Tech & Productivity Setup

This resource page will help you review and optimise your tech and productivity setup.

Written and updated by Sean P. Twomey at Posmay Media  — Last Updated: 9 Oct 2018
Contact us with questions, comments or if you require support.

1. To Do & Idea List Management

To be productive and successful, you need to manage your time, your tasks and your thoughts. Have a reliable and easy to use system in place to capture and manage your ideas and your action items will help boost your productivity and avoid overwhelm and chaos. 

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” ― David Allen

Important Take Aways

  • Implement one system that works for you.
  • Avoid being overwhelmed by all the options. 
  • Use your system or change it if it's not working for you.

Our Current Setup

The app that we use and recommend is called Wunderlist, which we use for to do lists as well as lists to manage processes and projects. Wunderlist has a beautiful user interface, it syncs across all our devices (web interface, iPhone and Mac) and we can share lists with collaborators and team members.

HOWEVER, the Wunderlist app  has been acquired by Microsoft and the team is now building Microsoft To-Do app and Wunderlist will unfortunately be retired sometime in the future. You can currently still use Wunderlist, but we'll be looking at moving to some other app soon.

App Recommendations

The following 3rd party apps are all available on all major operating systems (both mobile and desktop) and include superior syncing features to make sure that your content syncs across all your devices. Wunderlist is a great free solution, but the app will be depreciated at some stage.

Workflowy

In this video, I show you how to use Workflowy, demonstrating all features.

Workflowy

Free & Premium Plans
$0 | $4.99 /mo

Apple Notes App

Free App on iOS, MacOS & iCloud


Wunderlist

Free & Premium Plans
$0 | $4.99 /mo | $49.99 /mo

2. Writing & Planning

For writing and planning we use and recommend Dropbox Paper. Their simple, yet functional web interface makes writing enjoyable. 

This cloud based app is ideal for team collaboration in the cloud and offers simple formating and easy embedding functionality. All you need is a free Dropbox account to start using Dropbox Paper.

3. Email Management

Whether you like it or not, email is and will remain a part of our lives. It is however possible to use email effectively and smartly. This section will help you review and optimize your email setup and email usage. 

Important Take Aways

  • Avoid checking your email too often  throughout the day
  • Implement and use a reliable email system that syncs between devices.
  • Use an email provider that has a reliable spam filter to block spam emails
  • Stop using your inbox as a to do list — implement a to do list system
  • Permanently delete (or archive) emails that you no longer need. Do this regularly.
  • Unsubscribe from all unwanted email lists
  • Use other communication channels to minimise email usage. e.g. Slack 
  • Stop sending files via email, instead setup a file sharing system using a service like Dropbox.
  • Make your own rules- inform clients, team members, friends and family how to contact you.

Our Current Setup

We are currently using Gmail as our email provider, which is part of the GSuite (previously Google Apps for Business) subscription. This service costs $5 per user per month and includes all needing business features. We also use free Gmail accounts for personal emails. 

As email clients we use Spark for Mac and iOS.

App Recommendations

The following 3rd party apps include the apps that we use, as well as some other options. We understand that everybody has unique set of preferences and requirements. It's important to find the setup that works best for you and your business.

Spark

Free Email Client for
iOS & MacOS

G Suite by Google Cloud

Business Gmail, Docs & Drive, etc. 
$5 /user /mo | 30 Day Free Trial

Mac OS Mail App

Free App on iOS, MacOS & iCloud

Part of Mac OS on all Macs.

4. Calendar Management

Your time is your most precious asset, use it wisely. What gets scheduled gets done. This is exactly why it's important to have an effective calendar system in place. This section will help you review and optimise your calendar setup.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ― Stephen Covey

Important Take Aways

  • Setup and use one single calendar platform — Google, iCloud, Outlook, etc.
  • Schedule time in your calendar for all your priorities  and stick to that schedule
  • Run your day according to your calendar  
  • Make sure your events are syncing across all your devices
  • Use a setup that works on all your devices 

5. Automated Scheduling

If you or your business offers appointments, consultations, strategy calls or any other form of booking, make sure to setup a system that automates the scheduling process. 

Our Current Setup

We're currently using Book Like A Boss, which we love and highly recommend. It looks  and works great on the web and on mobile.

App Recommendations

The following 3rd party apps are worth considering. As mentioned, we use and recommend Book Like A Boss.

Book Like A Boss

FREE | $8 /mo | $15 /mo | $25 /mo

YouCanBook.me

FREE | $10 /calendar /mo

Calendly

FREE | $8 /mo | $12 /mo

6. Password Management

We all have sensitive information including endless passwords to access all our online account. Using weak passwords will compromise your online security, while strong passwords are difficult to remember. This section will help you review and optimize your password management system.

Important Take Aways

  • Always use strong passwords !
  • Create strong passwords using a site like https://strongpasswordgenerator.com/
  • Use a premium and secure passport management solution  to safeguard your sensitive data.
  • Avoid using free apps and services 
  • Make sure to  always have an updated  backup of your password vault.

Our Current Setup

We currently use and recommend 1Password as a trusted password management app. 

1Password let's you use one master password to protect your digital vault which you use to store all of your other passwords, as well as other sensitive information like credit card details and secret business ideas.

1Password syncs seamlessly across devices and creates automatic backups. You can also share vaults via Dropbox or your 1Password account.

1Password monthly plans includes access to all their latest apps, which work across all major operating systems and devices.

1Password

Premium, Family & Team Plans
$2.99 /mo | 4.99 /mo | $3.99 /user /mo