My 2013 in Review: Apps Used; Books Read; Movies Watched and Lessons Learned

At the end of every year I like to look back at some of the stuff that impacted me in some way. Here is my list:

Apps Used

So what did I do before the advent of apps I wonder :) Here is the list of apps that impacted my production and also made my life a little easier.

1. Ominifocus - This remains of my most used apps and is a massive assistant  in my productivity. Wouldn't want to be without this one!
2. Twist - We use this all the time and its very useful. No more texting while driving or wondering when we will be at our destination or what time we will arrive home. The great thing about the app it adjusts your ETA based on traffic conditions etc.
3. Buffer - Especially during the later half of the year I started using this more and more. I love the ability the app gives you to line up posts to various networks. Great for keeping your presence consistent. It's also the only way to seamlessly post to a Google+ business page from the iPhone at the moment. Am definitely planning on using this more often for that in 2014.
4. Audible - This turns my commute to and from work into an edifying experience. Makes sitting in traffic more bearable.
5. Quip - I have absolutely fallen in love with this app! We use this for everything - we use it for shared shopping lists, packing lists, planning overseas trips, coffee and wine reviews, planning a building project. Like WhatsApp it just intuitively feels great to use. Can't wait to see them build on this in 2014!

Books Read

My two favourites for the year:

1. High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service - Steve Wozniak's comment on the book sums it up for me: "Micah Solomon conveys an up-to-the minute and deeply practical take on customer service, business success, and the twin importance of people and technology."
2. The Renaissance Society: How the Shift from Dream Society to the Age of Individual Control will Change the Way You Do Business - if you have an interest in what the future may look like and the impact of that future on business I highly recommend this read.

Movies Watched

There is one film that stands out to me this year. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - I went to see this the day before Nelson Mandela was laid to rest in Qunu. We paid our respects to him the previous day, by quietly sitting on hill overlooking the Waterkloof Airforce Base, and watched his remains leaving Pretoria for the last time. This experience and going to see the movie afterwards was our goodbye.

Lessons Learned

1. Edward Snowden and the NSA revelations. This whole saga definitely changed the way I interact online and the services I use. I have learnt to take encryption more seriously and as a result discovered services like SpiderOak and Silent Circle.
2. People do care about important issues and when given the opportunity they do jump into action! In October +The Success Academy Properties hosted a prestigious Gala Event to raise funds to help save our rhinos. Everybody in attendance dug deep and we managed to raise R485,500 ($46,911) - watch out for interviews we will be doing early in the new year on how this money is being spent for this very important cause!
3. Another big lesson this year came just a few days ago with the Justine Sacco story. it was a reminder that how you behave and what you say can have far reaching consequences and that as result of social technologies that now connect us all, your behaviour and your words can be amplified and broadcast around the world in second. (btw Robert Scoble and Jeremiah Owyang had some awesome insights on this - check the comments in the link above). I guess this is all nicely summarised in this little quote:

"When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. When you desire a consequence you had damned well better take the action that would create it." - Lois McMaster Bujold

What about you? What have your take-aways from the year been? Please share!