resulting in more free time and more room for “all the rest.”

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iOS 4.0 or later
* 4.6 MB

Pricing and Availability:
OfficeTime – Time & Expense Tracking 1.2 is $7.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Productivity category.  OfficeTime – Time & Expense Tracking 1.2  /   Purchase and Download

OfficeTime was established in 2003 as a spin-off from Transcena Design ofEdmonton, Canada. OfficeTime was developed in response to Transcena’s urgent need for an easy-to-use, effective, time-tracking application. Designed and continually improved by the same developers who were relying on it every day, OfficeTime was an immediate success when released to the public. Ideal for anyone who bills by the hour, OfficeTime makes recording and tracking time and expenses simple with a clean, elegant interface. The iPhone and iPad versions focus on ease-of-use, recognizing that if time tracking is simple to do, users will be more likely to take the time to do it. For more information, visit www.officetime.net. Copyright (C) 2012 OfficeTime. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in theU.S.and/or other countries.

###

Kevin Doel
TalonPR, Inc.
785-273-9660

 

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Report Card: How’s OfficeTime Treating You?

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We like to know how we’re doing so we can do better.  If you’ve used OfficeTime for a while you’ll notice it will eventually ask you How’s OfficeTime Treating You?

Here’s our scorecard as of today:

It’s Great! 66%
It’s OK 30%
It’s Got Problems 4%

I think that’s a great start, and we hope to do even better as we add in the features that people have been demonstrating would really help them.

Remember, you can find us (and some great user and time management tips) on our social media accounts.  Just go to http://Facebook.com/OfficeTime for our Facebook Page or http://Twitter.com/OfficeTimeApp to follow and get our tweets! 

Stephen Dodd, Creator of  OfficeTime.net

 

PS: Get our App at NO cost!  Just click here!  Pass it on!)

 

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OfficeTime – Sync FAQ!

January 14, 2012 By 4 Comments


OfficeTime is an amazing time tracker that syncs seamlessly between Mac/PC and iPhone/iPad/iPod.  Generally, it should just work. Here’s some more info on how it works and what to do when it doesn’t.

 

Does my computer need WiFi?

No. As long as it’s connected to the same network that supplies the WiFi to your iPhone or iPad, it should work.  (If you don’t have any WiFi, see below.)

 

Does it sync both ways?

Absolutely.  Anything you do on one end is reflected, usually within seconds, on your other devices.

 

How fast does it sync?

Fast. Updates should appear within 5-10 seconds.

 

I can‘t sync! Help!

To sync, go to the * menu in the upper left of the main screen of your iPad (upper right of your iPhone), choose Desktop Sync, Sync with, and follow the instructions from there. Be sure OfficeTime is open on your Mac or PC and you are connected to the same wireless network.

Most sync problems are solved by restarting your Mac/PC or your iPhone/iPad.  (Hold down the power button for a few seconds to turn off your iPhone/iPad.)

The remaining problems tend to be a firewall blocking OfficeTime.  Try adding OfficeTime to your firewall software. On the Mac, go to System Preferences, Security & Privacy, Advanced, click + and add OfficeTime and restart OfficeTime.  On the PC, it varies between which Firewall you are using.

If you’re on a PC, be sure a current version of iTunes is installed.  OfficeTime uses “Bonjour” which iTunes installs for you.

We’ve had a small handful of cases of OfficeTime not liking a particular network.  This is usually solved by upgrading the firmware in the router.

If it still doesn’t work, drop us a line at support at officetime.net

 

Not everything synced fully…

In the unlikely event that something is on one device but not the other simply resync.  On your desktop, go to the OfficeTime preferences, choose iPhone and then click Resync Now.   This does a longer, full sync and will ensure both devices are kept in check.  If you want to feel extra safe, do a backup (File->Backup Now) first.

 

Can I sync both my iPhone and my iPad to my desktop?

Yes. Just go to the settings on both and choose your desktop computer.  OfficeTime will keep all three in sync.

 

Can I sync my iPhone to my iPad?

At the moment, you need OfficeTime for the desktop.  Just sync both to OfficeTime for Mac or PC and all three will be kept in sync. You can get a free trial at www.officetime.net

We’re working on a cloud sync to sync directly without need for the desktop.

 

Can I sync my iPhone to both my work computer and my home computer?

Yes, but it’s not seamless yet.  OfficeTime automatically syncs with the last computer your chose. So when you get home, you need to choose your home computer again. Sorry, bit of a bother and we’re working on it.

The upshot is this will automatically sync your home and work computer together via your iPhone.

