Vitamin-R helps you focus on task execution

Vitamin-R is a productivity app that’s all about the execution of tasks.

Unlike apps like Things and OmniFocus, which are tools for getting your tasks out of your head and into an organized system, Vitamin-R is a tool for motivating you to get tasks done quickly.

It doesn’t replace the aforementioned productivity apps — rather, it’s an extension of them, taking you out of planning mode and into doing mode.

Despite the inclusion of a User Manual, Vitamin-R’s interface is well designed in that it’s self-explanatory — you don’t need a manual. Each step towards setting up your ‘time slice’ is explained well as you go.

You start by describing what it is you need to get done. The next step is eliminating distractions — telling Vitamin-R which apps to close or hide while you get on with the job. Finally, you select a period of time for the task, the time slice itself, based on your level of motivation and resistance, and how long the job requires for you to get it done.

Once the task is completed, you’re given the option to start a timed or open-ended break, or start on a new task.

There’s more to the app — it integrates with Things and OmniFocus, allowing you to drag over tasks and then have them marked as completed automatically when they are done. There’s cloud sync with Dropbox, and memory aid pads for things you’ll need to do shortly but are afraid of forgetting while you complete your current task.

Vitamin-R costs $14.95 and can be purchased directly from the developer or through the Mac App Store. There’s a trial version available, and it’s well worth checking out, particularly if you’re a user of a task manager like Things or OmniFocus. Time slicing isn’t a new idea amongst productivity nerds, but this app really helps you make it happen.