2016-09-08 – Travelling with OmniFocus

Learn how to effectively use OmniFocus and complementary apps to help bring a healthy, productive flow to your travels.

OmniFocus 3 for Mac

This session was recorded using OmniFocus 2 for Mac. If you’re using OmniFocus 3, check out the updated session, Travelling with OmniFocus 3.

Travelling-wiith-OmniFocus-300x300Staying productive while on the road tends to be challenging at the best of times. Travel by nature is unpredictable and can mean adjusting to new climates, cultures and time zones and working in distracting environments. Productive routines you’ve established at home can easily go out the window.

This session provides practical advice to support you in using OmniFocus to bring a productive flow to your upcoming travels, whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure (or perhaps a combination of the two) to a neighbouring town or a far off land.

Session Overview

Topics featured in this session include:

  • An overview of factors that may make it difficult to be optimally productive while travelling.
  • How to prepare for a trip by making effective use of projects, checklists, the Forecast perspective and your calendar.
  • How to plan complex, multi-faceted trips using OmniFocus.
  • How to use OmniFocus, along with complementary apps, to keep life and work on track while travelling.
  • How to defer processing of select OmniFocus Inbox items until you’re back from your travels.
  • How to use OmniFocus to gracefully ease back into your life and work when you’re back home.
  • Important considerations when using defer and due dates across multiple time zones.
  • Complementary apps for iOS and Apple Watch that can support you in maintaining a healthy flow during your travels.
  • And more…

Referenced Apps

The following apps were referenced during the session:

  • Scanner Pro — If you tend to lose track of paper while or travelling, or simply want to lighten your load, consider adding Scanner Pro for iOS to your travel toolbox. This app transforms your iPhone or iPad into a scanner by making use of the built-in camera. Its powerful “workflows” feature allows you to easily direct the scans where they need to go (e.g. a notebook in Evernote or a folder in Dropbox).
  • Streaks — It can be all too easy to slip out of positive habits while travelling. Streaks is an Apple Design Award-winning habit tracking app for iPhone and Apple Watch that can help keep you on track, whether you’re in your own backyard or off exploring the world.
  • TripIt — TripIt isan service, with supporting apps on most mobile devices, that automatically builds travel itineraries based on booking emails received from travel service providers, such as airlines and hotels. Visit the TripIt website for more information
  • WaterMinder — Staying hydrated is foundational to health and productivity. WaterMinder is a beautifully defined app for iPhone and Apple Watch that elegantly supports you in staying hydrated while at home or away.

Recommended Prerequistes

It’s recommended that you watch the recording of the Start Smart with OmniFocus session, whether you’re new to OmniFocus or an experienced user. In addition to showcasing OmniFocus’ features on Mac, iOS and Apple Watch, this session provides a review of best practices and recommended conventions.

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