Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) shares tips on managing all the paper that comes across our desks. (c) 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved … [Read more...]
Workplace Productivity: Your First To-Do of the Day
Posted on 04/22/2010 by ·
What’s the first thing you do when you begin your day? What do you literally do when you sit down to begin working? Many people do the “beverage ritual.” They get all their beverages just right and their snacks all lined up and settled. Maybe they do a little bit of checking on blog postings to see what's come in and of course visit Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Next they check e-mail and get sucked into that vortex for a couple of hours. Now what time is it? Lunchtime! How do you feel after lunch? Probably pretty low energy. What do you feel like working on? Nothing. At least nothing that requires a very high level of energy and focus. I would suggest instead that you think very carefully about the leading activity of your day, because it's going to set you up for success or … [Read more...]
Top Ten Tips for a More Organized 2011!
Posted on 01/21/2010 by ·
Top Ten Tips for a More Organized 2011! By Laura Stack, MBA, CSP There will always be more things to do than time to do it. Working longer isn't going to save you. (I’d bet you’ve never gone to sleep at the end of a long day with everything on your to-do list completed.) To counter this never-ending battle, you’ll need to learn to be more efficient and get your work done in less time. If you can figure out how to be more productive during the day and achieve greater results in less time, you can leave the office earlier and get a life. Learn how to use your software. One of the many ways professionals waste time during the day is with Microsoft Outlook (or whatever email software you use). I estimate people waste 30 minutes to 2 hours a day with incorrect or inefficient information … [Read more...]
Getting Things Done: The Productivity Minute #20: Is Organization Genetic or Environmental?
Posted on 10/21/2009 by ·
Are we born organized and productive, or are these learned traits? Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses this question. (C) 2009 Laura Stack. All rights reserved. … [Read more...]
Personal Productivity: Why Greensizing is Productive
Posted on 08/11/2009 by ·
We all want to do our part to help the environment. But if you can give the Earth a break and increase your productivity at the same time, that’s a real no-brainer! Luckily, a lot of the things you can do to help sustain the planet can help sustain your productivity as well. Read on for tips on how to green-size your life and get more done at the same time. Use less paper. About 80 percent of papers that are filed are never referenced again. What a waste! A good solution? File less. An even better solution? Produce less paper to begin with. That doesn’t mean you have to constantly inconvenience yourself or feel guilty about ever sheet that comes off the printer. It just means you should think twice before you hit “print.” Do you really need a paper copy of that e-mail message or … [Read more...]
Laura Stack receives the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) in Outlook 2007 credential
Posted on 06/26/2009 by ·
The Productivity Pro(R), Inc. is delighted to announce that Laura Stack has received the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) in Outlook 2007 credential. A Microsoft Business Certification shows employers that you have the technical skills to solve real-world problems by using advanced features of Microsoft Office programs. Not only did she pass, but the test administrator remarked that Laura's test results were the closest to a perfect score she had ever seen on the exam. The Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) credential is a globally recognized standard that validates skills with using the 2007 Microsoft Office system and meets the demand for the most up-to-date skills on the latest technologies from Microsoft. Candidates who successfully complete the … [Read more...]
Microsoft Outlook virtual training series announced with Laura Stack
Posted on 05/06/2009 by ·
Our first virtual Microsoft Outlook webinar series was such a huge success that we're doing it again! The new series begins May 22, 2009 with Microsoft Certified Specialist Laura Stack. I’m going to present 10 modules covering various aspects of Outlook, step-by-step. This isn’t just computer training. It’s real-world, reality-based workflow processing that helps you actually be MORE productive with Outlook, instead of wasting hours every day playing with it. I will share my desktop and show my computer screen LIVE using my actual Microsoft Outlook software. This is not PowerPoint! It is a real-time demonstration. Even you Outlook experts will be shocked by what you don’t know you don’t know! Each webinar is very affordable at $39 per person. If you attend all ten, the price is … [Read more...]
Increasing productivity: Paper or Plastic? Managing Your To-Do Lists
Posted on 04/03/2009 by ·
Technology has given us so many options when it comes to keeping track of our to-do lists—Smartphones, web-based applications, desktop applications, PDAs—but figuring out the best system for you can be a real challenge (and a frustrating one at that). Interestingly enough, even with all the technology out there, informal research (mine and others’) still shows that when push comes to shove, most people still fall back on good old-fashioned paper. In fact, a lifehack.org survey shows that not only do most people use a paper to-do list, but that paper is more than twice as popular as any other method listed! Why is that? Because we’re human. Life doesn’t always happen when you’re sitting in front of your computer. We sit in meetings. We leave the office and go home. We travel. … [Read more...]
The Productivity Minute #10: The Bane of Sticky Notes and Scraps of Paper
Posted on 03/27/2009 by ·
Watch this episode and learn why you have sticky notes all over your office. Figure out what sticky notes are good for and not good for. What do you do when you think of something you need to do? (C) 2009 Laura Stack. All rights reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
Free webinar by Laura Stack and Day-Timer on April 7, 2009
Posted on 03/26/2009 by ·
Register today for a free webinar on April 7, sponsored by Day-Timer. Find a system that works for YOU! Create a completely personalized planning style. How do you make the best use of paper and electronic planning methods? The simple answer is “it depends.” How do you describe yourself? What are your preferences? What does your work require of you? What are your work and home environments? Do you travel? This webinar will discuss the fundamentals of an organized, effective time management system and help you design one that perfectly meets your needs. Objectives: Understand the advantages and disadvantages of handhelds and paper Identify what frustrates you about your current system Test to see if you're more inclined to plan on paper or electronically Evaluate your time … [Read more...]
