I've always used RSS Reader 2.0 as my news aggregator/feed reader, until it started acting buggy, and I explored other options. After reading other blogs and postings on the subject, I decided to try NewsGator Inbox for Outlook...and I love it! What a time saver! It integrates right into my Outlook email client and acts just like an email. It has its own folder, and I can delete, forward, store, and search blog postings just like email. It adds a nifty "Subscribe in NewsGator" item to the Internet Explorer menu. I also like the wizard that lets you search feeds by keyword. It has some disadvantages: you can only use it with Outlook, although NewsGator has different software versions as well. The only thing I don't like is you can't group … [Read more...]
Time Management in Hawaii?
I've been on vacation from my blog while on vacation in Hawaii (Big Island). It was the first time in five years my husband and I took a vacation, sans kids, for more than a few days. We were gone eight wonderful days, and it really stretched my mind and rested my soul. First off, I the leisurely pace of Hawaii is of coure much different than the snap-snap hustle bustle of Denver. Relaxation was the mantra, which was usually wonderful, except when practiced by employees who are supposed to be in customer service roles. It took over an hour for the bellman to retrieve our luggage! Instead of taking our rental car, we would take nice long walks to the Starbucks down the road from our hotel. Here's a picture of the beautiful Birds of Paradise lining the walkway: We stayed at a … [Read more...]
Anagram Intelligence for Microsoft Outlook
I love this amazing little plug-in for Outlook. Your $30 will be well-spent. You highlight information from the text of an email, hit a hotkey, and the software instantly determines whether you're highlighting contact, appointment, task, or note information and opens the appropriate dialog box in Outlook with the information *already populated* for your review. You can try it free for 45 days. Visit http://getanagram.com/anagramoutlook/ to see a flash video and read about the neat features. … [Read more...]
How do you measure white collar business productivity?
I received an email from a reader today asking what *is* productivity. While that's a perfectly legitimate question, I thought I'd post a definition, just in case others wanted a understanding of how to measure productivity. Some people just *know* intuitively whether they've had a productive day and don't need to measure it. And while there are different methods and views on productivity measurement (white collar, manufacturing, farm, economic, etc.), I use the following as my working definition of white collar business productivity (my niche): The efficiency with which goods and services are produced, as measured by the value of the output produced (result) per person, per hour, divided by the unit of inputs used to produce it (hours). Or—simply— a measurement … [Read more...]
Daily PlanIt Blog
Here's a blog I like called Daily PlanIt. Has a great list of top ten time management and personal development blogs/sites. I trust his opinion...mine is listed ha. Get Organized with Home Helpers cites two main time management resources: Work Wonders and Home Helpers. Check out http://dailyplanit.wordpress.com/2006/10/28/get-organized-with-home-helpers/ for a helpful list of resources. … [Read more...]
Microsoft at Work article
My article "7 Ways to Leave the Office Earlier" was posted in the Microsoft at Work newsletter at http://www.microsoft.com/uk/atwork/work/leavetheoffice.mspx I'd love to hear your strategies, secrets, and tips for how you get out of the office earlier and keep from working late nights! Ideas? … [Read more...]
Keeping Your Energy Up During the Day
I asked my newsletter readers "What do you do to keep your energy up during the day?" and received the following replies. Please comment if you have a tip to add! Hi, I do little 'sprints' through out the day, especially if I am feeling tired. I will get up & run in place or walk quickly around the house for 5-10 minutes (I work at home) it gives me just enough of energy bursts to keep me going. Thanks, Misty Misty Kenner- creativity coach www.pictureperfectscrapbookco.com I live in the Midwest. I work for a larger company in a smaller town. I am fortunate that the parking lot at work is not that large. When I feel tired, during my lunch break I will go out to the car (truck), recline the seat and catch a short "catnap". 15-20 minutes … [Read more...]
Delegate when someone else can do it better and faster and cheaper
I recently visited my grandparents (ages 81 and 86) and discovered a treasure trove of old family photographs. Especially precious were the ones of my mother as a little girl (none of which she had seen before) and my great-grandmother, whom I vaguely recall visiting before she passed away. With seven children, my grandparents had no idea how they were going to split them up after they passed, since many were one-of-a-kind. My easy answer was to scan them, save them as .jpg files, and make CDs for each of my six uncles and my mother. So I packed my precious cargo in my suitcase and headed home. Then it hit me…what exactly did I get myself into? I counted the photos: 282. I quickly realized the huge time commitment and realized I was of course able … [Read more...]
How Parents Can Help Their Children Get Organized and Learn to Be Productive Part 6
In this society, you’ve likely been brainwashed to believe that you aren’t a good parent unless your child plays competitive soccer by the time she’s ten, she’s active in the Girl Scouts, can play the piano masterfully, and swims beautifully…and, by the way, leases a horse. Hear a little sarcasm in my voice? For years, I bought into this notion as well and dutifully enrolled my little girl in ballet, piano, church programs, choirs, Girl Scouts, basketball, and more. I used the rationale that “she has to try everything so she can find out what she likes.” Many children are so overscheduled, their stress levels race sky-high and the entire family comes apart at the seams. Many parents feel guilty because of the number of hours they spend at work. As a result, they overcompensate by … [Read more...]
How Parents Can Help Their Children Get Organized and Learn to Be Productive Part 5
It’s important to instill the values of hard work and fairness in your children. As they gain responsibility and perform chores at home, they learn it’s important for everyone to pitch in and do his or her fair share to take the burden off one person. If you live here, you clean. Even my four- and five-year-old boys have chores. I went to the grocery store and bought a big poster board. In the left hand column, I listed a due date for chores. (Each chore may actually be completed any day during the week, but it must be done by Saturday.) Across the top row, I listed the chores. Each child has his or her own chores posted. When one gets completed, the boys put a sticker on the corresponding column (Meagan uses checkmarks; she’s much too cool for stickers). The last column is for … [Read more...]
