Photo by Rosie Hardy By TSN Contributor Rajiv Vij This is the season for resolutions. I reckon you have considered one or two yourself. Unfortunately, as the year progresses, most New Years resolution tend to fall by the wayside and end up as mere intents. Here’s an insightful approach towards creating a life that’s not only happier and more fulfilling, but one that also automatically responds to your most meaningful resolutions. The Complicated Life Driven sometimes by ambition and other times by a sense of inner incompleteness, we instinctively immerse ourselves in a myriad of pursuits.
GTD
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Most Topular Stories
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Simplify Your Life This Year
Think Simple Now16 Jan 2012 | 5:09 pm -
A GTD Desk Zoo (Inspired by bookshelfporn.com)
RestartGTD21 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pmThe purpose of this page, is to create Meade’s Zoo of GTD Desks There are many types of desk, I guess I’m a collector of the ideas of desks. So, I thought I’d put my collection in one place (with links so I can re-find this stuff), and since no reason not to, share it. Section #1: Top Five Ikeahackers.net Desks Dust Free Cable Free BillPinion: I love the look of this, but I bet the monitor can not move forward enough for 52 year old eyes. And, I prefer a good foot more depth in the work surface … and a slight tilt down toward the user. No clutter, gotta love… -
Workspace of the Week: Composed calm
Unclutterer27 Jan 2012 | 10:17 amThis week’s Workspace of the Week is H Sterling Cross’ simple setup: Cable management is what makes this desk beautiful. If there were cords hanging beneath it, you would never notice the stunning wood desk. Its smooth, clean lines and unadorned hardware could easily be missed if clutter were in the way. H Sterling has attached a small power strip to the back panel of the desk so only its cable runs down the leg and off to the outlet. Additionally, the model of the SR-71 Blackbird is the only decoration on the desk, which makes the red Swingline stapler appear to be more than a… -
GTD Times: A Writer's GTD Journey
David Allen Company Updates26 Jan 2012 | 10:52 pmGTD Times reader Jenna contributed her ideas on how to adapt GTD to writing. A Writer's GTD Journey About a year ago I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with my list of unfinished projects. I'm a writer and had about a dozen scripts, stories, and article ideas backlogged on my computer. Not only I was not completing any of the projects, I was adding new ideas every day. Each new idea, rather than filling me with excitement at the prospect of undertaking a new creative project, instead filled me with dread and anxiety because I felt like I was looking at corpses—great concepts that would… -
Sufi Comics will launch an iPad app at Comic Con India 2012
Arif & Ali's Blog26 Jan 2012 | 11:15 pmSufi Comics will be participating at the annual Comic Con India that takes place on 17 to 19th of Feburary at Dilli Haat New Delhi. Last year we launched the “40 Sufi Comics” at Comic Con Mumbai, this year we have a new launch, a Sufi Comics iPad app! The Comics will be available in full color with sound and motion. If you’re in Delhi during the middle of February do visit Comic-Con, we would be very happy to meet you!Similar Posts: Sufi Comics at Comic-Con Express Mumbai: Photos & Press Book Launch: 40 Sufi Comics at Comic-Con express Mumbai A new home…
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David Allen Company Updates
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Member Exclusive: Empty Inbox = Mind Like Ping Pong
27 Jan 2012 | 9:49 amMy email inbox is empty for the first time ever, and rather than smiling and feeling calm, I'm actually anxious. Is that normal?! Angie -
Member Exclusive: David Allen On Twitter
26 Jan 2012 | 11:26 pmBill Meade's results from "why people fall of the GTD wagon" survey. http://t.co/aM2RCIfv -
GTD Times: A Writer's GTD Journey
26 Jan 2012 | 10:52 pmGTD Times reader Jenna contributed her ideas on how to adapt GTD to writing. A Writer's GTD Journey About a year ago I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with my list of unfinished projects. I'm a writer and had about a dozen scripts, stories, and article ideas backlogged on my computer. Not only I was not completing any of the projects, I was adding new ideas every day. Each new idea, rather than filling me with excitement at the prospect of undertaking a new creative project, instead filled me with dread and anxiety because I felt like I was looking at corpses—great concepts that would… -
Member Exclusive: David Allen On Twitter
26 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pmPressure produces a diamond. The clearer you are for your more sublime pressures, the more profound its cut & use. -
GTD Times: What makes a good business book?
24 Jan 2012 | 7:16 pm"If it helps your business. If you can do business better, something there that is worthwhile and useful. I think a combination of underlying principles and practical applications." - David Allen, interviewed in Fast Company. David Allen, Author of "Getting Things Done," by Kevin Ohannessian in Fast Company Has productivity changed as technology has evolved, from the utility of iPhones to the connectedness of Facebook? We continue our examination of the business book Getting Things Done with an interview of author David Allen. Why do you think the book was so successful and resonated with the…
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The In Context Blog
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Friday Morning Zen
27 Jan 2012 | 1:22 amWakefulness is the way to life. The fool sleeps as if he were already dead, but the master is awake and he lives forever. I publish a Weekly Letter and a Monthly Letter on a paid subscription basis. The Weekly Letter covers topics such as: How you can use Social Media today to get more business Productivity practices that make you more effective The Monthly Letter is less than a full-scale consultation, it's a micro-coaching session – with feedback – on skills and knowledge that affect your business. -
Meeting the Needs of the Audience
26 Jan 2012 | 7:52 amI subscribe to Ev Bogue’s daily letter. Usually it contains something thought-provoking, and yesterday was no exception. Here is what he had to say: My writing business works best when we both get our our needs met. For example: You’re feeling confused and frustrated about how to use Google+. I write something about how I use Google+. You read what I’ve written and it helps you meet your need for clarity and understanding. You feel relief. Then, you share my latest letter with a few close friends who are also feeling a bit frustrated and confused about how to use Google+. Then, they… -
Karl Marx Made the Same Mistake
26 Jan 2012 | 1:43 amVia Samizdata: Value lies in the eyes of the beholder, not in the effort of production. I publish a Weekly Letter and a Monthly Letter on a paid subscription basis. The Weekly Letter covers topics such as: How you can use Social Media today to get more business Productivity practices that make you more effective The Monthly Letter is less than a full-scale consultation, it's a micro-coaching session – with feedback – on skills and knowledge that affect your business. -
ICMM Podcast with Dianna Huff
25 Jan 2012 | 12:18 amIn today’s episode Dianna and I discuss her recent newsletter survey where she polled he readers on a variety of topics and gained some very valuable insights. Dianna publishes a very popular marketing bog and newsletter via DH Communications. She asked questions like: What kind of information are you looking for? How often would you like to receive updates? What day of the week works best for you? She also discovered some useful insights as to the difficulties that many business-people are facing: Time, or the lack of it Overwhelming amounts of work Labor-saving applications are not… -
Weekly Letter – Turning Free Content into Revenue
24 Jan 2012 | 5:30 amIn a meeting I had with a client this past week the idea of enhancing their monthly Newsletter came up. I was reminded of a comment from a reader (quite a while back) who asked: “Here’s my question, if you are a business and offer a lot of things for free (like a blog or newsletter), how do you parley that into appropriate revenue without disengaging your audience?” Integrate Your Marketing With Your Purpose That is a very good question, and one that every business (or would-be business) should be asking. I started thinking about this years ago, posting this article with…
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GTD Times
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A Writer’s GTD Journey
26 Jan 2012 | 9:52 pmGTD Times reader Jenna contributed her ideas on how to adapt GTD to writing. A Writer’s GTD Journey About a year ago I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with my list of unfinished projects. I’m a writer and had about a dozen scripts, stories, and article ideas backlogged on my computer. Not only I was not completing any of the projects, I was adding new ideas every day. Each new idea, rather than filling me with excitement at the prospect of undertaking a new creative project, instead filled me with dread and anxiety because I felt like I was looking at corpses—great concepts… -
What makes a good business book?
