A colleague of mine recently shared that he was testing out a new project management app for his iPhone. I then lobbed back at him that I was testing out a 14 day trial of Omnifocus for Mac. Back and forth we went. Well I'm seeing if I like...Oh yeah? I'm using this for a week, etc.

I then realized that we had committed the cardinal sin of productivity: a lust for new tools. After all, a list is only so good as its owner. An app is only so good as its master. And on and on. It's the habits behind the tools that really matter.

Sadly, we are torn in any number of directions, lessening our focus and stretching what might look like focus but feels like working with ADD. The proliferation of literally everything on the internet gives us access to well, everything but if we go after it all, we end up getting zero work done and worse yet- losing our ability to contemplate the things that really matter most.

In the end, our productivity can benefit from fewer and simpler tools. It's a perspective that is completely counter to what the internet wants from us: simplification and focus. Don't misunderstand me- I don't mean flee from the voicemail, email and stuff that's coming at you this week. Rather, take it in, digest it and then spit out out according to your productivity skills. Be the commander of what lies in front of you today.

As Merlin Mann says, if you're looking around all the time for a better manager of your lists, maybe you just need to go and get some work done. Close the door. Crank out your email. Do what you need to do.

For Follow Up

Be sure to listen to Merlin Mann's podcast about getting real work done.

*photo by batega