Five Things I Don’t (want to) Remember Life Without

Does anybody really remember (or want to remember) life before things like email, the Internet and cable TV?

Here’s a list of five things that I use nearly everyday that I can’t imagine (or sometimes remember) living without:

1. My Olympus digital voice recorder. I’m a multi-tasker. And let’s face it, I have to be - I work alone. So when a client or potential client calls while I’m deep in the middle of writing content for a website, it’s great to have a tool that can capture all the details of a phone call so that I don’t look silly asking for the callers notes. The recorder is under $100 but worth every penny. It plugs directly into my USB port so I can save all the conversations I want. COST - under $100.

2. Jott. Much like number 1 on this list, Jott is an audio program. Kind of. When I’m in the car and need to literally make a note of something, I call Jott. It’s an automated program that lets you dictate notes to yourself and have them sent to you via email. How cool is that. And while Jott only allows you to speak for about one minute at a time, I’ve actually dictated ebooks to myself this way - and then gone back and made corrections. Jott is not perfect - but it’s one of he best voice recognition services I’ve seen. You can integrate Jott with Twitter, WordPress and more. www.jott.com COST - Free (for now).

3. My Garmin GPS. I’m a big aviation enthusiast, so every time I read about the latest Garmin ‘glass cockpit’ I smile and chuckle to myself knowing that I have similar technology here on terra firma. My Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS isn’t just a cool map system, it’s an MP3 player, a currency converter, photo album, travel clock, currency converter, calculator and more. COST - $350.

4. My laser printer. Ok, laser printers have been around for a while now. But for a home office freelance copywriter like me, they were less-than-affordable for a long time. Until now. My HP LaserJet P1006 prints quickly and flawlessly. Yes it’s only black and white printing but as a writer, my need for color is small. For color jobs, I outsource to my local Staples - since I have a membership. COST - $99.

5. My iPod Shuffle. No on-screen display? No problem. With the ability to quickly load and arrange songs via iTunes, the Shuffle makes perfect sense for me. I can use it to listen to audiobooks, motivational MP3s and even lectures from universities that make their audio lectures available on iTunes. COST - $50.

Part of the point is that I COULD live without all of these items - if I wanted to. But with the increased productivity I see from these items, why would I want to give them up?