I spent a lot of time this weekend thinking about links, but I couldn't come up with a really good set to put together. Then I was reading Paul Stamatiou's excellent post, How To: Cultivate That Killer Idea, and it made me think about the great productivity blogs that are out there.

I should mention that I'm a productivity aficionado. What that means is that I dream of finding the magic system that's eventually going to make me completely productive. I read productivity books and blogs, I watch videos and I listen to tapes. That said, I haven't hit on the perfect system for me. I get somewhat bored of keeping the same system going all of the time, which is, I guess, what makes being a productivity hobbyist so much fun.

So I've pretty much accepted the fact that I won't be as productive as I dream of being, but you know the old quote, "Winning is not everything - but making the effort to win is." The links listed below will help in your efforts to be more productive. Even if you only find a few things here that make sense for you, I think you'll find that you can be more productive.

• 43 Folders - 43 Folders is one of the premiere productivity sites on the Web.From the site description: 43 Folders is an independent web site by Merlin Mann.Topics that come up a lot include: productivity and time management tips, “life hacks” to improve efficiency and get things off your mind, interesting Mac OS X programs and technologies, ideas about modest ways to improve your life and reduce stress, and cool or helpful shortcuts that make life a bit easier.
• Lifehacker - Another great site. From their own FAQ: Lifehacker, the software and productivity guide, is a blog that covers tips and tricks for streamlining your life with computers (and sometimes without). Updated several times daily, Lifehacker points out software downloads, web sites, do-it-yourself projects, how-to's, tutorials, shortcuts and tips for going beyond the default settings and getting things done in the most clever, unexpected and efficient ways. Think of Lifehacker as self-help for geeks.
• D*I*Y Planner - Does paper make you more productive? A lot of times I take the advice from this site and I make similar tools in Word and Excel. From the site's description: We are a community of people who see the value of paper as a medium for planning, productivity, creative expression, and exploring ideas. We encourage visitors to share advice and inspiration, and we love to see submissions for templates, kit images and story articles. We are also the official home of the free D*I*Y Planner kits. Please enjoy your stay, and make yourself at home!
• moleskinerie and notebookism - These two sites are all about notebooks and are great for artists and thinkers who like to use notebooks to capture data.

Of course, there are more of these kinds of sites out there. These are the ones that I try to read all the time. After you take a look at these sites, come back and take a look at how you can use the tips you find with your Office for Mac products. The two Office tools that I mostly associate with productivity are Word for Mac in Notebook Layout View and the Project Center in Entourage. (Though arguably an office suite is all about productivity.) Also be sure to check out the Articles and Tips at Mactopia. This is the link for Word tips, but you'll find tips for all the products at the site. I learn something new nearly every time I visit these pages.