Jamie peas productivity pack 01 Jamie P's Productivity Pac

The slowness with which Parkinson's Patients like your's truly accomplish manual tasks is a continuously dismaying thing. My brain was always considerably faster than my body but now we're not even in the same time zone. Consider the use of a safety razor, a series of both gross and subtle motions which, no matter how many times you've done it now requires thorough planning and exquisite concentration on every stroke.

Jamie P’s Productivity Pac - 101

In the year of our Lord 2001 I was effectively retired by Parkinson's IFD (Incredible Financial Disaster.) I had been diagnosed with a much less worrisome problem but my colleagues and later on my future employers were somehow aware that I was in trouble.

The essential problem was a loss of productivity on the job. I'm sure many of you have struggled with the same reduction in productivity and in most cases it comes down to one of three things: 1) tremors in your dominant arm, 2) general loss of fine motor control, 3) a slowing of reflex time. If you have a job that requires you to take notes or use a computer to any great extent your livelihood is threatened.

If you've recently lost your job or think your job may be in jeopardy because of the presence of one or more of the three symptoms elucidated above increasing personal productivity could be all you need to save the day. Enter Jamie P’s Productivity Pack. Maintaining your ability to gather and record data i.e. take notes combined with your ability to report that information could easily save your job for another five years. I have recently acquired two bits of technology which have led the way to a level of productivity that I have not enjoyed in over five years.

The first bit of technology, pictured to the right is a digital voice recorder. It allows you to take notes or record conversations as fast as they occur and preserves those conversations for later transcription or reporting. My particular brand of poison in this area is the Sony ICD-B500. It has been refurbished and delivered to me for the princely sum of $37 tax and transportation included. This one inch by four inch powerhouse can record up to 150 hrs. of conversation. Staples can provide you with a new one for about the same price and with greater capabilities. Just think once again you can take notes and follow the conversation without interruptions or repetitions.

The other bit of technology I have acquired is a voice recognition package from nuance.This voice-recognition package allows me to talk to the computer while it converts my voice to text. At this early date we are both still learning about one another but already I have increased the productivity by 50 to 75%. The preferred version which is the minimum you would want rings up the register at approximately $150.

Caveat

If you plan on using your voice recorder during a meeting or on the phone be sure that you alert the people with whom you are meeting. Furtive use of the digital voice recorder can cause problems in your business relationships and clandestine use of recording devices can be illegal.

I assume that you folks out there have some good ideas about how to improve productivity. If you would like to pass them on and would not mind seeing them on Mick’s Back Porch you can e-mail me at wcmenterprise@aol.com . In the subject line type I P P P.

By the way, Parkinson's IFD turned out to be manageable.

Here's hoping that your Parkinson years are productive years.