NaturalReader Text to Speech Software for Proofreading and More

December 4, 2014 by
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Yesterday, I whined about how there are too many apps and not enough time to try them all. I said that we don’t need more than a few apps and tools to do our work. Sometimes, you stumble across a new category of app that is truly useful and worth examining. Sure enough, this happened to me last night.

I was reading a book about writing. The author said he uses text-to-speech software for proofreading. He says it allows him to hear what he has written the way his reader will hear it, so he can correct errors in punctuation, find doubled words, and improve the flow of his writing. He recommended the NaturalReader text to speech app, so I downloaded it and I’m giving it a spin.

I’m using the free version and so far I’m impressed. The voices are surprisingly natural sounding. The paid versions allow you to install even more natural sounding voices, we are told, and edit the pronunciation of words, which would be handy for legal and medical professionals.

You can also use Natural Reader as a productivity tool. Add articles, emails, pdfs, or anything else you need to read and listen to them while you do something else. You can convert audio files to mp3 (paid version) and listen on your smart phone or other devices. Paid versions have other features I haven’t had time to explore.

I’m proof reading a book I’ve just finished. I pasted in a passage and listened to what I wrote and adjusted the playback speed to -1. It’s allowed me to catch a number of errors. I pasted in the first draft of this post and the app let me hear that I had a doubled word.

I’ve tried several text-to-speech apps on my iPhone and found that generally, the voices aren’t natural sounding and get in the way of listening. I’ve also found them a bit clunky to use. I was expecting Natural Reader to be much the same, but I was pleasantly surprised.

I know there are many other text-to-speech options available, but this one is definitely worth a try. It’s available for PC and Mac and there’s an online version as well. I’ve found that the voices sound more natural on my PC than the online version, however, so try the free download before you make up your mind.

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Filed Under: Productivity, Technology, Writing Tagged With:

Keeping it simple

December 3, 2014 by
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Look at your phone. How many apps do you have? Now, look at your hard drive and answer the same question.

If you’re like most people, you have many more apps and programs (and tools in your garage) than you use. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever use them, or if you used them once, use them again.

But we can’t help ourselves. We like new. New apps, new techniques, new ideas. Even if we never use them, and even if what we’re already using works just fine.

There’s nothing wrong with looking. I do it, too. But I don’t spend a lot of time on it because what’s new today is often gone tomorrow. I’ll wait until others have vetted the app or the process and recommended it. Then I’ll look. Maybe. I might be too busy using what I’ve already got and getting some work done.

Anyway, the point is that simple is better. A few apps. A few tools. A few techniques. If you’re not keeping it simple, the odds are you’re not getting things done.

Take marketing for example. If it’s not simple, the odds are you won’t do it. True or true?

According to the 80/20 rule, “a minority of causes, inputs, or effort usually lead to a majority of the results, outputs, or rewards”. Figure out which inputs (efforts, tools, apps, techniques) are producing most of your results and do those. Don’t worry about (most of) the rest.

For a SIMPLE marketing plan that really works, get this

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Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing Plan, Productivity Tagged With: , ,

I’m dying and so are you

December 1, 2014 by
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In a galaxy far, far away (in the 1970’s) I attended my first real estate investing seminar. I was young and ambitious and had no money, but I had spunk. Mr. Grant may have hated spunk, but it was going to make me rich.

Yes, I was scared. I’m sure most of the people in the room were, too. The trainer knew this, of course and spent time encouraging us. He suggested we adopt the “I.G.D.S.” philosophy. That stands for, “I’m gonna die someday” and is meant to suggest that we get on with life because it will one day be over.

What are you waiting for? This is your life, not a dress rehearsal. Do or not do, there is no try. (Okay Star Wars wasn’t out yet. I got a little ahead of myself.)

Years later, Steve Jobs echoed this sentiment when he said,

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Over the years, I’ve reminded myself that I’m gonna die someday and I had better get on with things. Sometimes, this helped me do just that. I overcame inertia, stopped researching and planning, and got things done. Some big things, too.

As I have aged and thought more about my mortality, I realize that the clock is still ticking and there are many things I still want to do. I.G.D.S. and I had better get on it.