24 Jan 2012 | 6:16 pm“If it helps your business. If you can do business better, something there that is worthwhile and useful. I think a combination of underlying principles and practical applications.” - David Allen, interviewed in Fast Company. David Allen, Author of “Getting Things Done,” by Kevin Ohannessian in Fast Company Has productivity changed as technology has evolved, from the utility of iPhones to the connectedness of Facebook? We continue our examination of the business book Getting Things Done with an interview of author David Allen. Why do you think the book was so… -
Get it all out of your head
17 Jan 2012 | 4:18 pmIf you’re still trying to keep track of too many things in your mind, you won’t likely be motivated to use and empty your inboxes with integrity. Most people are relatively careless about having seamless collection tools because they know they don’t represent discrete, whole systems anyway: there’s an incomplete set of things in their inboxes and an incomplete set in their mind, and they’re not getting any payoff from either one, so the thinking goes. It’s like trying to play pinball on a machine that has big holes in the table, so the balls keep… -
Questions for completing and beginning the year
10 Jan 2012 | 6:25 pmDavid Allen has developed this set of questions for completing one year and beginning the next year. Enjoy! What have you actually finished, completed, and accomplished? If you haven’t made a list in the last year, I would highly recommend that you give yourself a treat and review the year that just passed and look forward to the year ahead. When I go through these kinds of questions I like to consider my answers in several areas: Physical Emotional Mental Spiritual Financial Family Community Service Fun / creativity / recreation Completing and remembering last year Review the list of… -
Cool GTD tip for tracking Waiting For items in Outlook
5 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amMany people have found this tip we share in our GTD & Outlook 2010 Guide to be super helpful for corralling the myriad of emails that need to be tracked as a “Waiting For.” You simply need to create a rule in Outlook to copy delegated items to an @Waiting For Support folder (create that folder if you don’t already have one.) Here’s what to do: 1. Select Rules button from the ribbon 2. Click Manage Rules & Alerts 3. Click on New Rule 4. Select Apply rule on messages I receive 5. Click Next 6. Check off from people or specific group. Then click on where…
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RestartGTD
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27 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pm
27 Jan 2012 | 2:31 pmBuzz Bruggeman of Active Words Fame asked about doing a survey on what tools people have tried to implement GTD with, that have failed. A great idea! Hat tip Buzz! If your (failed) tool is not listed, you can nominate it with a write in “Other” at the bottom. Also, don’t even THINK about not voting because you’ve failed with so many systems. This poll will allow you to write in and vote for as many options as you’ve worked with. Take Our Poll -
GETTING BACK ON THE GTD WAGON: WHAT WORKS?
23 Jan 2012 | 8:24 pmOK, in with the new. How do you claw your way back into GTD flow? What has worked for you?? Take Our Poll -
OFF THE GTD WAGON POLL: RESULTS
23 Jan 2012 | 8:22 pmOk, the “off the GTD wagon” poll is now closed. The results for 234 votes are as follows: Getting overwhelmed with next actions is a problem in starting up GTD. No question. I look at the “Inertia” and “Snap Back” answers as kind of the same thing, scoring 46 votes. IT IS VERY EASY once you get into GTD, to never do that first weekly review. I “have a friend” who has coasted with GTD for 3 years without doing a systematic weekly review. I also seen the “Panic” and wonder if it should be lumped in with the #1 alternative of… -
A GTD Desk Zoo (Inspired by bookshelfporn.com)
21 Jan 2012 | 10:16 pmThe purpose of this page, is to create Meade’s Zoo of GTD Desks There are many types of desk, I guess I’m a collector of the ideas of desks. So, I thought I’d put my collection in one place (with links so I can re-find this stuff), and since no reason not to, share it. Section #1: Top Five Ikeahackers.net Desks Dust Free Cable Free BillPinion: I love the look of this, but I bet the monitor can not move forward enough for 52 year old eyes. And, I prefer a good foot more depth in the work surface … and a slight tilt down toward the user. No clutter, gotta love… -
FANTASTIC LifeHacker video on David Allen’s desk
19 Jan 2012 | 11:39 pmStumbled across this excellent link today: http://lifehacker.com/5138412/take-a-tour-of-david-allens-office Looking at Allen’s desk, I think I have a hypochondriacal clutter phobia. Allen’s desk looked: Too cluttered: Allen’s work surface is filled with infrastructure with no place to spread paper out! Get that laser printer under the desk out of the way! Too small: Dude you are a GTDzillionaire, get a bigger space and some really cool surfaces (Apple store display table sized desks at an incline?) to support you! Too little slide to side room: Yes, the desk works.
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GTD for CIOs
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The Weekly Review – How to maintain “Mind Like Water”
14 Jan 2012 | 8:45 pmAt this time of the year many people want to get back on the GTD bandwagon because they are in a reflective mode of self improvement. They know it works and know the stress reduction it can provide. They know when practiced diligently it can provide what David Allen calls “Mind Like Water.” When you are in this state you can feel great about where you are, what you are doing and what you are not doing. For anyone who has experienced this feeling it is amazing and they want to get back there. So many people ask me how they can “really do GTD right this time?”… -
A great GTD Blog
1 Jan 2012 | 8:04 pmWe all fall of the GTD bandwagon once we get started. Bill Meade has a great blog to help explore this. Check it out. -
Doing a Year-End Review – How to be successful with New Year’s Resolutions
1 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pmHappy New Year! This is the time of year we all do self reflection and resolve to improve ourselves in the new year. As most everyone knows making resolutions like “I’m going to lose weight” rarely are successful. The main reason for this is these goals are not put in a context that will allow for long-term success. Once the initial weight loss wear off and we are stuck in the daily grind of our lives we revert to our old habits. If you really want to resolve to accomplish something and truly make a commitment with yourself, then you need to create a environment for… -
Processing RSS Feeds
4 Dec 2011 | 4:55 pmI have always been a reader. I subscribe to numerous magazines and newspapers. I love to read a good book. But, it has become increasingly difficult to stay on top of all the relevant breaking news. Surfing the web to try to keep up is not a viable option as it just takes too much time and it is very easy to get trapped in a rabbit hole of non-productiviity. I have found using RSS feeds is the best way to keep on top of all the news and developments in order to be successful in today’s business and technical world. By using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds I can subscribe… -
Accountability
27 Nov 2011 | 4:58 pmAccountability is important to me. It is important to be accountable to myself and GTD is how I hold myself accountable to the commitments I have in all aspects of my life. Because my trusted system is a closed loop system I know that once I capture something I will not lose track of it. I may decide to move it to a Someday/Maybe list and not act on it right now but I know I will not lose track of my commitments. The sense of accountability and responsibility is relevant in all aspects of life. It is critical with my wife, with my kids, in my social life and in my professional life.
