This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, the newsletter that helps you find the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
Walk into my home office and you’ll see a dozen or so physical tools that I rely on for productivity, creativity, and well-being: notebooks, pens, reading lights, timers. It’s a quirky mix of practical (and quirky?) items.
Grocasund reading light
I bought this $14 reading light for nighttime reading. It’s about the size of a Snickers bar and easily attaches to any book. It has three simple buttons: on/off, brightness, and shade selection. I usually use the softest yellow for late-night reading. The built-in battery lasts for several months.
No need to buy or replace batteries. To charge, simply remove the top temporarily to reveal a USB connector that fits into any USB hub or plug. Reminiscent of the old Flip camcorders. Remember those? Note: if you use the light clip to hold the pages of a book, you’ll need to realign it every time you turn a page.
I also purchased the $20 necklight version to use when reading newspapers, magazines, and other items that I can’t easily grab with a small clip light.
Alaska Bear Sleep Mask
If you don’t have sun-blocking sunglasses, this $10 eye mask is a convenient alternative. It’s soft, adjustable, and easy to wash. I always rely on it when I want to get some shut-eye in the airport or anywhere with visible distractions. I also carry Loop earplugs to block out noise, but I haven’t found a big difference between these and regular disposable earplugs.
Tick Time Cube
I use this palm-sized cube to time my work. If I have 15 minutes to spare responding to multiple emails, it reminds me not to spend 20 minutes on one. I also use it during lessons to time student presentations and classroom activities. It has a handy stopwatch mode, as well as a pomodoro timer for 25-minute work sprints. Check out this 2-minute promotional video to see it in action:
To choose the length of the timer, flip it over to the side with the numbers. Tap the timer to double or triple the interval. Warning: I paid $40 for it. It beeps loudly and can be annoying to people nearby. I only just found out there is a silent alarm option.
Time Tracking: If you want to go beyond setting a timer and monitor how much time you spend on various tasks, consider Timeular’s Time Tracking Cube. ($69 + $90/year) Most time tracking tools require you to tinker with the software. This nifty object can be flipped over to show changes in activity. However, I kept forgetting to adjust it, so mine is stuck in a drawer.
Eero Wi-Fi Router
My Manhattan apartment looks like it might have rip-roofed walls, but now I have a stable internet connection throughout my apartment. I owe it all to Eero. It only took me 5 minutes to set it up, and I didn’t have to tweak any complicated settings. It was a relief after struggling with expensive and complicated routers like the Netgear Nighthawk. With Eero, you can connect multiple of these units together if you need to extend coverage throughout a large home. Costs range from $40 to $450.
Leuchtturm1917 Notebook
Notebooks tend to feel either luxurious or functional. This $24.50 Leuchtturm has it all. We love the thick dotted paper, sturdy binding, and blank table of contents for organizing your notes. It’s compact at 145 x 210mm and comes with 251 numbered pages and eight perforated, removable sheets for sharing your notes.
Cheaper alternative: The Artfan Bullet Dotted Journal is just $6, but it has 128 sheets of dotted grid paper and is built sturdy. It opens flat, has an interior pocket, and an elastic closure.
Pilot FriXion Clicker erasable gel pen
This is the first pen I’ve used that is erasable without smudging. It’s under $5 for a 3-pack. I like to use colors to differentiate pros and cons (green and red) or to indicate facts and quotes. I use it on regular paper, as well as in my Rocketbook Smart Notebook ($27-$38). The plastic pages can be scanned with my phone, erased with a cloth, and reused. Another erasable writing tool I like is the $25 Boogie Board Memo Board (pictured). I write my task list with my fingernail or stylus and erase with the touch of a button.
Flexispot Electric Standing Desk
My purchase at the beginning of the pandemic has made a huge difference in my comfort level over thousands of hours of work by allowing me to stand or sit comfortably at home. The height can be quickly adjusted with the push of a button.
Be warned: it requires setup, you have to plug it in to move it up and down, and it costs $200, but it’s a great standing desk.
Alternative: To turn a bedroom table into a standing desk, try this $99 wooden stand from Etsy. It’s durable, portable, height adjustable, and easy to set up.
Oura Smart Ring
I bought this smart ring early in the pandemic to learn more about my sleep quality and fitness. I didn’t want a screen on my wrist. I still wear it because it helps me analyze how my diet and exercise habits affect my rest. It also gives me other useful metrics, like how much I walk and exercise, which motivates me to stay active.
Further reading: Here’s the original post I wrote about why I love Oura and how I use it: Alternative: I haven’t yet tried Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring, which was announced on July 10. Note: To access the full Oura data, you’ll need a $6 monthly subscription on top of the $299 or $349 ring.
Shure MV7+ USB Microphone
If you record, host online meetings or workshops, or rely on audio for work, this $279 microphone is worth considering. I use it for audio and video recording, as well as for the online classes I teach and Zoom meetings. It plugs easily into a laptop, or you can connect it to professional audio equipment using an XLR cable.
New: The new MV7+ model has a more secure cable connector than the older MV7, which is otherwise similar and less expensive at $249.
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, the newsletter that helps you find the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
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