I also know there isn’t enough time in the day to do everything. But I have a plan.

My plan is to give myself permission to dabble. A taste of this and a taste of that. I don’t have to be “all in” with every project on my bucket list. I can sample things, not with the intent to build something big necessarily, but to savor the feeling of doing it.

Of course the challenge is that I will fall in love with what I’m doing and get completely sidetracked. But I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. As Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing.”

Steve Jobs dreamed big dreams and took big chances. He make lots of mistakes and more than a few enemies, but no matter what anyone says about him, I think we can all agree that he left a huge footprint in the sand.

So, how about it? What have you been putting off until “someday”?

Life is short and so is Danny DeVito. He didn’t let that stop him, and neither should you.

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Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Goal Setting, Inspiration, Personal development, Productivity, success Tagged With:

Doubling down on success

November 25, 2014 by
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Before you know it, you’ll be doing some planning for the new year. Setting some goals, writing out plans.

When you do, there’s something you should think about.

If you make a list of everything going on in your life, you’ll note that some things are great, some things are bad, and most things, perhaps 80-90%, are “okay”.

You might look at this way:

Bad: problems, weaknesses, issues, trouble, pain
Great: working well, profitable, easy, pleasurable
Okay: works most of the time, rarely needs attention, neither great nor terrible

Okay, you get the idea.

So, you sit down to set some goals and contemplate your future. Where do you begin?

Most people start by fixing problems. If you’ve got troubles that are causing you sleepless nights, and you can do something about them, that makes sense. Get those issues off your plate so you can think, and sleep.

But if have problems that aren’t causing you pain and loss, they are simply weak areas in your life, fixing them is probably not the best use of your time.

Instead, look for areas that promise the biggest opportunities for growth and happiness. You’ll find them on your list of  things that are already great.

Take what’s working and make them even better. As Thomas Edison put it, “There’s a way to do it better–find it.”

Let’s talk about your practice. What’s working well?

You’re getting lots of new clients every month. How can you get more? How can you get better clients and bigger cases?

Your cases are settling nicely. How can you settle them faster, for higher amounts and at lower expense?

Your employees work efficiently. How can you help be even better?

Your biggest opportunities for growth are in those areas where things are already working well. You’re doing it right. You’re successful. There’s always a way to do it better.

In blackjack, when you’ve got a ten or eleven, depending on the dealer’s up-card you don’t just play the hand and take the likely win. You double down and maximize your winnings. You don’t settle for good when you can have great.

Go through your list, find your good hands, and look for ways to make them better.

Want a simple marketing plan that really works? Get this

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Filed Under: Marketing Plan, Personal development, Productivity, success

Apparently, you’re not as busy as you think you are

November 24, 2014 by
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Interesting article on Inc.com on the subject of busyness. Apparently you’re not as busy as you think you are.

Why do we think we are so busy? According to the author of Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time, it’s because we’ve talked ourselves into believing it.

We wear our busyness with pride, telling ourselves and everyone else how much we have to do and that there’s no time for anything else. We come to believe it and becomes a way of life.

This unrelenting feeling of overwhelming busyness is not good for our health or productivity. We become anxious. We sleep poorly. We rush to complete things because we’ve got so much more to do. Relax? Vacation? Maybe later. There’s too much I’ve got to do first.

Stop telling yourself that you’re too busy. You have more than enough time to do what you’ve got to do.

The other thing we can do to stop feeling so busy is to “reduce the fragmentation in your life by scheduling uninterrupted free time”.

Because we are so connected to our work and other obligations–our smart phones and tablets are always on and always with us–it’s difficult to let go. We’re always reminded of what we’ve got to do and this jeopardizes our ability to relax.

Schedule quiet time. Time to relax and do nothing. Time away from your calendar and lists, texts and emails. Time to go for a walk and listen to music, not podcasts, or time to read fiction instead of work-related material.

I’ll admit, I’m not very good at this. I’m always working on and thinking about my current project, and my next one.

On Thanksgiving, I’ll make the effort. No work. Just family, fun, and relaxation.

As for the rest of the year, I’ll have to check my calendar and get back to you.