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Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog
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Social Bankruptcy
26 Jan 2012 | 7:36 pmFor the past several months, I’ve been going through a social reboot. This involves consciously reassessing my social life and deciding what connections and social habits to maintain and what to change. But this year I’ve decided to go further with this process and declare outright social bankruptcy. This is an area of my life that was far enough off track that changing it for the better is closer to starting over from scratch than making modifications to an existing structure. It’s more analogous to changing careers than it is to tweaking an existing career. I could see… -
Opting Out of Holiday Gift Exchanges
25 Jan 2012 | 11:31 pmToday I told my family that I’m permanently opting out of buying/giving/receiving gifts for all future birthdays & holidays. Many people grow up with holiday traditions that center around buying and exchanging gifts with family members. I enjoyed and appreciated this when I was younger, and I have many fond memories about it. These days it no longer resonates with me though. It’s not a good fit for my values. I feel it’s time to make a conscious choice here and drop this tradition from my life. Gift giving is a popular love strategy that means a lot to certain people. I… -
Approach Anxiety
23 Jan 2012 | 7:31 pmSeveral months ago I was speaking with my friend Morty Lefkoe about fears and limiting beliefs that I noticed among my readers. I shared with him that one of the biggest problem areas was approach anxiety. While many readers appear to be very social online, it’s common for them to be pretty socially timid in person — I know this quite well from interacting with them both online and face to face. Social timidity is frequently a result of approach anxiety. Instead of proactively approaching new people to form connections (for friendship, dating, networking, etc), these people often… -
Workshop Update
16 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pmThe Conscious Success Workshop this past weekend went amazingly well, even better than I expected. I received lots of positive feedback on it afterwards as well as some suggestions to improve it if/when we run it again. It was a very rewarding weekend to be sure. It’s gratifying to know we stimulated lots of positive growth and change for those who attended. These workshops are highly interactive and very unlike anything else out there. Each workshop is centered around a core of serious content where I share the best tools I’ve encountered and plenty of stories and examples to… -
CSW Almost Sold Out
3 Jan 2012 | 11:51 pmThe Conscious Success Workshop starts in only 10 days (Jan 13-15, 2012 in Las Vegas). We’re close to selling out, so if you’re planning to sign up, please don’t wait till the last minute, or there’s a possibility we won’t have any seats left. I estimate that we can sell about 6 more tickets before the room is at capacity. (Update: We now have only 3 seats left.) This is the eighth 3-day workshop we’ll be doing in Las Vegas. When I look back on our first Conscious Growth Workshop in 2009, I see that we’ve really come a long way. I especially enjoy the…
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Think Simple Now
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The Power of Rituals
23 Jan 2012 | 7:21 pmPhoto by Valerio Boncompagni Editor’s Note: This is a story by guest contributor Jordan Alam “The more I broaden my interpretation of what can be called a ritual, the more I find them, and find myself creating them in my life.” ~Lisa Weiner I was sitting with my therapist in the midst of college finals. It was one of our last sessions together before I would return home for the long summer vacation. It stunned me that my sophomore year at college was coming to an end. Where had the time gone? “I feel like it’s too soon,” I told her, “Like I’ve worked through all these changes,… -
Simplify Your Life This Year
16 Jan 2012 | 5:09 pmPhoto by Rosie Hardy By TSN Contributor Rajiv Vij This is the season for resolutions. I reckon you have considered one or two yourself. Unfortunately, as the year progresses, most New Years resolution tend to fall by the wayside and end up as mere intents. Here’s an insightful approach towards creating a life that’s not only happier and more fulfilling, but one that also automatically responds to your most meaningful resolutions. The Complicated Life Driven sometimes by ambition and other times by a sense of inner incompleteness, we instinctively immerse ourselves in a myriad of pursuits. -
How to Live
8 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pmPhoto by Vanessa Paxton By Cat Li Stevenson “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.” ~Henry Ward Beecher “Okay, let’s say life is a blank canvas. Anything you want. What would you paint, babe?” I asked my husband. There was a brief pause. He grabbed a few Almond Rocas off the kitchen counter, made his way to the couch, and then sat there … like a happy, modern Buddha. He responded, “I don’t think about what to paint, I think about how to paint.” Irritation quickly spread throughout my entire body. Regardless of the Zen… -
Forgiving Yourself (A Story)
29 Dec 2011 | 7:34 pmPhoto by the talented Jon Jacobsen Editor’s Note: This is a story by guest contributor Bobbi Emel “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” ~Lewis B. Smedes I sat in the middle of the large wood-cabin conference hall and scuffed the pine floor with my hiking shoe. The flames in the huge rock fireplace danced as I gazed at them, lost in thought. I hadn’t wanted to come to this retreat. “What’s it like?” I asked my friend, Bruce, one of the organizers of the retreat. “There’s no dancing around the fire in loincloths with mud on our… -
20 Ways to Be Grateful
21 Dec 2011 | 6:15 pmEditor’s Note: This is a guest contribution by Daniel Wong I work as an engineer, and I recently returned to the office after a one-week break. I checked my e-mail inbox: 100 unread e-mails. A sense of dread washed over me. “There goes the next four hours of my life responding to e-mails,” I thought. Reading those 100 e-mails made me sad. Not one of them was written with the intention of expressing gratitude or encouragement! All of them were focused on customer complaints that needed to be addressed and problems that needed to be fixed. Even if the e-mail contained a “thanks,”…
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Productive! Firm - new home to your favorite productivity Magazine and Show
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In our iPad app: Guy Kawasaki in Productive! Magazine #2
25 Jan 2012 | 11:14 amTweetAs we’re porting past issues to our iPad app, it’s time for the issue #2 with Guy Kawasaki and here it is for you to enjoy: Because I’m sure you’d want to know how has Guy been after all these years when he talked to me previously, he was generous enough with his time to talk to me again, here’s our interview: (Youtube link) Enjoy Productive! Magazine #2 on the iPad by downloading our free iPad app! Soon we’ll publish magazine #11 so stay tuned, in the meantime enjoy reading #2 -
Touch typing is important! – Productive! Show #38
16 Jan 2012 | 11:08 amTweetMichael Sliwinski explains how touch typing is important to your productivity and why it boosts your typing speeds by more than 300%. Learn to touch-type if you can’t yet and enjoy the benefits. It takes time but it’s worth it! Watch and comment on YouTube Question: Can you touch-type? Have you consider learning this skill? Subscribe to Productive! Firm | Get the Show: [ with RSS | from iTunes ] -
Our Magazine iPad app now features Seth Godin in Productive! Magazine #10
26 Nov 2011 | 12:44 pmTweetJust a quick note that your favorite Productive! Magazine has already landed on your iPad – if you have our iPad app, the magazine is there waiting for you now. If you don’t, get our iPad app now. If you don’t have an iPad, buy one or download the PDF version of our Productive! Magazine with Seth Godin. Here’s the Table of Contents (hint: inspiring interview with Seth and amazing articles related to the issues mentioned by Seth): Have a great, inspiring read this Thanksgiving weekend: Get our Productive! Magazine iPad app … or simply grab your iPad, open… -
Seth Godin in Productive! Magazine #10
17 Nov 2011 | 8:56 amTweetIt’s my pleasure to present you with our 10th issue of the Productive! Magazine and this time we have a very special person who will without any doubt make you get more done by helping you overcome your internal resistance to become the person you’ve always wanted to be. Seth shares his secrets – how he writes so much, how he manages his life and achieves so much success and he’s convinced you can do it, too. Click here to download the latest issue of the Productive! Magazine #10 This 10th issue of your favorite productivity magazine features great articles by our… -
Seth Godin interview for Productive! Magazine #10
10 Nov 2011 | 3:44 amTweetSeth Godin talks about productivity and what it takes to generate lots of output (books, blog posts, etc.) and how to be remarkable in today’s economy – with Michael Sliwinski for the Productive! Magazine #10 where he’s full interview will be published (free PDF or iPad app) Watch and comment on YouTube Question: What are you doing to be part of the new revolution? What are you shipping today? Subscribe to Productive! Firm | Get the Show: [ with RSS | from iTunes ]
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zenhabits
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Creating Silence from Chaos
27 Jan 2012 | 4:20 pmPost written by Leo Babauta. We are often afraid of silence, because its emptiness feels idle, boring, unproductive, and scary. And so we fill our lives with chaos, noise, clutter. But silence can be lovely, and therapeutic, and powerful. It can be the remedy for our stress and the habits that crush us. If we want quiet in our lives, how do we create it? I’ve been exploring this myself. As a father of six kids, I have to admit that I don’t always have silence in my life. That’s not a complaint — I love the messy noise that my family brings — but silence can be a… -
