234 | Tech Tools with "Dr. Mac"

Today’s guest is Bob LeVitus.  Bob is the author of more than 80 technical books and has been a columnist for the Houston Chronicle since 1996.  He’s known about his ADHD for almost 20 years, and he says at this point, he considers it “kind of a blessing.”  Bob has a company called Working Smarter for Productions. Bob is a Mac aficionado, and he’s going to help us understand how he uses different Mac products to improve his productivity, and hopefully help your productivity.  If you don’t have a Mac product, I would encourage you to still listen to this conversation.  Bob says that most of his information is applicable across other platforms. In this conversation, Bob shares a ton of great tips for organization and time management. You will hear us discuss lots of apps and services. If you would like to take Bob’s course, you can get it 50% off!  The coupon code is ADHD reWired. Connect with "Dr. Mac": Website -  You’ll Learn: [07:50] - Bob shares his ADHD story. [09:46] - Being in a group for adults with ADHD was more beneficial for Bob than individual therapy. [11:17] - Bob explains that he tried several strategies for organization and time management. [12:40] - Bob describes the Pomodoro Technique. [14:33] - Not a single one of David Allen’s suggestions worked for Bob. [15:56] - Bob talks about time-blocking and keeping himself in the chair. [17:16] - I talk about one of the oldest documented descriptions of ADHD. [18:41] - We talk about predicting the amount of time a task should take you and comparing that to the amount of time it actually takes. [20:17] - Bob talks about typing speed, and suggests TypingTest.com to test yourself and improve your typing speed. [22:35] - Most thinner keyboards actually slow your typing speed down.  Bob talks about keyboards built in a manner that helps your typing. [25:44] - We talk about using dictation and enhanced dictation.  Bob compares Dragon to the built-in dictation on Mac. [28:40] - Bob shares how he uses voice with his iOS devices. [33:53] - I share that I wish location reminders were able to be micro-location reminders. [35:36] - When Bob was writing an article, he discovered weird things you can get Siri to answer.  This leads us to a rabbit hole and a beat-boxing Siri. [39:56] - Bob talks about how you can create snippets or shortcuts on Mac and iOS. [48:00] - Bob suggests not obsessively checking email. He shares ways to pry yourself away from the inbox. [49:52] - Bob doesn’t pay for many services, but he pays for . [52:03] - Turn off your notifications! [52:40] - Bob used to believe he was great at multitasking. He now realizes he CAN’T multitask. [54:53] - We talk about the amount of time it takes to create or break a habit. [56:16] - Bob talks about the Pomodoro Technique app he likes to use, . [56:55] - I talk about one of my favorite apps, . [58:35] - I share how I use . [1:00:06] -  is a paid service that we have both used in the past. [1:01:52] - I share that Bose headphones have helped my focus. [1:03:07] - Bob talks about how he organizes the apps on his iPhone. [1:05:03] - Bob attributes almost all of his weight loss to the Apple Watch. [1:08:00] - I share a usage monitoring tool for the iPhone, which leads to a confession. Use my Audible.com affiliate link for your favorite titles: ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group  Our fall season of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group will begin September 21st.  Registration ends this week! To learn more or RSVP for a registration event, go to . Support the podcast on Patreon  Patreon allows listeners like you to support content creators like me.  With a monthly contribution, you can get access to different levels of perks.  One perk example is our Patreon-only Adult Study Hall.  Learn more at  ADHD reWired Facebook Group:  If you would like to join the ADHD reWired secret Facebook group, go to  and fill out an application. Productivity Q&A  Get your ADHD questions answered live!  These Q&A sessions take place on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 12:30pm.  Go to. Want to be a guest?  Hey! What about you?  Do you have a story?  Are you a Coach?  Are you an ADHD Clinician?  If you answered yes to any of these questions and you’d like to be a guest, schedule a pre-interview call .