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“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” – Benjamin Franklin

When I tell people that I get up at 4:30 AM in the morning, the “normal” reaction I usually get from people is that they look at me like a “weirdo”. That does not bother me anymore, since about 10% of the overall population “suffers” from this.

I always have been like that. Even when I was a kid I woke up early, even though my parents were not early risers themselves. People always ask why I get up so early. So here are the reasons why I get up so early.

1. I Can Plan My Day

As a GTDer, I look at what I have to do for the day. I try to visualize how I will get my work done. Furthermore, I take that time to meditate and exercise. Most people as soon as they get up, are in a rush to get to work, not me.

2. I Avoid Traffic Jams

Thank God, I have the chance to have a job with flexible hours. That does not mean that I can start later, on the contrary. I start earlier than anybody. So I have a shorter commute time than most of people, since there is no traffic.

3. I Can Work Without Being Interrupted

I get at the office between 6 AM and 6:30AM. I my most productive work before other people get in, because I don’t get interrupted. Also, my mind is sharp and clear, so I can attack work that requires more concentration.

4. I Don’t Have To Wait In Lines When Shopping

I’m far from being patient. I don’t like to wait in lines at the groceries store or in any lines for that matter. Shopping when the stores just open, gives me the opportunity to take my time, instead of being in a rush and surrounded by stressed people.

5. I Get More Free Time

I get most of my afternoons and evenings free to work on personal projects and/or having time to spent with friends. 

See, in the end, being an early riser makes sense. I can be more productive and I gain a few hours each day that I can use to work on whatever I please. Hours, that would be lost if I would not be a “weirdo”, I mean an early riser.

Show Notes

Official Site of the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique Community 

iPhone Pomodoro App Extravaganza! 

My Pomodoro Technique Mindmap 

Please leave comments about the episode below, or by e-mail at podcast@erichudon.ca.

iTap is a virtual keyboard with mouse app on the iPad that you can use as a replacement for your PC or Mac. When I saw iTap in the App Store, I immediately downloaded it. I wanted to see If I could be more productive with a virtual keyboard and a track pad. I wanted to try it for an entire week, but I was forced to stop using it after a couple of hours…

Installation

First, you need to install additional software whether you are on a PC or Mac. For the sake of this review, I installed it on a Windows XP machine. The installation is easy and I did not have any trouble pairing the iPad with my PC. Below is what the app looks like on the iPad.

Feeling

Some people complaint about virtual keyboards. I must say that I’m very proficient at using it, so my typing speed was not affected as long that I had to type text. Also, I don’t like using a mouse, so the big track pad is really easy to use and can replace an expensive Wacom track pad. Well, the good ends up here. Now let’s have a look at the issues I had. But first, here is how it looks in a real work environment:

Issues

• I’m a software developer and using Control, Alt and other keys, is a must­. There is not way to do that using iTap.
• You cannot drag a window by dragging in the title area.
• The app was not responsive when we had heavy network traffic.
• Scrolling in the Windows Explorer stops working at time for no obvious reason.
• The delete on Windows does not work.
• There is no speed setting adjustment for the track pad.
• The receiver app on windows does not run as a service. That means that If you reboot, you have to logon using the physical keyboard.
• There is no wrist protection option for the track pad.
• Only the mouse works with VMWare, the keyboard is not working.

My Conclusion…

In the end, except for looking cool this app is not a real replacement for a physical keyboard and/or mouse and is still buggy.