The Habits That Crush Us
23 Jan 2012 | 12:26 pm‘Don’t panic.’ ~Douglas Adams Post written by Leo Babauta. Why is it that we cannot break the bad habits that stand in our way, crushing our desires to live a healthy life, be fit, simplify, be happier? How is it that our best intentions are nearly always beaten? We want to be focused and productive, exercise and eat healthy foods, stop smoking and learn to get rid of debt and clutter, but we just can’t. The answer lies in something extremely simple, but something most people aren’t aware of: We don’t know how to cope with stress and boredom in a healthy… -
Learning to Sit Alone, in a Quiet Empty Room
17 Jan 2012 | 2:49 pm‘All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.’ ~Blaise Pascal Post written by Leo Babauta. Think about some of the problems of our daily lives, and how many of them would be eased if we could learn to sit alone, in a quiet empty room, with contentment. If you’re content to sit alone quietly, you don’t need to eat junk food, to shop on impulse, to buy the latest gadget, to be on social media to see what everyone else is talking about or doing, to compare yourself to others, to make more money to keep up with the Joneses, to achieve… -
Life as a Conscious Practice
13 Jan 2012 | 10:15 am‘Everything is practice.’ ~Pele Post written by Leo Babauta. When we learn a martial art, or ballet, or gymnastics, or soccer … we consciously practice movements in a deliberate way, repeatedly. By conscious, repeated practice, we become good at those movements. Our entire lives are like this, but we’re often less conscious of the practice. Each day, we repeat movements, thought patterns, ways of interacting with others … and in this repeated practice, we are becoming (or have already become) good at these things. If you constantly check Facebook or Twitter, that is… -
Your Top 10 Clutter Questions, Answered
11 Jan 2012 | 12:33 pmPost written by Leo Babauta. Decluttering is a skill that you learn with practice, just like any skill. And just like other skills, there are many little questions and problems you need answered and solved as you get started. Those of you taking the Clutterfat Challenge this month are facing these problems, and I’m here to help. This post is a quickstart guide to decluttering — the most common questions answered. Also see last week’s Clutterfat Challenge post: How to Tackle Your Clutter. 1. Where do I start? Start anywhere — really, where you start doesn’t…
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Unclutterer
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Workspace of the Week: Composed calm
27 Jan 2012 | 10:17 amThis week’s Workspace of the Week is H Sterling Cross’ simple setup: Cable management is what makes this desk beautiful. If there were cords hanging beneath it, you would never notice the stunning wood desk. Its smooth, clean lines and unadorned hardware could easily be missed if clutter were in the way. H Sterling has attached a small power strip to the back panel of the desk so only its cable runs down the leg and off to the outlet. Additionally, the model of the SR-71 Blackbird is the only decoration on the desk, which makes the red Swingline stapler appear to be more than a… -
How to organize your kitchen pantry
26 Jan 2012 | 11:55 amI’m currently reading the ninth edition of the Culinary Institute of America’s textbook The Professional Chef. I don’t have any desire to be a professional chef, I simply decided to read it to help me step up my game in my home kitchen. I’m only a few chapters into this book, and I’ve already learned a wealth of information. Much to my surprise, the book is full of fantastic organizing advice. In hindsight, I should have expected this since having an organized restaurant can be a key component in a restaurant’s survival. A poorly run kitchen can produce… -
Unitasker Wednesday: Avocado Cuber (and Avocado Pit Removal Tool and Avo Saver and Avocado Knife)
25 Jan 2012 | 9:45 amAll Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy! I’m fairly certain our Unitasker Wednesday feature could exist entirely on kitchen gadgets that do the same thing as knives. There are so many of these doodads and geegaws that you might be able to avoid using a knife in your kitchen completely if you had an unlimited supply of money and storage space. Sure, knives are incredibly functional and built to handle all your chopping, slicing, and dicing needs — but why use an incredibly simple knife… -
A year ago on Unclutterer
25 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am2010 Use your mac as a television The elgato EyeTV Hybrid lets you watch televised programming on your Mac without needing a dedicated television set. 2008 Stop hoarding magazines Many magazines are now putting their entire publishing history on CDs or DVDs. Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland's Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today. -
Stop overlooking the perpetually out-of-place stuff
24 Jan 2012 | 8:42 amObjects can easily go on walkabout and then hang out, as if on vacation, in whatever random location you left them. If this happens to you (like it does me from time-to-time), try these five strategies to help you to see and deal with the perpetually out-of-place stuff in your home and office: Take photographs of all areas of a room and then look intently at the pictures. I’m not sure how it works, but analyzing an image can often help you see clutter you’ve become blind to in person. Dust bunnies under your monitor, stray toys under your dining room buffet, junk mail on your…
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Notes on Productivity
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DominoPower: Getting Things Done with Lotus Notes
9 Aug 2012 | 10:20 pmOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
What if computer problems were real?
28 Sep 2011 | 2:06 amOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
Take the 14 day GTD Challenge and Get More Done
21 Sep 2011 | 11:00 amOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
Invitation: Super Productivity Tools for Superwomen
12 Sep 2011 | 1:17 amOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
Why some users only see Notes as email
30 Aug 2011 | 7:05 pmFor some users of Lotus Notes, that's all they can see, access, or use. What an extraordinary waste of resources to pay well for talent and expertise, give workers and extraordinary tool to support them, and then lock it down so all they can use is email. Today, I worked with a senior executive at a large organization. He had transferred from a global organization that used Outlook. Now, he has Lotus Notes. Like many highly productive executives, he's involved in a GTD community (this one happened to be on LinkedIn) where he learned that Lotus Notes could be transformed into a highly…
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Ian's Messy Desk
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10 Tricks to Help You Remember
27 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pmBetween meetings, to-do lists, preparing supper, shopping and driving the kids, how do you remember all you have to do? David Allen says that your brain is not the most efficient memory tool and it will only trust systems that it knows works. Good memory recall is as simple as finding those things that will jog your brain at the time it needs to remember. Here are 10 easy tricks to jog your memory: Write it down - My number one favourite trick: carry a notebook, have good lists, etc. I carry a small 2 X 4 inch notepad and a Pilot G-2 Mini pen in my wallet. That way, no matter where I… -
4 Tips for Basic E-mail Management
27 Jan 2012 | 12:28 pmIs your email killing your productivity? Then it’s time for some basic e-mail management. With a few simple steps, you can maintain control over your in-box: Use the software: Set up your e-mail client to manage as much of the incoming mail as possible. Create filters to route unnecessary messages past your in-box and into a folder. Make sure your spam settings and databases are active and up to date. The more you automate your e-mail, the less time you spend reading and deleting. Turn off your new mail notification: You don’t have to read every piece of e-mail the moment it arrives. -
Keep it All in Balance
27 Jan 2012 | 10:25 amA corporate executive on holiday in a small Greek seacoast village was strolling by the docks and drinking in the local colour. He complimented one fisherman on the quality of his catch. “How long did it take you to get all those fish?” he wondered. “Not very long,” answered the Greek. “An hour or two.” “Then why didn’t you stay out longer to catch more?” Shrugging, the Greek explained that his catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The executive asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?” I sleep late, fish a little, play with my… -
11 Golden Rules of Time Management
27 Jan 2012 | 8:24 amUnderstand the value of your time: We may all value our time differently, but we all have the same number of minutes in a day. Once they are lost, they are gone forever. Plan: You don’t plan failure, but you have to plan for success. Do tomorrow’s planning today: Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of the day to figure out what you need to accomplish. Determine that before the day starts. Identify your “prime time:” What part of the day do you have more or less energy? Plan high-energy or low-energy tasks accordingly. Work from an action list: Create lists from which to… -
5 Tips for Handling Unwanted Workplace Visitors
26 Jan 2012 | 8:07 pmYou’ve got a full hour between meetings. Plenty of time to put the finishing touches on the month end staffing report. You pull up the spreadsheet, print off your boss’s e-mailed comments, dig out your notes from the last meeting and settle down to work. No sooner do you start to enter data, than Jane wanders in, sits down and asks if you’ve heard the latest rumour about Bob down in purchasing. Before you know it, your full hour has dwindled to 17 minutes. Controlling drop-in visitors who interrupt your workflow requires both tact and judgement. The office culture where you work…
