Comments on: Ten Methods I Use to Keep Productive Wherever I’m At

By: Victoria Vargas

Victoria Vargas — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:07:43 +0000

Trent,

I really enjoy these re-posts you provide since I have only begun reading your blog over the past few months. I’m curious about some of your tools, especially Remember the Milk and Backpack online. Do you still use these tools? I remember a more recent post where you mention that you use a calendar, a small notebook, and Evernote. I’m a lover of good organizational tools, so am curious how the former two stood up through time. Any others you use and are willing to suggest for your readers would be most welcome.

By: simon

simon — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:13:41 +0000

my granmother give me a pen wearever and it soo olds i don”t now how i write with that pen.

By: Emmm

Emmm — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:05:31 +0000

The pen and paper idea i love and use to it’s full advantage. I love Moleskine products. Well made, good paper and pen fits perfectly. http://www.moleskineus.com/
I got mine at Borders so you don’t ‘need’ to buy online.

By: tlange

tlange — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:30:35 +0000

Aren’t you worried about potential security issues when using a public Wi-Fi connection ?

By: Mindy

Mindy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:58:09 +0000

Ending a sentence with “at” is an Iowa thing, as much so as “y’all” is a southern thing. It may not be grammatically correct, but it’s that’s where us Iowans are at. ;o)

I like this one Trent–very helpful indeed.

By: Sandeep

Sandeep — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:58:05 +0000

Hey…excellent post!. I started keeping a small notebook in my pocket since last 1 year and it really helps me when I am traveling in public transport to jot down whatever idea comes to my mind!

cheers
Sandeep

By: Bean Jones

Bean Jones — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:05:55 +0000

Awesome tips! I try to find gadgets that multitask too so that I don’t have to remember to carry too many things.

That’s why I prefer smartphones like the Treo, Blackberry or the iPhone because I can call, surf, check email, write notes, etc with just one gadget.

At least I don’t need to lug around my laptop all the time. :-)

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:10:27 +0000

If you are more concerned about a grammatical error than the message, you are a writer of book reports, not a creative writer.

Relax. Rules are stupid.

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:29:14 +0000

Wherever I’m At? Doesn’t that violate some rule about using a preposition at the end of a sentence? It should be “Wherever I Am.”

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:42:50 +0000

Also being obnoxious:

The rule that sentences should not end with a preposition is derived from Latin grammar. But English grammar is Germanic in origin. For a more comprehensive rebuttal of this rule see:

http://grammartips.homestead.com/prepositions2.html

:-)

By: Ryan @ Smarter Wealth

Ryan @ Smarter Wealth — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:30:05 +0000

I like your point about finding out what works on the road and wat doesn’t. I have often tried to delve into a new idea and write a great post for my financial blog while on the road, but failed miserably. My attention span just doesn’t work that well (especially if there are people around)
I find it helps to jot down ideas while on the road and then develop them while I am at home

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:11:54 +0000

Thanks for sharing – I couldn’t agree more with keeping a notebook and pen with you at all times. You never know when something you see will give you an idea.

By: Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy

Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:31:23 +0000

Interesting methods. Do you think you’ll ever be at a point where you can take a vacation and not have to do any work? That, to me, would be the ideal goal. But in the mean time, I think it’s great that you now have a career which allows you to travel as often as you wish and still get work done!

By: jana

jana — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:39:41 +0000

Great tips! I just got a new laptop and I’m going to look into getting a messenger bag to tote it around. I keep a small decorative lined journal with me all the time too. I never know when a great idea will hit me. Today they just kept coming and before I knew it 2 hours had passed.

By: JE

JE — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:28:02 +0000

I’m also a writer and I have just two quick comments on this. Admittedly, the first one is obnoxious: ending a sentence/title with “at” is grammatically cringe-worthy. Comment number two isn’t nearly as obnoxious. I find it really helpful to maintain productivity by keeping to your routine schedule. If you normally get up at the crack of dawn to work, then maintaining that while on holiday will help you maintain productivity. I think this is easier when you’ve got kids because you’ll try to stick to their schedule anyway, but it can be helpful for anyone who’s trying to be productive while away from the normal work environment.

By: GettingThere

GettingThere — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:31:42 +0000

Another tip from a seasoned traveler — always store things in the same location every time. My tickets are always in the front of the zippered side pouch of my travel bag. ALWAYS. Next to them is a copy of my other travel info (hotel confirmation, rental car, etc.) in the order I’ll need them.

Everything I always take has a designated place to be in my bag. It means I never spend a second fumbling through all the different pockets and compartments searching for anything, and I never get anxious worrying whether I’ve forgotten something.

By: FIRE Finance

FIRE Finance — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:50:28 +0000

Great Post! We agree with Nicole, that a messenger bag can cause back problems. We’ve actually suffered.
So now we use an ergonomic back pack with Ascender Cushion Technology that distributes the weight equally on all parts of the back. Makes the backpack feel weightless. We purchased it at Target. And it comes with well organized compartments to store accessories for our laptop and also has room to carry some magazines and folders as well.
Cheers,
FIRE Finance

By: Ari Herzog

Ari Herzog — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:23:26 +0000

People forget to carry pens and paper with them in lieu, or in alternative to, electronic gizmos. If the electronic network has a power outage, there’s always a backup.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:20:00 +0000

While I’ve always been more of a messenger bag fan than a backpack fan, do yourself a big favor – don’t carry it too much and don’t overload it! The way the weight is distributed can cause back issues. I had to swear many times to my husband that I wouldn’t carry mine very much (he’s in chiropractic school). Low and behold my back is feeling better now that I only carry it when I absolutely need it.

By: Success Professor

Success Professor — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:03:21 +0000

Thanks for the post. I’m going to look into “BackPack” for sure. For me, the key one is keeping a pocket notebook and pen with you. I’ve started to do this when I travel. I often find that traveling inspires a lot of great ideas in me and it often takes several weeks or even a couple of months to implement all of my ideas. It’s wonderful.