I received an e-mail from my colleague Derek Franklin, letting me know his Action Machine 3 is now available.  Yippee!

I’ve owned The Action Machine since the first version was first released  way back when, and have followed Derek for far longer than that.  In case you don’t know him, his books on technology (published by Adobe Press) sold over 250,000 copies. In addition, Derek’s a true guru when it comes to getting things done.  Thus,  his creation of The Action Machine.

In brief, The Action Machine is a piece of desktop software that helps you get more things done in less time.  Derek – through his own tests and the feedback of The Action Machine owners like me – has learned that creating finite tasks and setting time limits to them really does get our brains into gear and our bodies into action.

But instead of me going on and on, here’s a video that shows you The Action Machine in . . . well, in action!  It’s a 9-minute video – and will give you a great overview of just how powerful it is – and how much you can get done by using it.

I just upgraded from v2 to v3 and am setting up tomorrow’s action items. Since I just signed a contract to write a new book, believe me – - I have plenty to get done!

If you want to order The Action Machine, just click the link and it’ll take you over to Derek’s page. (Hey, he has some cool bonuses too).

*Be sure to read the PDF getting started guide and watch Derek’s videos to take full advantage of The Action Machine’s power.

Nancy

p.s. – Check out my Coaching Packages.  If you sign up for the Diamond Coaching Program you’ll  receive The Action Machine free-of-charge.

Want to hear something just a *bit* crazy from my friend (and incredible copywriter) Derek Franklin?

Here goes…

Today may be the day to:

* Put your entire collection of copywriting books up for sale
  on eBay
* Cancel your plans to attend that annual copywriting seminar
* Turn your stack of copywiting DVDs into drink coasters
* Clean your browser of every last copywriting blog, article,
  and site you’ve bookmarked over the years

Have I lost my mind, you ask?

Not at all.

It’s not what I’ve lost that makes me say these things, it’s what I’ve found.

It’s something I can only describe as the closest thing to a treasure map for copywriters I’ve ever seen.

Here’s the brief story behind what I’m talking about…

Derek  recently set out on a mission to learn everything about copywriting he possibly could.

He bought gobs of books, expensive training courses, DVDs, and even tore through the Web looking for anything he could find related to the art of copywriting.

In the process of his journey, he:

* Collected all the best copywriting tips, techniques and
  concepts
* Eliminated all the fluff
* Eliminated all the redundant stuff (there was a lot)

And, here’s the BIGGIE…

* Organized all he had learned and collected into one of
  the most unique and useful documents for learning
  the art of copywriting that you’ll likely see for a
  long time

I can say without a doubt that it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen!

Derek calls it (appropriately), The Copywriter’s Brain.

It would be virtually impossible for me to try and describe here what it is and how it’s used.

Fortunately, Derek’s put together a short video tour inside The Copywriter’s Brain.

If copywriting is part of your business or livelihood, then you’ve GOT to check it out by clicking this link to view the video now.

I purchased The Copywriter’s Brain today – - and will write a full review in the next couple of days. I believe I own every piece of software Derek has ever written, and have never been disappointed.  More later.
 

**The Action Machine 3 is now available. This review is for an earlier version. The Action Machine 3 was released April 2011. Read this post to see a video of The Action Machine . . . in action

Derek Franklin’s software first came across my radar years ago with the release of Search Automator Pro. At the time, I was doing a lot of research – particularly for images – and Search Automator really sped up my online research time.

Yesterday, Derek released The Action Machine, a “get more done” timer that allows users to create specific tasks, set a time to accomplish them, and then be alerted when the time is up.  If you’re thinking “oh great, just another timer”, hang on – cause Derek’s software goes above and beyond. (Price is $27) Here’s the deal:  I work on multiple projects throughout the day (like most of us).

For some of my projects, I need to keep close track of my hours because my clients have specified how many hours they want to allot for certain tasks. For other projects (like my own marketing or business development), I could spend hundreds of hours without accomplishing much because I bop from task to task. Unfortunately, I am not the world’s most organized person – I’m far better on the creative end of the process. That’s why I was so drawn to The Action Machine.

The Action Machine really forces me to 1) decide what tasks I need to accomplish today; 2) give them a finite beginning and end; and 3) do them! Today was the first day I put the software into use and I’ve already accomplished several tasks that have been hanging for a week or so. If you click on the screenshot to enlarge, you’ll see that not only did I get my laundry done ! – but also worked on client projects and this afternoon will start the timer on some of my own business projects.

You can use Derek’s default task list that includes items like “eat lunch”, “read”, “check e-mail”, or “grocery shop”; or you can add your own items to the list, delete the default and create a new one, or use a combination of Derek’s list plus your added items. Watch the video to learn how to add occasional or one-time tasks to the timer without making them a part of the default list. Like Search Automator Pro, The Action Machine is a simple piece of software that allows users to complete complex tasks. Everything Derek creates is easy-to-use, highly functional, and priced so low that I’m not sure how he feeds the family! And, because I am an advocate of transparency in business, the link to The Action Machine is an affiliate one. And whether you purchase through that link or not, I hope you pop for the $27 bucks and use this piece of software to increase your productivity.