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Jason Womack
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8,940 steps during a seminar
25 Jan 2012 | 9:02 amI still remember setting a record (but, that as an 8am-5pm seminar for 200 people...) so when a saw this, I was happy. Being fit, moving my body, tracking progress over time...this are important factors in/to your Productivity Profile. What you do, what you always have near you, what you focus on all create the "how and why" of your own approach to time management. What's next for you to engage in? (Me? I'm at the airport, people watching as await my next flight. Good times!) -
It Could Be Easier Than You Thought
23 Jan 2012 | 7:23 amIt could. Leave that option open. Once you clear it...that is, you've put in "four words or less" what you're going for, let it show up. -
My idea of a good time
22 Jan 2012 | 8:56 pmIf I had 4 extra blocks of 15 minutes... Landing in town a day early (Minneapolis) today, I "stopped by" the MOA - Mall of America. Wow! Anyway, I treated myself to an educational opportunity. I picked up a notebook - watch out...my last book got started that way! - and three books about Thomas Edison. I've already made it through half of one. My take-away so far, "Get after it. Whatever your thing is, work on it, talk about it, think about it...write about it." Anything I can do to help, let me know. -
The room is alive... and getting #Better
20 Jan 2012 | 2:01 pmLooking out over this scene is an amazing way to start the day. I was thinking the other day about the ideas of creativity, serendipity, chance and blind luck. Lucky, that's how I feel today. Yet, as a friend reminded me this morning: "We kind of build our own foundations for luck to come our way." Recently, Forbes.com published an article on how "wasting time" just may be a productivity technique. That in the midst of chaos, interruption, and distractions we could have our most creative moments. I don't know... In order to get that book in to your hands, I had to learn to do the opposite of… -
How do you grow a small business?
16 Jan 2012 | 6:58 amIf you're a small business owner, would you add your say here about Growing Business in 2012? (5 questions, and they are all YES or NO...) Scroll down, and you'll see the survey - thanks! http://www.womackcompany.com/cnc/
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Stepcase Lifehack
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Searching for the Perfect Productivity Tool
27 Jan 2012 | 8:49 pmHow many productivity systems, methodologies, strategies or tools have you tried so far? Do you already use something that fits your needs perfectly, or are you just doing OK, still have a feeling that something could be better? Many people want to find the perfect productivity system or tool. Having such goal, they consider the “searching phase” as something bad. They think about it as time they have to waste for experimenting. If you still haven’t found your Holy Grail of Productivity – don’t worry. No one said you have to. Maybe there’s even no such… -
10 Killer Cooking / Kitchen Hacks
27 Jan 2012 | 4:15 pmI love to cook. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a tasty home-cooked meal that I have prepared and made myself. It’s satisfying knowing that my effort has paid off and I have produced something that I can be proud to share. However, if you’re a novice, it can take time to learn some of the tricks and hacks that can improve your cooking skills or speed up your kitchen prowess. Then there is the cleaning up afterwards — a sink full of dishes that gets in the way whilst you are cooking that no one wants to deal with. Here are a few tips I’ve learned to improve… -
Do You Actually Work 40+ Hours?
27 Jan 2012 | 5:02 amThe last few months, I’ve been wondering about something. I am self-employed. I work in an office by myself. No one watches me or looks over my shoulder. I work flexible hours. Do those hours really add up to 40 or more a week? My Productivity Experiment I did an experiment in which I calculated all of the hours I was actually working (i.e. writing, attending phone meetings, pursuing leads, responding to business-related e-mails) versus doing personal tasks or surfing the Internet. It turns out that I do indeed work 40 or more hours a week, but those hours aren’t organized in 5, 8-hour… -
How to Wake Up Like a Dog
26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 pmBefore I get started, some of you must be thinking that I’ve gone completely mad suggesting that we should be waking up like a dog — or any other animal for that matter. Let me explain. Each morning here at my home (without fail), one of my Lhasa Apso dogs (a boy named Chester) starts to prop himself up at the side of my bed at about 6:30 am to see if I’m getting up yet. He does this even if it’s still completely dark outside — like it usually is during our Canadian winter season this early in the morning. He must have some type of internal alarm clock that wakes… -
Productivity Made Simple: How to Keep Your Projects from Killing You
26 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pmSome projects can be a real pain in the you know what. Not all of them, of course. But there are some that just keep us awake at night. There can be many reasons of such a situation. Sometimes the tasks that need to be done are simply difficult to perform. Other times it’s the amount of time required that frightens us. But sometimes the most frightening thing of them all is that we don’t know what’s going on in a project, and can’t seem to find a way to plan everything out and get a clear picture of what needs to be done. In the previous parts of the series we were discussing what to…
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Arif & Ali's Blog
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Sufi Comics will launch an iPad app at Comic Con India 2012
26 Jan 2012 | 11:15 pmSufi Comics will be participating at the annual Comic Con India that takes place on 17 to 19th of Feburary at Dilli Haat New Delhi. Last year we launched the “40 Sufi Comics” at Comic Con Mumbai, this year we have a new launch, a Sufi Comics iPad app! The Comics will be available in full color with sound and motion. If you’re in Delhi during the middle of February do visit Comic-Con, we would be very happy to meet you!Similar Posts: Sufi Comics at Comic-Con Express Mumbai: Photos & Press Book Launch: 40 Sufi Comics at Comic-Con express Mumbai A new home… -
Sufi Comics in French, German & Russian
26 Jan 2012 | 8:59 amThanks to the wonderful readers around the world, Sufi Comics is now being translated into various languages. We’ve already started putting up comics in French, German & Russian. Click on the links to view the comics in the respective languages. Special thanks to Raik Sabeel, Nurabdurashid & Mohammed Azim for translating the comics. Would you like to share Sufi Comics with people who speak your native language? Contact us to help translate Sufi Comics in your language.Similar Posts: A new home for Sufi Comics – www.SufiComics.com 40 Sufi Comics in the Media… -
A new home for Sufi Comics – www.SufiComics.com
25 Dec 2011 | 12:03 amSufi Comics started as an experiment 3 years ago on our blog, and Alhamdulliah a lot has happened during the last 3 years: * Published a book: 40 Sufi Comics * Comics are being translated in 4 languages… more languages coming soon * Is used in Madrasahs around the world (including Canada, Australia, US, Africa, Pakistan, Dubai) * Participation at Comic-Con Mumbai * Working on Volume 2 of Sufi Comics * Very shortly we’re releasing an app for the iPhone & iPad With all the activity surrounding this project we felt it deserves a new home on the internet. Sufi Comic’s new… -
Sufi Comics: Walking on Water
14 Dec 2011 | 8:33 amSufi Comics: Walking on water Hassan Al-Basri & Rabia Basri are two well known personalities who lived in Iraq during the 7th Century. I came across this beautiful story that I thought would make a wonderful comic.Similar Posts: The Best Story on the History of Islam I have ever read. Sufi Comics: The Prayer of Jesus (a) Award winning Animated Short on how entwined our lives are with Fate. Sufi Comics: Al-hamdu-lillah Sufi Comics: Follow Principles -
Please Support Wikipedia
30 Nov 2011 | 8:43 amThere are three things that I can’t imagine life without. - Chocolate - Coffee Breaks - and Wikipedia. Almost everyday I visit wikipedia to learn about some Person, Event, A piece of history, a bit of science…gosh the list goes on. When reading news online they have references to events that I have no idea about. But just with a flick of a wrist, wikipedia is open and I know exactly what they are talking about. Wikipedia is an amazing project setup by an amazing person. Jimmy Wales is determined to keep it Advertising free. What spirit! Read an excerpt from his passionate appeal:…
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I'm an Organizing Junkie
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It’s Time for Another Org Junkie Video
27 Jan 2012 | 10:20 amHey friends, thought I’d give you a peek into what my unedited videos look like. I’m done with editing…blech. Seriously, who has time for such things anyway? Just kidding to all you editing geniuses, it’s all good :) From now on though I’m one cut Laura, dorkiness and all! So I’d love it if you’d chime in below with any video topics you’d like to see in the future. I’m going to try to post videos more frequently, maybe. If you tell me to stick with blogging and forget the videos well then I might do that too. Want to see more,… -
Teaching Your Kids to Organize
26 Jan 2012 | 3:45 pmLast week I wrote a post about my love of purging. Afterwards I got a sweet email from a reader that I’d like to share with you. When I was a child (now I’m 58), we didn’t have many toys but my mom was always giving away what we did have to my cousins who had way less than we had. Clothing, furniture, and toys. She gave away my Mickey Mouse Farris Wheel. If you price those today on antique toy sites, they go extremely high prices. But that’s not really why I wrote. Both my sister and I have had, over the years, very hard times giving away or getting rid of… -
