(via Huffington Post)

1. 7-Day History Window: The done view now lists the last 7 days of completed tasks. Increasing history has been a top feature request, and this update is a step in the direction of providing you with access to your full history. Note that only completed tasks with no more reminders will be listed in the done view.
2. TimeZone Setting: Users can now update their TimeZone.
3. Daily Email Pausing: LazyMeter sends daily emails to help you hit the ground running each morning. Because we value your time, we don’t want to send emails that aren’t being used. Daily emails will automatically stop if you do not log in for 2 weeks. You will receive an email before daily emails are paused, and daily emails will start again if a future reminder comes up.

We’re continually improving LazyMeter. Please keep the feedback coming.

We started LazyMeter with a theory on productivity, and we’re excited to see it supported by so many satisfied users and such far-reaching press.

Thanks Mashable, and welcome Mashable Readers. The current version of LazyMeter is just the beginning, and we’re glad to have you join our mission to change the way people feel about work.

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At the same time, when we have nothing to do, we’re bored. With nothing to do for long enough, something really interesting happens – we start to do things, and we enjoy doing them. If you know anyone who has retired, you probably noticed how quickly they created projects around their home. Previous to retirement, painting your house is a pain, but with nothing else to do it becomes fulfilling.

The fact is you’re not lazy. If you think you are, you’re approaching what you have to do the wrong way. Most tasks are more fulfilling than doing nothing. The key is escaping your never-ending to-do list and getting something – anything – done. We need to focus less on what we need to do, and more on the satisfaction of progress.

If you want to be more productive, I suggest you start by doing nothing. Set aside a week or two, stay home, and do nothing. Clear out your to-do list, and take a vacation from your inbox. Watch television. Play videogames. Order delivery for your meals. By the end of the time period, your fantasy of doing nothing will be gone. You’ll start to do things. You won’t want to look at a television again. You’ll find that ‘work’ isn’t actually so bad, and you’ll even like having things to do.

Work doesn’t need to be a bad word. It’s time we put aside our overwhelming to-do lists and start to feel good about what we do get done.

Aaron Franklin is co-founder of LazyMeter. He overcame his fantasy of doing nothing, and discovered his passion for helping people be more satisfied with their life.

If you’re interested in changing a habit, here’s a summary of Leo’s advice:

• Work on 1 habit at a time.
• Don’t start “today”. Set a date for the future (preferably 1 week) to build up anticipation and process the commitment.
• Set small goals. For example, if your goal is to run each morning, start with a goal of 5 minutes.
• The easiest habits to change are daily, and first thing in the morning is easier than later in the day.
• Recognize urges that conflict with your goal – let them pass. For example, the urge to procrastinate builds up and passes like a wave – the important thing is being aware of these urges.
• Tell others how important the change is to you for their support.

Before using LazyMeter, I couldn’t remember to take my daily vitamin. Now, it’s the first thing I do each day. I also use it for motivation to go to the gym every other day, in addition to other habits. Here’s how to use LazyMeter to change habits:

1. Commit to a habit change, and put the activity on your pause list at least 1 week in the future. Then add reminders for the following 4 weeks (note: we are working on recurring tasks to make this easier).
2. On the start date, the activity will appear in your playlist (if you’re receiving daily emails, you’ll be reminded to start by email).
3. By the end of the day, either check off or pause the task. If you check it off, enjoy the positive reinforcement of your LazyMeter increasing. If you pause it, you’ll experience negative reinforcement of yellow in your LazyMeter. If you do neither, it will be highlighted in red in your LazyMeter the next day.
4. Watch your progress add up in the done view. (note: we’ll be adding more graphs to make tracking activities like this even more simple and rewarding).

What do you think? Has LazyMeter helped you change any habits?

• Daily Playlist Email: Review and print your playlist each morning without logging in. You won’t receive an email if your playlist is empty, and you can turn off emails at any time.
• Facebook Login: Login instantly through your Facebook account. Click the “Facebook Login” button and follow the simple steps to link your LazyMeter account to Facebook.
• Account Settings: Update your password and email preferences by clicking ‘settings’ at the top of the page.
• Switch to Mobile: Choose between the web and mobile versions using links on the bottom of the page.
• Mobile Registration: When you tell your friends about LazyMeter, they can register on their phone.
• Newlines in Notes: You can now press SHIFT+ENTER while writing a note to jump to a new line.

The primary goal for LazyMeter users is to get through the day. When your playlist is empty, your day is done. But before you go to have fun, take a quick look at tomorrow and ask yourself these questions:

1. Is your list too long? You can see the average number of tasks you complete per day in the done view. If you complete an average of 6 tasks per day, and you have 12 on your to-do list tomorrow, try to reschedule some tasks.
2. Are the most important tasks at the top? Hit the ground running by placing your top priority tasks at the top of the list. Your tasks move to your playlist in the same order as they appear on the pause list, so you can prioritize tomorrow in advance.
3. Will you want to do these tasks tomorrow? It’s easy to schedule tasks for the future. But when they appear on your playlist, you may regret it. Reschedule tasks you know you won’t get to.
4. Is there anything on your list you’ve paused many times? If you recognize a task that you keep pushing to the next day, ask yourself why. Consider doing it now, rescheduling it for a better day, dragging it to the stop list, or even deleting it completely.

A quick review of tomorrow will make it much more successful.  You’ll hit the ground running, you’ll be even more focused, and you’ll feel better because you won’t have to pause as many tasks. Remember: it’s not how much you to that’s important, but how you feel at the end of the day. Set yourself up for a successful day.

Let us know what you think. Do you have any tips on planning tomorrow with LazyMeter?

photo credit

To remember everything, we need a net to capture all of our reminders, ensuring they don’t slip beneath the cracks. The net can’t be dependent on time of day, and it can’t be overwhelming. Before the end of the day, we should clean it out, either doing what needs to be done or rescheduling.

Parents are constantly reminding their children to do things. Children will complain that their parents are nagging them, while parents justify constant reminders as the only way their children don’t forget. What if there was a better way? We just learned about a mother who created a LazyMeter for her home-schooled sons. With LazyMeter, they are remembering to do things, prioritizing their time on their own, and acting more motivated. According to the mother, “For the first time, I am feeling like a facilitator, rather than a taskmaster.”

With LazyMeter, you can stop worrying about forgetting, and get things done. We’re thrilled that it’s working.

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Other Quotes

Ever have one of those days where the clock starts to wind down, the sun starts to set and you feel like you have accomplished exactly nothing? Very little work done; a spreadsheet still open on your computer, uncompleted. Having days like that too often lately? LazyMeter is a simple new Web-based application that is built around the idea that you’ll be much more fulfilled if you accomplish something, anything, and remind yourself of that. You’re already doing things, you just need to give yourself more credit.

Read LazyMeter Sorts Through the Clutter, Simplifies Your To-Do List at The Atlantic.