Working for a large media group in the “real world” introduced me to some new tools. I’d always been one of those “Don’t try this at home” folks when it came to such productivity devices as project management systems, customer relation management, etc. But now that I’m (again) a small business owner, I’ve quit kicking and screaming about the use of such items and have begun to embrace them as useful.
I was first forced to use a project management system while collaborating on a huge project (a total web re-do for a large daily newspaper). The main developer was a systems guy. I’m a people person. We butted heads over the use of a project management system. Primarily because the one the company used was complicated and I didn’t understand it. My justification for (at first) refusing to get on board with a project management system was the fact that it was taking me more time to learn how to use the system than it would to actually complete the project tasks.
My sticky-note project management system.
Besides . . . I already had my own effective project management system – sticky notes. Whatever needed to be done went on a sticky note. Once that task was done, the note went in the trash. I’d used that same system for years, and had actually gotten a lot of things done in my lifetime. So, why change? Why waste countless hours slugging through the tutorial tunnel only to emerge with even less understanding about using the system?
My thoughts exactly!
I used that system under protest, but the idea that (somehow) in the end, logging everything in one location made sense and actually eased the project along smoothly stuck itself in the back of my mind. And when I founded my own business, that thought pushed itself to the forefront of my consciousness, and I began seeking a solution to manage my own projects.
Sticky notes surrounding a client’s monitor.
I started with a free trial of the one I’d used before, and soon my detest for project management systems won out over my realization that I needed one. I decided to give a few others a try, but soon reverted back to sticky notes. I was even encouraged while at a client’s office to see yet another sticky-note system in progress. Knowing I wasn’t alone was helpful, but it still didn’t help me keep up with everything I needed to keep up with. My to-dos just weren’t all getting ta-done.
Until one day, someone whose input I trust suggested I try Nozbe.
Wow! What a difference Nozbe is compared to to anything I’d tried before!
Nozbe is first of all, very easy to use. I was up and going with it quickly. It’s even kind of fun, if something with words such as “project,” “manage,” and “system” could ever be considered fun. Plus, the free trial includes a 10-part video course that gives tons of tips to help scatter-brains like me keep up with what needs to get done.
Nozbe integrates with EverNote and also has a smart phone app, which I find very helpful. It syncs with my desktop, phone and laptop like magic.
One of the features I find most useful is the ability to send emails directly to my Nozbe desktop. Whenever I get an email from a client that requires me to do something, I simply forward that message to my Nozbe account and it automatically creates a task. Pretty cool!
If you’re interested in giving Nozbe a try and you’ve found this post helpful, I’d appreciate if you register for your free trial using my affiliate link (Nozbe.com). Once you fall in love with Nozbe, you’ll also automatically be enrolled in their affiliate program and you can share your own link with others and get referral commissions when others sign up using your link.