I recently got a new blackberry and I must say I’m totally addicted to it! And of course the moment I got my Crackberry…I started looking for Free or cheap solutions to increase my productivity while on the road. And here’s the list for my fellow CrackBerry Addicts..

1. Gmail for Blackberry

Not only can you check your regular gmail emails with this, you can also use Gmail’s enterprise or small business edition and check multiple accounts easily. Can we say WOW now? And, it also comes with some handy shortcuts

2. Docs to Go and PDF to Go

Here’s office for your phone. Easily create and edit Word Excel and Powerpoint documents and read pdf files. Excellent for catching up with all the stuff right before a meeting

This one isn’t free but worth it!

3. Google Apps

Search the net, get feeds from your google reader account, access your google docs all easily with Google Apps for your phone.

4. MemoPad

This is by far my most favorite app and the simplest of all. It lets you create memos i.e. capture your ideas as soon as you get them.

5. BB Meta Blog

Blog from your blackberry?Why not And it’s totally free plus no messing with php files (eek!)

6. Google Calendar Sync

I love Google Calendar and I cannot live without important reminders on my Berry…so, why not marry the two?

7. Insta Spell Check

I’m a horrible speller on my berry (Hey, I went into engineering for a reason ) and I hate the fact that the native spell checker by RIM doesn’t highlight words as I type them wrong. Plus, this one is just more convenient. Don’t believe me, check out this review from BerryReview.

8. Ascendo Money

Not only can I keep track of my personal expenses, I can also track my business expenses, see how much money is left into each account and keep track of where my money is really going. I LOVE this app!

9. ShortCut Berrry

Nobody likes having to navigate screens and scrolling up and down to find the apps they want to use. That’s when ShortCut Berry comes in. One button and you are well on your way to playing with your favorite Berry app. Great time (and thumb) saver.

10. Viigo

A free app to let you stay connected to the latest RSS feeds for your favorite sources

Other cool apps

TwitterBerry - To stay connected with your colleagues and upto date on your projects.

MilkSync - If you are a Remember The Milk User, you really do need to get this one!

Facebook - Never miss a beat

Anything else you’d like to add? Any incredibly useful app that I totally missed? Just let me know!

Got more accounts than you can possibly check in a day? (oops! me too!)

Here’s a cool tip on how to manage multiple accounts using Gmail from lifeh

Image via CrunchBase

acker.

Before you click the link though…let me tell you something..GMail still may not be the answer to all your prayers because of how Gmail handles the “from” field when you try to send emails from various accounts…

But that said…if you’re using multiple accounts just to keep projects organized and are not worried about people shooting you emails to your main account…here’s an easy way to make sense of multiple email accounts and stay on top of the email game.

Have your own method of making sense of multiple email accounts? Hit the comment button below and let me know…I might feature your solution on the blog at the end of the week

Ever wondered why you prefer playing computer games rather than finishing that project with a looming deadline? Yeah me too!

As you might have guessed, procrastination is the culprit, and it seems to be pretty well buried deep within your system. But then, you might be wondering why this monster was allowed to eat up your discipline in the first place.

There are many causes of procrastination, but these causes can be classified into three major ones on why people tend to nurture a creature

Image via Wikipedia

like procrastination. Tackle these causes and you’re well on your way to productivity!

1. Body matters

It might be difficult to believe, but working on an empty stomach actually increases your chances to procrastinate. If your brain is starved for food, it will be difficult for it to think and focus on the task at hand. The brain becomes sluggish, and the end result is procrastination. So, yes watching your diet does pay off nicely!

It is also very difficult to concentrate when you do not get enough sleep. Chances are, you will only feel tired and sleepy while working. Make it a habit to sleep at least 5-6 hours a night so as to optimize your performance. Or, find some other sleep system that works for you. I have friends who swear that 4 hours of sleep makes them incredibly productive…me…not so…

2. Loss of interest

Doing the same task over and over  again leads to burnout, which is one of the most common causes of procrastination. If you are also not interested in what you are doing, then you will find more excuses to delay the task. It is advisable to try to break from your routine every once in a while so that you do not get tired of doing the same thing over and over again.

Also, make sure that you reward yourself for your hard work. Treat yourself to a cup of coffee after finishing a task, or go partying with your friends during payday. Rewards are great motivators for your hard work.

Constant interruptions

While most causes of procrastination can be controlled through simple discipline, interruptions are outside forces that cannot be easily controlled. An urgent call from your husband or an email from a long-lost friend can bring you out of your self-made cocoon of productivity.

While working, make sure that you have as minimal interruptions as possible. Stay away from your mobile phone or from the internet. You will surely be able to have more leisure time once you finish your work early.