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Filed Under: Inspiration, Personal development, Productivity Tagged With: ,

Would you like to get started today or is next week better for you?

November 11, 2014 by
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In sales, the “alternative choice close” is a well known technique for getting the client to buy something, rather than nothing. You ask them if they want “A” or “B” and no matter which one they choose, they’re buying something.

“Credit card or check?” “Deluxe package or basic package?” “Would you like to come in at noon or 4:30?”

Clients want you to help them make a decision. They know they might procrastinate and never get the work done. When you help them take action and get the benefits they want and need, you’re acting in their best interest.

And did I mention you’ll also get more clients?

Anyway, you can also use the “alternative choice” concept to improve your own decision making and productivity. It can help you reduce procrastination.

The idea is to always have more than one project you’re working on, or could be.

Writer Geoff Dyer put it this way:

Have more than one idea on the go at any one time. If it’s a choice between writing a book and doing nothing I will always choose the latter. It’s only if I have an idea for two books that I choose one rather than the other.

If you find yourself procrastinating on Project A, you can turn to Project B. Or Project C. When you find yourself resisting something, work on something else.

You probably do this now with client files. When you are frustrated or bored or unsure of what to do next on a given file, you put it aside and work another.

I do this with blog post and other writing projects. I’ve got lots of irons in the fire and when I run out of steam on something, I’ve always got something else I can work on.

I also do this with reading books. I have thousands of books in my Kindle and I usually read two or three of them at a time. When I find myself losing interest with one, I turn to another.

You can use the “alternative choice” concept for anything you’re working on, or should be. Calls, letters, documents (drafting or reviewing), even errands. Always have something else lined up, because doing “A” or “B” will always be better than doing nothing.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Law office management, Personal development, Productivity, Salesmanship, Time Management Tagged With:

Another example of how to write a blog post quickly

November 4, 2014 by
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Yesterday, I showed you how to write a blog post quickly, in about 15 minutes. Today, I’m showing you another kind of blog post that’s quick to write.

It’s based on the notion of serving your readers by providing them with valuable or interesting information, including information that was written by someone else. You’re like a librarian or bookseller: “Here’s something I think you might like to read”.

So, you find an article or post that would be appropriate to share with your list and link to it. Add a few comments to add interest and value. You could say what you like about the article, or what you agree with, and what you don’t like or don’t agree with.

You might also add something the author didn’t mention, or add a story about how you or someone you know have used the information or concept in the article.

To illustrate, here’s an article I thought was interesting for anyone who has a boss or is a boss. It’s called, “10 Traits of a Bad Boss”.

Can you see yourself or your employer in any of these 10 traits?

  1. Speaks offensively and seldom communicates with the team.
  2. Fear is his/her form of motivation.
  3. Wants complete control over your job.
  4. Blames the team for failures.
  5. Does not consider suggestions other than his own.
  6. Does not do his/her job properly and you work harder than him/her.
  7. Does not provide guidance.
  8. Does not have a firm goal or vision.
  9. Ignores the importance of team-building activities.
  10. Your boss makes you work hard but the compensation is low.

My favorite is number 3 since I see so many attorneys having difficulty delegating work to their employees. Learning how to delegate much of the work in my office was one of the keys to multiplying my income. It allowed me to earn more and work less. It freed up time so I could do more marketing which further grew my income.

I take issue with number 10. Compensation is a two way street. If you don’t like what you’re being paid, improve your skills and ask for more, or simply go work somewhere else.

Offering low compensation doesn’t make you a bad boss. It could hurt your profits, however. Offering higher compensation generally allows you to hire better employees who usually earn you far more than the increased salary you pay them. You also have lower costs for turnover and training.

So there you have it. Another type of post that you can write quickly.

Did you write a blog post yesterday? Will you write one today?

For lots of ideas for writing blog posts and marketing your legal services online, get this

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Filed Under: Blogging, Newsletters, Productivity, Time Management, Writing

Write better by writing faster

October 21, 2014 by
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If you could write faster, you would get more work done in less time. You could crank out more billable work product, complete more projects, and free up time for other activities. You could also bring in more new clients by turning out more website content and marketing documents.