29 Day Organizing Challenge Coming Soon!
24 Jan 2012 | 10:28 pmFor those that aren’t following me on Facebook, you might have missed my exciting announcement about my upcoming 29 Day Organizing Challenge taking place in February!! It’s going to be awesome and I’m super excited about all the awesome sponsors that are coming on board to provide AMAZING prizes for the winners (to be announced soon!). Time to start thinking about which room you’d like to work on. More in depth details can be found on the Challenge tab at the top of my site. Check it out!! You don’t want to miss this!! 29 Day Organizing Challenge Coming… -
Vinyl Fridge Menu Planner On Sale Now!
24 Jan 2012 | 12:48 pmLast year I did a giveaway for an awesome fridge menu planner made out of vinyl. It was really popular and I knew that I had to find a way to bring it into my shop. I’m so excited to tell you that today is the day!! You put the planner on your fridge and use a dry-erase marker to write your menu right on your fridge. It’s available in two sizes for you: Small Vinyl Menu Planner (12″ x 17″) Large Vinyl Menu Planner ( 24″ x 35″) There are only a limited number of quantities available so don’t wait if you are interested. To check it out please… -
Menu Plan Monday ~ Jan 23/12 – menu planning with picky eaters
23 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amHappy Monday everyone! Glad to see you are back for another organized week! I’m so sorry if you are experiencing errors when you visit on Mondays. Sometimes with everyone trying to get on the site at once it acts up. I’m going to be upgrading servers as soon as I figure it all out. Thanks for your patience! If you are looking for a yummy dessert sometime soon, I highly recommend this Cinnamon Roll Cake. I made it for church potluck yesterday and it was so good! Another recipe I tried last week was this one for Classic Orange Julius, I couldn’t resist. Go check…
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SheenOnline
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Sustainable business: Be economically driven
16 Jan 2012 | 7:11 amThis is a guest post by Alia Haley Many of the business leaders realize the fact that depending merely on advertisements alone cannot suffice for the brand building process. However, entrepreneurs do not put much efforts of building the business brand which can sustain in difficult times of business. Therefore sustainable business is a new idea in the world of business, although it’s gaining popularity slowly and steadily in business circles. Still people find it an abstract or some call it a theoretical thing in business practices. The reason behind this story is because most of the… -
Make Money: Even with no product and no website
4 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amThis is a guest post by Alia Haley Marketing techniques may not be your preferred tools and having your own website may seem too taxing. And you are not interested in selling a product you do not like! On many occasions, you have ample time (even if you already have a job) to spend constructively for handsome earnings. But resource crunch, lack of desired qualification, improper guideline, etc. pose a restriction in progressing in the desired path. There are many ways which can help you earn reasonably. If you can really browse hard and spend some quality time, you can find multiple… -
Straight Talk Cuts Your Phone Bill in Half and Offers Android Smartphone
17 Sep 2011 | 5:00 amThis is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. The average cell phone bill is about $80/month. With Straight Talk, you’re looking at $30/month for 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, and 30MB of data. Add $15 dollars to that, $45 dollars, and you get unlimited minutes, texts, and data. That’s only $499 for an entire year of unlimited mobile service. With numbers like that, many are going for Straight Talk, Hook, line and sinker. If you take a look at commentary from a real Straight Talk customer, you find that the service… -
Playing in Traffic: Speed Demons
24 Jun 2011 | 2:24 pmAnyone who has driven a vehicle has encountered a driver who has a touch of road rage or is just highly impatient. These are the people who change lanes repeatedly and for no apparent reason. They try to blow through every yellow light they can. They follow dangerously close, hoping you’ll move out of their way. They seem to have no earthly idea that there are actual legal speed limits posted along the side of the road. You, on the other hand, cruise along patiently (unless you are the speed demon). You may exceed the speed limit, but only by a bit and you don’t swerve in and out… -
Hyper-Gate is Social Media Management PLUS
20 Jun 2011 | 11:01 amHyper-Gate is a Brooklyn-based IT Services, Software Development, and Social Media Management company composed primarily of Latino and African-American shareholders. Their business is geared towards African-American and Latino brands. Hyper-Gate does what they call an Optimized Business Branding process, registering businesses in 300+ Social Networks, 300+Business Listings, and search engines. Once the basics are done, Hyper-Gate maintains, manages, develops and distributes content for your brand on a daily basis. This allows small businesses to focus on their core products and services while…
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Dragos Roua - Brilliantly Better
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A Crash Course In The Long-Lost Art Of Adaptation
23 Jan 2012 | 8:55 amOne of the biggest lies of my life was this one: if you do your job constantly, if you listen to your folks obediently, nothing bad will happen to you. All you have to do in order to live a happy life is to play by the rules and everyone around you will do the same. If you listen to life, life will listen to you and will reward you back big time. Well, guess what, it didn’t actually happen like this. I mean, I did my best to be obedient, to follow the rules, to do my job and not to harm anyone else, and yet, out of the blue, I got kicked straight in my ass. And not only once. I’m sure… -
Best Empowering Tools
16 Jan 2012 | 4:51 amYeap, I know. This is a very generic title. But, if you clicked through it, you’re gonna be in for a treat. Every once in a while, I get to be involved in specific online events. Sometimes it’s about collective projects, sometimes it’s about some interesting memes and sometimes it’s about specific sales events. This post is about one of these sales events. How are these are working? In short, you put together some top-notch experts in a specific niche, and then try to convince them to lower the price of their products, for a very short amount of time, and to create… -
Are You Staring At Me?
