You got an iPad, so why aren't you more productive?

You did it. Everybody said an iPad would change your life and the way you worked. At first you thought that was ridiculous. After all, you already had a laptop and a smartphone; what could this tablet thing possible do for you? But then everybody started getting one: your boss, your friend, even your grandpa.

So, you hopped on board, got yourself and slick new iPad, and... nothing. I mean, its cool and all, but you aren't getting anything more done than you use to. It certainly hasn't changed your life, nothing has happened to your productivity. What is the deal?

Do you feel like Bill?

Productivity is a mindset
The truth is, as much as tech nerds like me hate to admit it, productivity is not about your tools nearly as much as it is about you. As tough as that may sound through never will be the "perfect" device or program that will make you more productive.

The first thing you have to change is YOU. You need to decide what is holding you back, causing you distractions, or making you lazy. Then bulldoze those things out of the way, decided to live a productive life, and DO IT!

Easier said then done, I know, but more on that in a later post. Let continue talking about the iPad. Perhaps you already are a productively minded person and you got the iPad to become even better; there are several things that could still be derailing you.

What did you want it to do?
You got the iPad because everybody else seemed to have so much success with it, but YOU never decided what you wanted it to do for YOU. The iPad can do many things very well, but if you don't decide which of those things you want it to do than it wont help you. So, set some goals for your iPad.

You aren't set up correctly
Perhaps know what you want to do with your iPad, you may want to manage your email to save time, or create music while your away from the studio, or a be able to study better. The problem is you lack the knowledge of how to get your iPad set up to do these things. You don't know what settings to turn on or what apps to download.

If this is the case, then the good news is you are on this blog, so you must be looking for the answers. Reading blogs like this one is a great way to find them. If you know what you want to do with your iPad, but aren't set up correctly or don't have the write apps please leave me a comment below or Tweet to @halduauthor, I would love to help.

You found some great apps...called Angry Birds and Temple Run
Maybe in your hunt to find apps to help you, you stumped across these two best sellers, or others like them. Games on the iPhone aren't bad or evil; they just don't help you be more productive. Many people have gotten iPads to help them only to find that they have actually lost time to gaming and social networking.

The most important things
Remember the iPad is tool, in and of itself it is not a good or a bad thing, just like a hammer, a piano, a gun, or a toothbrush is not a good or a bad thing. It cannot make you more productive. YOU have to make yourself more productive, and you can use the iPad to reach those ends if:

• YOU choose to have a productive mindset
• YOU decide what it is you want the iPad to do
• YOU set it up to achieve what you want
• YOU intentionally use your time on it

The truth is: it is not about the iPad, it is about YOU!

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Thanks for reading, and remember, live better.