There are a lot of task management applications out there. I’ve tried Streak, a Chrome extension that allows you to divide up your emails into categories according to what tasks they are related to.
However, I found it too time-consuming to constantly rearrange my inbox, and reverted to a combination of notebooks, a digital calendar, spreadsheets and reminders to help me break down projects into tasks, allocate time to each one, and figure out which to prioritise.
I’ve been looking for a system that’s easy enough that it doesn’t need constant updating and complex enough to handle all the different areas of my life, from shopping lists and non-work-related goals to tax returns and scheduling my day-to-day work.
Finally, after a couple of weeks playing about with OmniFocus 2 for Mac, I feel like it might be the one.
Like most task management apps, it’s essentially a to-do list combined with a day planner. You can add projects, and break down these projects into tasks, then assign a start date, due date, estimated time length and a flag for urgency. You can also add a context, such as “home”, “boss” or “car”. Contexts are the places, people or things you need to get a task done; this way, you can instantly block out any information that’s not relevant to the situation you’re in at that particular moment.
OmniFocus’s other piece of jargon is the “perspective”. Contexts are one perspective from which your to-do list can be seen. You can also view your to-do list by project, by tasks flagged by urgency or by date: the “forecast” perspective is a nicely designed calendar that allows you to see what’s coming up later in the day, week or month.
The last perspective is the review: you can assign a date to check in with each project and see what needs tweaking: an important part of long-term task management.
OmniFocus 2 for Mac costs Dh147.99 and you need to buy separate apps for mobile devices. While there are free alternatives out there, for me, the payout will be earned back in no time by the increased efficiency the app allows.
q&a an organisational asset
Jessica Holland expands on the uses of OmniFocus 2 for Mac:
Isn’t it more time-consuming to maintain a system like this?
It’s really not. The idea is linked to the “GTD” (Getting Things Done) system of productivity, which involves noting down every stray thought that might be useful, organising these and turning them into bite-size tasks with a deadline, getting them done and crossing them off.
Is it designed for incredibly stressed businesspeople?
It’s just as handy for someone who needs to keep on top of groceries or travel plans as someone planning their IPO and eventual world domination.
Is it hard to learn?
It’s incredibly intuitive, especially for long-term Mac users, and there are lots of video tutorials and blog posts from users. The difficult bit is figuring out what your goals are and breaking them down into actionable chunks.
Do I need to buy the iOS version too, for my phone or tablet?
As I use the app primarily for work, I’m fine with the Mac version, but it would be great for running errands and crossing off tasks as you go. The Apple Watch will even alert you when you walk past a grocery store, if buying bread is on your to-do list.
Is there just one version?
No, you can upgrade to Pro for double the price, but it’s only worth it for hardcore fans of the app. It allows you to create custom perspectives and sidebars, and create automatic workflow processes using AppleScript.
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MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
The specs
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Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
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