11 Jan 2012 | 5:19 amAs a digital nomad I get to work in public places a lot, especially coffee shops. Every once in a while I run into some mild problems, but, usually, nothing really serious. Until the other day. Sit down, relax, and make sure you don’t read this in a coffee shop too The Premises So, here I am, on a nice Monday morning, unpacking my laptop over a nice small table at my favorite Starbucks, arranging my cup of tea and plugging in the cable. Around, a few people at their own tables, most of them with their own laptops, tapping silently. Soft music, nice light, a perfect atmosphere for… -
Cash, Stubborness and Music
5 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amI had the first cassette recorder when I was around 4. It was called Jola 2, a Polish make. I know, I know, Poland and cassette recorders. But hey, it was the peak of the communist era in the Eastern Europe, in very early seventies. We were all actually eating our own dog food. I still have a very clear recollection of both the actual device and the context which lead to its acquisition. It was a black box with the cassette tray on the left side, with the speaker on the right side (it was an ellipse shaped speaker, I remember how I peaked through the small holes of the black plastic mask and… -
An Tan Tiri Mogo Dan
3 Jan 2012 | 9:00 amOr, to be more precise, “An Tan Tiri Mogo Dan, Cara Cara Si, Princi Pa Ta Morin Go. Tan Go!†In case you didn’t live in the Romania of the seventies, chances to know the meaning of those words are close to zero. Ok, it’s a “countdownâ€. You don’t know what a “countdown†is? It’s a sequence of apparently bogus words, spoken in a certain rhythm, almost like a song, each word being assigned to a certain person. Or, to be even more precise, to a certain kid, because this countdown is actually one of my strongest childhood memories.
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Popular Science - DIY
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In Which I Designed a Part for My Truck, and Got It Built From Scratch
18 Jan 2012 | 9:02 amBracketology Vin MarshallCustom fabrication is becoming easier and easier Recently I converted my old Ford pickup to diesel, and I needed to make a bracket to hold a throttle position sensor, which helps to control the new transmission. Often I wing this sort of thing, working from notebook drawings or cardboard models. But this time I decided to use 3-D CAD modeling, CNC manufacturing and 3-D printing to design and fabricate the part to the exact specifications I wanted. STEP 1: DESIGN Using Alibre Design Expert 3-D CAD software, I created an assembly, which lets you model previously… -
How Can I Tell if My Phone's Performance Measures Up?
13 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pmStrongPhone Thilo RothackerHow to make sure your browser, CPU, and network speeds are keeping up with the iJoneses and Jonesdroids Without conducting some tests on a smartphone, it's hard to tell whether an upgrade is overdue or just a waste of money. The most important component to benchmark is the CPU, which is most easily done on Android phones-the free application Quadrant generates a graph comparing processor speed with that of other popular phones. To check the browser's performance, use the SunSpider or V8 JavaScript test tools, which work across any phone platform. The Speedtest.net… -
Video: MakerBot Replicator Prints a Plastic Bust of Stephen Colbert
11 Jan 2012 | 5:00 pmThe new MakerBot is bigger and more capable than ever before I just stopped by MakerBot's far-flung booth somewhere in the back caverns of CES (I believe it may technically be in Arizona) to check out their new Replicator 3-D printer. Check out the video below--pretty sure that's a bust of Stephen Colbert being slowly brought to life with swirling circles of molten plastic. The Replicator is the newest MakerBot, a relatively inexpensive 3-D printer that can print in either ABS (the same plastic LEGO uses) or PLA (a corn-based bio-material). This version is much bigger, capable of printing… -
You Built What?! A Wearable LED Television
2 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pmThis 160-by-120 pixel TV will get you stopped at the airport David Forbes was on his way home to Tucson, Arizona, after a family trip last summer when a policeman stopped him in the Detroit airport. The officer said he had received 50 panicked phone calls since Forbes had entered the building, and now his entire family had been marked for extra screening. The delay was inconvenient, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Forbes had 160 circuit boards and enough electronics to start a data center strapped to his body. What the authorities didn't realize, though, was that all the equipment… -
Instant Kool-Aid is a Marvel of Technology
29 Dec 2011 | 2:00 pmA glass of instant Kool-Aid requires eight ounces of water and a surprising amount of innovation When you think of technology, you probably think of computers and jet engines and such. But there are other feats of engineering that are equally sophisticated, just less obviously so. Instant Kool-Aid, for example. There are two fundamental problems in creating a small tablet that quickly turns a glass of water into a fruity drink. The first is finding a way to disperse the ingredients without forcing an impatient customer to stir them. The solution is sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, a…
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Get Organized!
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Get Organized: 4 Easy Steps to Organizing Success
19 Jan 2012 | 12:22 pmSo you recently made a New Year's Resolution "to get organized." Well, you're in good company! Organization is always a popular top 10 resolution every year.But now that you've set the organizing goal, how do you successfully negotiate the ins and outs of accomplishing it? Here are 4 tips to do just that.(1) Have a plan.Don't say: My goal is to get organized.Do say: I want to better manage my time. -Or- I want to tidy up my closet. -Or- I want to organize my estate.Speaking in generalities leads to doing in generalities. In other words, if you don't have decisive organizing goals, you won't… -
Get Organized: 51 Ways to Get Organized Now, Part 2
5 Jan 2012 | 7:02 amIn the previous blog, I shared the first half of my 51 easy and quick ways to get organized and feel more balanced today. (If you missed the last issue of Organizing Essentials, you can read the whole article here.) Here are the remainder of the 51 tips- happy organizing and Happy New Year!Declutter Your Space31. Purge your sock drawer – toss any that have holes, are worn out, faded or have no match.32. Gather post-it notes and scraps of paper with names, addresses and phone numbers on them and record them in a central address book.33. Go through your DVD or CD collection. Organize by… -
Get Organized: 51 Ways to Get Organized Now, Part 1
15 Dec 2011 | 6:00 amAs we prepare for the New Year, it’s a sure bet that somewhere along the way you’ll be thinking about goals and resolutions to get your life more organized. To help you get a jump start, I’ve put together a list of 51 easy and quick ways to get organized and feel more balanced today. Please don’t let this number overwhelm you - you don’t have to do all 51 at once! Read through the list, prioritize the ones that will give you the best benefit and tackle a handful of those to begin with. In no time at all, you’ll find that your home, business and life are much more organized,… -
Get Organized: The Most Productive Week of Your Year is Waiting for You
30 Nov 2011 | 2:59 pmEvery single year, getting organized holds a solid place of honor among most people’s top 10 New Year’s resolutions. At the start of every January, millions of people around the world resolve that this year is the year that they will finally get organized. But by the end of that month, many of those same people are running out of steam as they give up hope of reaching their organizing goals.This may sound like your own life! If it does, you are not alone. And you’re in good company thinking about your resolution ahead of time, because NOW is one of the best times of the year for you to… -
Get Organized: Time-Wasting Habits – and How to Break Them
16 Nov 2011 | 1:19 pm"Perfectionism is a paralytic. It’s a powerful venom that causes productivity to die a slow, painful death.” ~ Carmen CokerWhen tackling a cluttered lifestyle, sometimes it’s not what you need to get that will help, it’s what you need to get rid of. Today we’re going to talk about three common time-wasters – and actions steps that will help you to get them out of your daily routine so that you can enjoy a clutter-free, stress-free life.Time Waster #1: Answering the phone every time it rings. Next time you rush to answer the phone when it rings, ask yourself this: Why am I…
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Notes on Productivity
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DominoPower: Getting Things Done with Lotus Notes
9 Aug 2012 | 10:20 pmOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
What if computer problems were real?