Everything syncs with the exception of deletions.  Deletions currently only go one hop.  If you delete something on your iPhone, it’ll remove it from both desktops. But if you delete on the desktop, it’ll delete from your iPhone but that change won’t be passed onto your other desktop.  Again, please bear with us while we do some construction here.

 

Can all my team sync to my desktop computer?

Not yet.  They can, but they all come in as a single person.

We’re working on allowing a team to sync to your desktop.

In the meantime, see below.

 

Can I get team reports from everyone’s iPhone?

Yes.  Each team member syncs his iPhone/iPad to OfficeTime on his own desktop computer.  When you wish to produce a team report, simply import your team’s data files into your copy of OfficeTime for Mac or PC.  Most teams set their data files to be stored on a shared drive for easy access.  Alternately, just ask for the data file to be emailed to you once a week or as needed.

We’re working on a full cloud sync team solution.

 

Can I backup my iPhone data?

Apple automatically backs up your iPhone and iPad for you but it’s not always easy or convenient to get your data back if something funny happens.  If you sync with the desktop version, it will create automatic hourly, daily, week and monthly backups. You can also make your own by choosing File->Backup Now in the desktop version.

 

Do you have a Cloud sync?

Not yet.  We’re working on a cloud solution based on Dropbox.  It will automatically keep all of your computers, iPhones and iPad in sync.  We’re even working on a version that will keep all of your team’s projects & categories in sync and allow the team leaders instant access to what’s going on.

 

Will OfficeTime support iCloud?

Probably not. Our Dropbox solution will do everything iCloud does.  We’re not using iCloud (yet) because it doesn’t support Windows and it also doesn’t support cross-team reporting.  It’s a single user Mac solution.

 

How can I tell the sync status?

On your desktop, go to the OfficeTime preferences, choose iPhone.  You should see the time of the last sync.  You will also see a brief message at the bottom of the screen on your iPhone when it syncs.

 

Does it sync via cable?

No need. It syncs easily via wifi. However if you don’t have wifi, there’s are some workarounds:

You can create a wireless network from your computer to your iPhone/iPad.

Here’s a guide for the unrelated App, Things on the Mac:

https://culturedcode.com/things/wiki/index.php/Setting_up_a_computer-to-computer_network_(FAQ)

 

And a Windows guide:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Set-up-a-computer-to-computer-ad-hoc-network

 

Or on the Mac, you can sync via Bluetooth or cable:

https://culturedcode.com/things/wiki/index.php/Syncing_between_Mac_and_iPhone_using_USB_or_Bluetooth

 

Soon OfficeTime will sync Cloud style so you won’t need wifi at all.

 

I’ve got a suggestion!

Excellent. We love feedback! Mail us at support at officetime.net

 

 


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3 Steps to Time Management that WORKS (at Work and in life!)

November 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment


Greetings everyone!  Here are a 3 time management tips to help you get out of the office and get into the rest of your life!

#1. Remember that DONE is better than perfect. It’s SO easy to get hung up on edits and re-edits on anything we do.  Believe me, as a developer, I can understand that.  And while some things demand and necessitate perfection (like creating the app for our Time Tracker), the reality is that MOST things are a process, rather than a destination we arrive at.  We’ve certainly seen that as our app and software has changed and developed over time.  It’s far too easy to get hung up on being perfect and NEVER move on to the next thing on the to-do list.  Many days, we just have to throw our hands in the air and know that we’ve done everything we can for the moment.

#2.  Figure out what the problem is. If you’re having trouble moving forward, stuck in one place or on one project – or simply stuck in your life, stop and get courageously honest. WHAT is the problem at hand…  Ask yourself, “What am I doing, and why am I doing it?”  What’s the payoff?  Is this in alignment with my goals and values?  What’s the REAL roadblock?  Am I allowing in too many distractions, and if so, why?  It’s a lot easier to solve a problem if we can SEE it clearly. 

#3.  Spend some time planning your attack. The more effort you put into planning to complete a task, the more likely you’ll be to actually complete it and be successful. Set some time management goals around the project itself – and come up with a strategy to minimize or eliminate time bandits. No war was ever won because someone ran down the hill screaming at their opponent. A great plan of action – with a solid idea of back-up forces (delegation), is a much better way to conquer and deliver.


How do you use OfficeTime? Let us know – or share your own best time management tips – and get featured in our blog!

Time. The real commodity.

Stephen Dodd, Creator of  OfficeTime.net

PS: Get our App at NO cost!  Just click here!  Pass it on!)

 

 

3 Steps to Time Management that WORKS (at Work and in life!)

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