Today we're kicking off our user chapters  series. Sandglaz users are so insanely cool that we can't keep them to ourselves. We have to share them with the world!

They also use Sandglaz in interesting ways, adapting it to their needs, and taking advantage of its flexibility in order to be more productive. There's a lot we've learned about how to be more productive from them and we think you will too. Today we present to you fellow Canadian entrepreneur Steve Deckert.

Current gig: Co-founder and Marketing guy at Sweet Tooth

Working from: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Working on: Dell XPS 14Z (don't hold it against me), Google Nexus 4, Google Nexus 7

Steve Deckert Sandglaz user

Tell us about yourself and the kind of work you do.

I'm a Canadian entrepreneur, currently working on Sweet Tooth: a loyalty app for online stores. I focus on marketing, branding, and content.

What does a typical work day look like?

Get into the office, immediately make a coffee, then sit down to clear out any emails (we use Google Apps). I use an unread/starred/everything inbox. After clearing my email I then go through my tasks in Sandglaz and prioritize my daily tasks. After that, it's working and meetings until lunch. Right after lunch is my daily ping-pong match. Following that, grab another coffee and get back to working and meetings. Have a second lunch/early dinner around 4pm (I try to eat less food, more frequently), and work until around 7pm. Repeat.

How big is your team?

We have 7 employees in our Waterloo headquarters, and another 8 internationally.

Why did you choose Sandglaz?

Sandglaz is the perfect workflow for how I set my tasks. It's a great balance between a calendar, a note taking app, and a to-do checklist.

How does it fit into your workflow?

When I think of an idea or task, I like to get it recorded immediately. I don't want to think about scheduling or organizing it: I just want to get it written down. I use an "ideas" project for this (this is hidden from the "My Tasks" view.

At the beginning of every week I will go through my ideas project and determine the priority of the ideas. If they can be pushed off until later, I'll move them to a later date. If I want to do that idea this week, I add it to the appropriate project (depending on what type of task it is: content, admin, etc). I'll add in any other tasks that are required this week, and then start scheduling out my week on a per-day basis by moving the task to the day that I will work on the task.

This way every day of every week has tasks assigned. Prioritization is a lot easier when you reduce the tasks that you have to prioritize. It also motivates you because you're continually clearing off the day's tasks.

How do you organize your tasks in Sandglaz? 

I have the following projects: Personal tasks, Admin & Internal tasks, Content tasks, and Ideas. My ideas and personal tasks are taken out of the "My Tasks" view so when I get to work I only have my work tasks to focus on.

How did Sandglaz change the way you work?

Sandglaz helps me prioritize my tasks for every day of the week, and separate the "might dos" from the "must dos." Recording ideas is very important, but I find that they can distract if they live where your tasks live.

What’s the best task or project management advice that you’ve received?

Separate your goals or projects into smaller, manageable to dos. You'll work faster, procrastinate less, and feel better about the work you've done.


Are you a Sandglaz user and you want to share with us the cool ways you're using Sandglaz? Send us an email at blog@sandglaz.com to be featured in a future User Chapters post.