Productivity: AllNetic Time Tracker and SharpReader
First things first: if you’re not using an RSS reader (or other feed manipulator), you’re wasting tons of time sifting through and reloading all your favorite sites, not to mention missing out on some great sites that rarely update. I use SharpReader. It’s super easy: download and install, point at some sites, and you’re in business. It figures out the RSS feed for most sites if you just plug in their home URL. Some people prefer to use a reader that’s online, so they don’t lose their feeds list when they travel.
For the more hard core productivity freak, though, you want to track your every computing minute with the AllNetic Working Time Tracker. As soon as you start using the computer, it asks you what you’re working on. Psychologically, this forces me to think about what I really want to be doing: even though I have a “feeds and forums” item, I have to make the conscious decision that that’s what I’m sitting down to do. You can easily get totals, which are initially depressing (”I busted my ass for 6 hours worth of work?”), but eventually helpful in estimating and planning. You don’t have to use it forever: give it a shot for a week or two and see what it does to your work habits.