You have a sink full of dishes, three loads of laundry, 17 bills to pay, you’re not sure how many e-mails to answer, a big stack of novels you’d love to read, and zero — count them — ZERO minutes of free time. “Where does the time go?” you lament. Here are some ideas to get you started on your quest to have a life: 1. Reduce waiting time. If your doctor or meetings always run late, plan ahead. Make good use of this time and carry note cards, bills and magazines in your tote. 2. Limit your television watching. Sensible limits may relieve guilt from overindulging, while freeing up time for more worthwhile pursuits. TIVO or tape your favorite shows and skip the commercials. 3. Say no to … [Read more...]
Research confirms IM is bad for productivity
Posted on 05/18/2006 by ·
http://interruptions.net/literature/Speier-ICIS97-p21-speier.pdf This is an academic paper, so you probably won't want to read the entire thing, but the results of the research have interesting implications for "organizational electronic mail systems that have been implemented to enhance productivity." I've always said that workers should disable the global alerts in Outlook that notify them every time a new message is received. Now this study confirms how bad desktop alerts are on concentration and productivity! The findings from this research suggest that instant notification features be disabled in order to avoid exacerbating the number of interruptions knowledge workers receive. Go to Tools, Options, Preferences tab, Email options, advanced email options, … [Read more...]
Organizing Your Parents’ and Grandparents’ Stuff Before They Die!
Posted on 05/14/2006 by ·
Oh my goodness. I just spent three days in San Antonio with my grandparents going through old photo albums, packets of God-knows-how-old photos, and envelopes with miscellaneous scraps. I HIGHLY recommend you take on this sort of project BEFORE your grandparents or parents die. I'm not even half-way done! I can't imagine how people can go through someone's things after they're are deceased and try to figure this out! Has anyone had this happen? "Who's this?" "Uhhhh...I think that's the neighbor's kid in Panama...1967 or so." "Who's this?" "Hmmmm...oh yeah! That was the lady who drew mom's blood in the hospital in 1996!" And so on. Right into the trash went those photos. My plan of … [Read more...]
Why Should You Care About Productivity?
Posted on 05/08/2006 by ·
I've had several people email me in the last few days about the U.S. productivity figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics a few weeks ago. Great news. 3.2% increase in the first quarter. But not quite where we were in 2002-2003 with levels over 4%. One quarter in 2003 had over 8%! That's when we were all working like dogs, when everyone was afraid of losing their jobs, before employees screamed "enough"! But still it's absolutely amazing that we can sustain this level of productivity. Fundamentally, why should you care? Well, why does your organization care about productivity? In order to be successful, your organization must both make money and save money. To make money, it must find and keep customers. To save money, … [Read more...]
Time Saving Tips for Map Junkies
Posted on 04/29/2006 by ·
Are you a map junkie? Here are some cool map features on the Web, built around Google Maps: • Zip codes: type in a Zip code and see an outline of that Zip code area on the map; or click on the map and find the Zip code. maps.huge.info/zip.htm • What time is it? Click on the map anywhere in the world (or type in a city/country name), and see the local time in the nearest big city, also international country/city phone codes. www.gchart.com • How far did you walk? Double-click on points on the map; you'll see the route traced and the cumulative length of the route in miles (with mileage markers displayed). www.gmap-pedometer.com submitted by Ken Braly ([email protected]) … [Read more...]
What’s a WIKI?
Posted on 04/28/2006 by ·
Do you wiki? What is a wiki? A wiki is web software designed for collaboration. Unlike a traditional website where pages can only be read, in a wiki everyone can edit, update and append pages with new information, all without knowing HTML. Multiple people in same or different locations can all edit the same documents and create a shared archive. I like Jot.com. You don’t have to install a thing, and if you can use Microsoft Word, you can use JotSpot. JotSpot's wiki can be used in numerous ways: Create a corporate intranet Manage projects Collaborate on documents Keep a backup copy of your email by cc’ing your wiki Maintain the department birthday calendar … [Read more...]
Using Technology to Stay Connected While Traveling or at Home
Posted on 04/24/2006 by ·
As a general tip, use your down time productively while traveling, especially on planes. Most travelers waste hours of productive time on the airplane sleeping, watching movies, or listening to music. You, however, are going to work. Unless you’re exhausted and need to take a nap, take advantage of the uninterrupted time and get some work done. The more you get done while you’re traveling, the more time you’ll have available to be with your family you return. Before you leave, do some planning and determine what you can complete while you’re away from home. Read business journals and trade magazines, answer emails, write thank-you letters, complete routine paperwork, review large reports and board materials, or do project and advance planning. If you feel good about what you’ve … [Read more...]
Leave Early Fast Company blog
Posted on 04/17/2006 by ·
Keith Hammonds posted a comment on the Fast Company magazine blog: "Are you still in the office? In New York, it's nearly 6 pm on the eve of a holiday weekend. What are you doing there? (What am I?) What's keeping you from going home? Right now? Do you really have so much work that has to get done, or did you spend too much time in useless meetings, or responding to needless emails? Or, you know, checking the stats for your Roto league? I got a note from the PR rep for someone named Laura Stack, who calls herself "The Productivity Pro." Stack apparently "has declared June 2nd as National Leave the Office Earlier Day. This national holiday encourages workers to eliminate time wasting behaviors and improve productivity habits. With better behaviors, workers can leave the office … [Read more...]
Productivity Tips Offered by Readers
Posted on 04/10/2006 by ·
I'm looking for information on cool, hip, useful, inventive, fresh, efficient products, processes, and services to help average Americans save time and money. Please comment with tips, Web sites, examples, press information, photos, how you’re using it, etc., for possible inclusion in an upcoming story. Here's one submission from a reader to get your creative juices flowing: << Laura, I've started making my own list of time savers (some of which inspired by your first book): 1. Ordering groceries via www.Freshdirect.com the last Saturday of each month. 2. Ordering sundries/household items and pharmacy item via www.drugstore.com the last Sunday of each month. 3. Get laundry picked … [Read more...]
Productivity, Tendonitis, and Treos
Posted on 04/04/2006 by ·
I remember reading some of the citations about "Blackberry Thumb," http://www.wordspy.com/words/BlackBerrythumb.asp years/months ago and thinking, “How ridiculous. You mean to tell me they actually have a definition of this condition?” Yep! It’s "A repetitive stress injury characterized by swelling and pain at the base of the thumb and caused by prolonged use of the thumb while operating a BlackBerry or other personal digital assistant." Well, now I’m not laughing so loud. I went to the hand surgeon today with a severe, stabbing pain at the base of my thumb and wrist. I left after a diagnosis for tendonitis, a cortisone shot in the joint, a wrist brace to sleep in for one month, and a strict admonishment to not hold my phone … [Read more...]
