Some years back I bought a 10 inch Android Tablet. It’s a Samsung Galaxy Tab A. To quote a well known and icon character “she may not look like much but she’s got it where it counts.” To be honest, the tablet is old and was a budget tablet when I bought it. So it’s nothing to sing about. Still I use it every day and so I thought I would give you 7 ways I harness my Tablet to supercharge my productivity. Because, these things will probably work with most tablets.
In order to do this, I have a stand, a keyboard and a case for the keyboard.
The stand is this one. The case my tablet came with also works as a stand but it only allows for two angles, one of them isn’t all that good and it gives no boost to its height. This stand can boost the height and sit the tablet at whatever angle I need so it is so much better.
The keyboard is the Logitech K380 and is one of the best Bluetooth Keyboards I have ever used. The keyboard case is this one. It keeps the keyboard safe and I also use it to give the tablet a bit more height if it need it.
1. For my to-do list and calendar
Obviously, I could have these on my computer and benefit from the larger screen, and I make the most of this of this when I am planning and organising. But, through the day, when I am working, then the screen is used for something else. So, I use my tablet’s split screen function in landscape mode. One side is my focus list for the day in ToDoist and the other side is my agenda for the day in Google Calendar.
It means both are available for reference, at a glance, and I can check of tasks as I complete at the touch of the screen. Crucially, it means that neither are in the way of the work I am trying to do.
I have the screen timeout set to 30 minutes on my tablet and the battery life is really good. If I wanted to preserve the battery, I could just plug it into a USB port on my desktop.
2. For my checklists
So, I won’t always use my tablet for these and depending on the checklist, I might use a phone or my computer or even a printed version on some occasions. Most of the time I use my tablet.
When I do my daily planning or my Coram Deo, I have the checklist open on my tablet, so the computer screen is free for my calendar, task list and other apps I use in planning. When I do my weekly planning and review, the checklist will be open on my tablet. I tend to use this if I am packing as well.
Using the tablet for this means the checklist is accessible and portable without getting in the way of the main apps (or notes within UpNote) I will need for actually completing the checklist.
3. For reading
If I need to review a document that some has sent me – I open it on my tablet. If I am reading a book, whilst I prefer to do this with a physical book or my Kindle Paper White, I do often use the Kindle app on my tablet as well. It’s far more portable than a desktop or a laptop and I can review the document in a more comfortable setting if I need to and easily highlight and annotate bits. Equally, if I need to take more detailed notes, I can read on my tablet and take the notes on my computer.
4. For music to help me focus
One thing I have found with older computers in the past is that running Spotify, whilst also trying to do other things, can use up memory and bandwidth on your computer. So, I tend to play music through my tablet to either my bluetooth headphones or my bluetooth speaker, depending on my environment.
Even though I now use a much newer and faster computer, I still like playing music through a separate device. It still saves memory and I like being able to control it from the screen in front of me. If you are interested, my top 3 playlists for focussed work are a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Playlist, a Final Fantasy 7 Playlist and Ali Abdaal’s ‘Study with me’ playlist.
5. For almost all my writing
I tend to write most of my posts, podcasts and videos on my tablet. Having a set device for it, really helps me focus on writing. When I am writing, I do not need a massive screen. I use the computer for editing and publishing, but the actual writing is done on my tablet with my trusty K380. Of the 7 ways I harness my Tablet to supercharge my productivity, most are in a supporting role. This one is to actually do the work!
6. In meetings
I am trialling this. I often find having my laptop in meetings too distracting and now my old Macbook is starting to feel its age, if I tax it even slightly it begins to sound like a hurricane.
So, I am taking my tablet and K380 to meetings. I can take notes from the meeting and it is much more unobtrusive.
7. For watching YouTube videos on productivity
Almost every day I have some kind of mundane task to do in my kitchen. Cooking, washing up, loading the dishwasher, emptying the dishwasher., etc. When doing this, I bring my tablet and stand in with me and will watch a productivity YouTube video whilst I do it. Here is a list of the people I tend to watch.
So there you have it, a quick guide to the 7 ways I harness my Tablet to supercharge my productivity.
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