You probably know some of the mechanics of writing faster and producing more content:

  • Use boilerplate language and fill-in-the-blank templates.
  • Re-purpose content. Convert a slide presentation into an ebook; revise old articles into new ones.
  • Use outlines and mind maps to organize your writing.
  • Divide big projects into a series of small ones.
  • Dictate into a digital recorder or smart phone. Use a transcriber, or transcription software.
  • Dictate while driving, commuting, taking a walk or a bath.

It turns out that one of the best ways to write better is to write faster.

I’m talking about the speed with which you put words on the page. The faster you do that, the better your writing tends to be.

Many people think that writing fast leads to poor writing. But that’s not true. More often than not, my best writing comes out of my head to my hands and onto the page when I don’t think, I just write. Quickly.

Write your first drafts as quickly as possible. Don’t worry about getting the words right. That will come in subsequent drafts and in the editing process. Don’t analyze what you’re saying, and don’t stop until you have nothing else to say.

If this is a challenge for you, like it was for me when I started a big writing project that ultimately took me three years to complete, give yourself permission to write the first draft badly. That’s what I did. In fact, I taped a piece of paper onto my computer monitor to remind me to keep going. It said, “Progress, not perfection.”

I focused on getting words down and reminded myself that I could fix everything after the first draft was done.

When I was done with the first draft, I found out that it wasn’t bad at all, it was actually quite good. With comparatively little re-writing and editing, that project became my first marketing course for lawyers and earned me millions of dollars.

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Filed Under: Productivity, Writing

Maybe we’re not using our calendars enough

October 14, 2014 by
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Most people use their calendar to record appointments and deadlines and little else. Followers of David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology see the calendar as a place to record the “hard landscape” of their life, meaning only those things that need to get done on specific days and times.

We might want to start using our calendars more liberally.

In an interview, Stanford professor, Jennifer Aaker, author of The Dragonfly Effect, said that, “people who spend more time on projects that energize them and with people who energize them tend to be happier. However, what is interesting is that there is often a gap between where people say they want to spend their time and how they actually spend their time.”

Those gaps, she says, occur primarily because we don’t write down those activities. Adding them to a to do list is good; scheduling them on a calendar is even better:

“When you put something on a calendar, you’re more likely to actually do that activity–partly because you’re less likely to have to make an active decision whether you should do it — because it’s already on your calendar.”

If you want to get in shape, for example, instead of merely planning to exercise after work, put it on your calendar.

I have long recommended scheduling marketing time (even 15 minutes a day) on your calendar as an appointment. If you do this, you know it makes it much more likely that you will do it. Of course you have to treat it like a real appointment, a “must do,” and not a “would be nice to do”.

In a nutshell, using our calendars to schedule time for people and projects that energize us and are consistent with our goals can make us happier and more productive.

What might you add to your calendar?

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Filed Under: Personal development, Productivity, success, Time Management Tagged With: , ,

Do you have time for sex?

October 13, 2014 by
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In consultations with lawyers, after I’ve recommended a course of action, they sometimes say, “I don’t have time for that,” when in truth, they just don’t want to do it.

“Do you have time for sex?” I’ve been known to respond. Of course they do, because sex is important to them. “Then you have time to do what you want to do, don’t you?”

There is no shortage of time. We are awash in it. We choose to allocate our time based on our priorities. So when someone says, “I don’t have time for that,” they’re really saying, “That’s not a priority”.

Be honest with yourself. It will empower you to make better choices. Instead of telling yourself you don’t have time for something, say, “I have the time, but this isn’t one of my priorities right now”.

When you receive advice you don’t want to follow, don’t hide behind a glib lack of time, admit that you don’t want to do it. It will help you achieve clarity about what direction to take. If you make a bad decision, you’ll find out soon enough and can correct course.

When someone asks for your help with something that doesn’t support your priorities, you should be tactful about declining, but decline you must. Of course if maintaining a relationship with the person who is asking for help is a priority for you, then giving them some of your time is part of the equation.

In short, you have enough time to do what’s important. Being honest with yourself and others will not only help you decide what’s important, it will help you stay focused on doing what’s important.

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Filed Under: Personal development, Productivity, Time Management
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