Robyn Pearce: The Tale of a Dragon - and it's not Smaug

Dragon NaturallySpeaking - A dragon that saves you hours at the computer. Photo / Thinkstock

Three years ago I gained a whole new level of empathy for people with limbs that don't work properly. While rock 'n rolling a little too vigorously at a client function I slipped and cracked my wrist. (No, alcohol did not play a large part in said experience!) However, there is always a silver lining! Six weeks with an arm in plaster created a whole new view on a really useful productivity tool.

That might not make immediate sense, but let me tell you more.

The accident forced my hand (excuse the pun) to try out some amazing software that saves enormous amounts of time. (And they're not paying me to tell you!)

How fast a typist are you? Do you sit hunched up over the computer, two fingers picking and poking at the keyboard, perhaps reasonably quick but certainly not a touch typist? (It's really common - I see people in the Koru Club doing this every time I fly.) Do your shoulders get tired? Does your neck get a crick in it? If you answered yes, have you also ever wished for a convenient way to speak and have your words transformed into text?

Over the last few years I've had a number of people wax lyrical about Dragon NaturallySpeaking - voice recognition software. I had thought about investigating it a number of times but, being a fast typist, decided not to bother.

Just before my accident both a barrister friend and a conference participant had triggered my awareness. They'd both raved about their efficiency gains from using the product. (Each version, and the product is up to Version 13 now, apparently gets even better.) So, with arm in plaster and my typing speed significantly reduced, I decided it was time to check it out.

The ravers are right - the product is amazing.

This article for you was written with no hands on the keyboard, except for the occasional correction. I talked, words just zipped across my screen, and the more I practiced the better the experience became.

For an extra $150 you can add a wireless headset, rather than having to be tethered to your computer. You've also got the option of including a digital voice recorder which can be downloaded when you're back at your computer. For example, you finish a meeting and there are notes to be typed. If you have the recorder in your pocket you could speak a first draft into your handheld voice recorder and then later on, once plugged in to the computer, your voice can be turned into written words.

Of course you still have to check that it has recorded correctly but the desk time can be spent focusing on content and correct expression of your thoughts instead of typing and spelling. Even though I am a pretty fast typist, the words still flash across the screen at least three times faster than I could type them. Also, Dragon gets more accurate over time as it learns your word choices and writing style.

It only takes a few hours to train the software to your way of speaking. If you're wondering about all the technical terms in your industry, relax - you can easily add specific industry terms and any other frequently used unique phrases.

But it's far more than that. Without sounding too dramatic, the tool can be a life-changer for some people! Dyslexics, low self-esteem people from terribly dysfunctional homes, quadriplegics .... The list is long and grows day by day.

Less dramatic but just as life-changing for busy professionals - you can do a myriad of time-saving things with this software. Just one example - the conference delegate I mentioned above has trained the programme to open his regularly-used Word and Excel templates on command. He then sits at his desk and tells the computer where to put the new information. Everyone who's gone the Dragon way says it saves them hours per week.

If you have to put words on a keyboard and would rather be working on different activities, if you'd like to get home at a decent hour instead of spending ages getting words on paper, you may well find this is a very useful investment.

Robyn Pearce (known as the Time Queen) is the MD of GettingAGrip.com, an international time management and productivity training company based in New Zealand. Get your free report 'How To Master Time In Only 90 Seconds' and ongoing time tips at www.gettingagrip.com