Now…get going..tackle these 3 root causes and you should be ready to get a lot done 

I thought I’d put this on top of my list for three simple reasons. a) Obviously we all want to do good for others all the time and so many of us struggle here and b) I know this one’s a biggie for me! c) sometimes it’s really hard to draw the line between ethical/moral and over the top unnecessary attempts to please.

Is it people pleasing or just good values?

As I mentioned above, the line between good values and people pleasing gets really blurry at times and that’s when it really helps to have a personal rule of thumb to tell between the two.

Here’s mine:

If something’s getting me too anxious or stressed out, I’m probably not doing it just as an act of kindness or out of generosity, I’m probably trying to please.

Now, if you need more points to decide if it’s people pleasing or generosity…here’s some questions to consider

Before we do that…lets make one thing very clear, trying to be understanding and kind does not equal people pleasing. These are two entirely different things.

Are you a people pleaser?

1. You try to be who others want you to be.

2. You try to agree with others and fit in even if that means having to loosen up on some of your values or beliefs.

3. You cringe at the thought of having to hurt someone’s feeling by delivering bad news or suggesting something that you honestly believe in.

4. You have a hard time saying No to people.

5. You always put others first before yourself

6. You are unwilling to ask for help.

7. You can’t stand the thought of upsetting people.

Any of these sound like you? If they do, listen up, people pleasing is one of the habits that seems harmless at first look but kills your chances of success.

Top 3 Reasons to Stop Being a People Pleaser

1. People pleasing means you’re willing to do stuff that are against your values to put others first. Which means you end up compromising your values and listen, anybody who doesn’t have a good set of beliefs they’d stand up for and die for has a hard time defining who they are, where they want to go and what they want to have. All of which lead to mediocrity not the kind of success you’re hoping for.

2. People pleasing isn’t based on respect of yourself or the other person. And, it’s not based on trust either and that’s a bad kind of relationship to have with anyone.

3. Now the point where people pleasing gets really messy is when you keep yourself from going after your goals because you’re scared of being judged by your current circle. This is when you stop working on your goals and end up making yourself miserable because you aren’t getting what you really want out of your life.

Listen, I honestly used to believe in being everything I could be for everyone, I tried doing that for a long time and I must say people pleasing is a habit I struggle a lot with myself. So, I understand the kind of resistance you’re probably feeling while you read this article. It’s Ok! Just relax…

Overcoming people pleasing doesn’t mean you are going to make people feel horrible from now on. It just means you are going to make yourself feel a lot better!

And here’s three easy steps you can take right now to overcome people pleasing.

1. Realize that it’s cool and completely natural!

Guess what? If you struggle with people pleasing, you’re in a great group of people. And guess what? People pleasing is very natural. Don’t beat yourself over it. Don’t sit down and feel horrible about it everytime you say Yes when all you really wanted to do was scream “No! Are you kidding me? I’ve got so much stuff of my own to do”. Just take a deep breath. Acknowledge times when you do say NO or do something that would’ve made you cringe before.

2. Learn to respect others and their differences

The main reason we tend to be people pleasers naturally is because we LOVE being part of a group. It gives us so much security that we tend to sacrifice our need to be individuals and unique in that process. But, tell you what? When it comes to success, your indiduality and your uniquess is a lot more important than your ability to please someone to fit in.

Your individuality makes you a good leader and leadership is critical to success. Of course, if you want to win, you’ve got to be a caring leader who respects others, not an arrogant dictator.

And that’s the sweet spot between giving in to please and standing up for yourself while showing you care deeply about others. Practice respecting others and all the wacky things that they “shouldn’t do” when they do it. No, you don’t have to agree with those wacky, unconvential things…you just need to keep an open mind and appreciate their courage instead of running in to say they’re a retard or morons to not have known the “rules”.

Listen, when you start respecting others and their differences, you send direct signals to your brain that says “It’s cool to be different. Differences add a nice touch”. And, when your mind can learn to accept differences, it will loosen up a lot and allow YOU to be different without nagging you to do something just to fit in.

3. Start doing something on your own

Winning feels good, doesn’t it? And it feels even better to have accomplished something on your own. It gives you a really nice boost and teaches you to believe in your abilities. That’s the kind of confidence we need to accept ourselves for who we are (including the not so good parts).

This is the easiest way I know to overcome people pleasing tendencies and become a great leader. Just try standing out of the crowd sometimes (stand against the crowd if you have to). Nothing says I believe in myself and my goals more than taking some heat for it from people you’d love to please.

And wanting to be successful means being able to take the heat and stand there strong even if you’re being laughed at by the people you care about the most. Now, that’s the kind of strength and leadership that makes things happen and creates success!

Go do it!

Image by ???§wêê†Båb??®å???? via Flickr