Wind-Safe Umbrella
Why?
Umbrellas get turned over by the wind sooner or later, sometimes to the point of destruction.
How?
Have 3–4 strings that become tight when you open the umbrella. They will protect it from turning inside out in the wind, and you’ll still have room to slide in under it between the strings.
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Dynamic Credentials Generator
Why?
Want a credential as “Certified Butter Coffee Expert” by “Cafetura Instituta de Burra”? Maybe a paper that shows you are a world leading expert in growing pet animals for office use?
How?
Have an online generator. Input a short description of what you need, and get a certificate generated. Choose from multiple styles of design (modern, old european etc.), types of text (comic, satirical, dead pan, serious etc.). Download it or get it sent to your address nicely printed.
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Task Alert With Goal Reminder
Why?
When you get an alert for a task you need to do, its very easy to dismiss it because you “don’t feel like it” at that point in time (you have more urgent things to do, like arranging the icons on your iPhone.) It’s easy because the context of the task is lost. You forget the “big why” – why do you need to do this!
How?
If you write the reminder in a way that would give you the context of why you want to do this, it might help you execute on it and not reschedule. Don’t write as a “floating” task: “write a new blog post about time management for kids”, instead try: “write a new post about kids time management because I need to win over the parents target market”.
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How to Brainstorm Alone and Still Help From Others
Why?
Brainstorming is mostly seen as a group activity. Doing it alone is also very productive, often times more so. This will enable the best of both.
How?
An app that everyone in the group uses. Each member has a given amount of time as decided in advance to brainstorm alone, writing and sketching his ideas in the app, each one as a separate “card”. When the time is up, all the members see all the cards. They go through them, and either vote on wich ones they like (probably on the last round), or just get new ideas from them. Then another round of private brainstorming follows. Do it until you all decide it’s enough.
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Track Multitasking Activities and See How Productive You Really Are
Why?
Many times you’re doing things in parallel. If you want to do your best you should really only concentrate on one thing at a time. There are, however, many tasks that can be done in parallel. Buying groceries and listening to an audiobook or a lecture. Doing 2 or 3 maintenance chores on your computer, switching between them when there’s a wait etc.
How?
Have an online app that can track many tasks in parallel. You can start one task and a timer for it, then when you have to wait and switch to a new task you can start another timer for that as well. Both timers running in parallel until you stop them.
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