28 Sep 2011 | 2:06 amOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
Take the 14 day GTD Challenge and Get More Done
21 Sep 2011 | 11:00 amOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
Invitation: Super Productivity Tools for Superwomen
12 Sep 2011 | 1:17 amOriginally posted on Notes On Productivity -
Why some users only see Notes as email
30 Aug 2011 | 7:05 pmFor some users of Lotus Notes, that's all they can see, access, or use. What an extraordinary waste of resources to pay well for talent and expertise, give workers and extraordinary tool to support them, and then lock it down so all they can use is email. Today, I worked with a senior executive at a large organization. He had transferred from a global organization that used Outlook. Now, he has Lotus Notes. Like many highly productive executives, he's involved in a GTD community (this one happened to be on LinkedIn) where he learned that Lotus Notes could be transformed into a highly…
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Wrike Product Blog
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Wrike's New Infographic
24 Jan 2012 | 2:00 am -
Three Ways to Minimize Your Project Budget Exposure
23 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amKeeping the project budget in line is one of the most difficult things that a project manager does – and yet it is a huge factor in determining the overall success of the project when the engagement winds down. The goal is to keep it in line throughout and avoid falling into emergency mode at any point with a huge budget overrun that you have to either fix or find yourself at the brink of project shutdown. Through my experience, I've found that the following three processes are extremely helpful to me as I try to keep my project budgets in check on the multiple projects… -
7 Eye-Opening Tips to Stay on Top of Your Marketing Projects
16 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amAre you tired of having your information spread out in disconnected files, e-mails and papers around you? Do you feel you are constantly missing something important? Do you believe you and your team can collaborate more productively? Dave Anderson, Director of Sales & Marketing in UK2 Group, a global hosting provider, had similar problems before he started using Wrike in his department a couple of months ago. "Before Wrike, I had everything written down on multiple sheets of paper. At the end of every week, I spent hours on taking them all, consolidating,… -
Secrets to Getting Projects Done in Less Time
10 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amThe secret of efficiency in project management is pretty simple: You don't need to do everything; you need to doeverything that's important. But with tight deadlines, lots of people and multiple projects, planning your time can be very tricky. In our new podcast, we discuss this issue with Matt Bullock, a COO at Base Camp Franchising. Matt successfully coordinates dozens of projects for almost 100 franchise retail stores nationwide under 2 brands: Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate. Matt has first-hand knowledge of what it means to manage multiple project groups with… -
Lucky Winners of the Drawing Among Our Working Habits Survey Participants
27 Dec 2011 | 2:00 amA few weeks ago, we encouraged all of you to have your say in our “Working Habits” survey. Thanks to your very active participation, it turned out to be a blast, with 1,000+ responses received. We really appreciate your input, and soon we’ll share the interesting findings about virtual work that you helped us to discover. For instance, we were surprised to learn that as many as 57% of the respondents don’t use Skype, IM apps and social communication tools at work. Did you expect that? We assume that Wrike replaces all these tools for you! ;-) Also, as we promised, we…
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There, I Fixed It - Redneck Repairs
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Car Parts Anti-Theft Protection
28 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amMufflers are making a killing on the black market right now. ~Not-”Not-So-Handy Andy” Jack Submitted by: Unknown -
AK Chainsaw
27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 pmCustom rifle manufacturer DoubleStar built this modified AK-47. Its most obvious feature is the chainsaw fixed to the barrel, powered by a lithium battery so you don’t have to be attached to an outlet when the zombie apocalypse certainly most definitely happens. If Ash had this, Army of Darkness would be about half as long. ~Not-”Not-So-Handy Andy” Jack -
DIY AT-AT Cable Organizer
27 Jan 2012 | 6:30 pmYou can get a kit for this Lucasnerd-approved cable organizer from GeekCook, or you can fix one up yourself using sections of that Princess Leia cardboard cut-out you owned in the ’70s. You did, don’t deny it. ~Not-”Not-So-Handy Andy” Jack Submitted by: UnknownVia: laughingsquid.com -
$30,000+ Car, $5 Ratchet Strap
27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmYour parts are hanging out. Pervert. ~Not-”Not-So-Handy Andy” Jack Submitted by: Brian Ritchie -
A Sandglass That Only Works One Way
27 Jan 2012 | 4:00 pmIt’s more like a 10 minute glass now. Submitted by: thejdub
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How to of the Day
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How to Make Fingerless Gloves
28 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amFingerless gloves are handy gloves for keeping most of the hand warm while still allowing for freedom of movement with the fingers. They're very easy to make using a pair of existing gloves, as you'll see from this tutorial. Edit Steps Turning long fingered gloves into fingerless gloves Find a pair of gloves.Find a pair of gloves. They can be old or brand new, just as long as you're happy to repurpose them. Old ones that have holes in the ends of the fingers are excellent for this purpose, as they'll get a new lease of life. Cotton, wool, angora, lambswool, cashmere, etc. are all acceptable… -
How to Mind Map Yourself
27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmAn 'old school' mind mapSince the time of the Ancient Greeks, humans have been using methods to tap into the mind's ability to associate and imagine outcomes in order to find coherent solutions. Mind mapping is one modern day approach that draws on associations and imagination to create an overview of lots of seemingly separate pieces of information to find and clarify pathways, solutions and to organize issues. You may be wondering how a mind map can be of help to you personally. Indeed, it can be of tremendous help, as mind mapping can be used as a source of self-empowerment or personal… -
How to Hide That You Are on a Diet
27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amAlthough some people love to talk about their diets, you might not want the entire world to know you're dieting. While one good reason to hide your diet intentions may be to surprise folks with weight loss, another reason could be that after trying countless diets you may not want to hear about it if you trip up. Or, you may simply be fed up discussing all the pros and cons of various diet types as the only topic of dinner table or social event conversation, or having to justify the choice you've made. In addition, studies show that the mere act of announcing your goals to others makes you… -
How to Build an LED Camcorder Light
27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amCreate your own camcorder light to improve the visual ability of your camcorder in dim light or darkness. Edit Steps Collect the items needed to complete this project. These are listed below under "Things You'll Need". Collect the items needed to complete this project. Find some suitable elasticized fabric. Find some suitable elasticized fabric. Measure the circumference of the camcorder lens or whatever mounting point the light will attach to. Then measure the same for the elasticized fabric. Measure the circumference of the camcorder lens or whatever mounting point the light will attach to. -
The Etiquette of Inviting Your Ex to Your Wedding
26 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmIf party planning isn’t tough enough, now you want to invite your ex to your wedding. And while there is no clear cut etiquette answer on the suitability or otherwise of having an ex at a wedding – Prince William and Princess Catherine invited ex-flames to their wedding – it is important that both you and your fiancé are comfortable with the decision and have talked it through. Having an ex at your wedding takes tremendous tact and an extremely understanding fiancé––hopefully one who is confident enough in your relationship to freely admit if he or she feels uncomfortable with…
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Your Organizing Coach
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Idea > Decision > Action
26 Jan 2012 | 12:07 pmFor many people, it’s easier and more fun to think up new ideas than to take action on the ones they already thought of. Buckling down and focusing on one idea and making it happen can make them antsy. Sometimes the project you take on is very large and there are so many things to address that you’re tempted to start them all at once. When it comes to organizing, this can get you into trouble. The process is this: have an idea, make a decision, take the action. For example, the idea could be “organize the bottom shelf,” the decision is “only have notebooks, pads… -
Mail-Free Tuesdays?
25 Jan 2012 | 10:59 pmOriginally posted 2009-01-29 12:16:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter We all get too much mail. We all complain about too much mail. And soon, there may be a day every week where no mail comes at all. The US Postal Service is considering dropping mail delivery either on Tuesday or Saturday, historically the lightest volume days. USPS officials say, "The Postal Service may be running out of cash by year’s end." USA Today wrote: ""We hope these changes go unnoticed by the customer," spokesman Gerald McKiernan said at the time." Perhaps they will. Between email… -
A Million Ways to Organize Your Stuff
18 Jan 2012 | 10:27 pmOriginally posted 2011-03-02 11:08:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter Everybody loves top ten lists. Or any kind of numbered list. Five Ways to Pamper Your Siamese Cat. Top 50 Favorite Bagel Toppings. 100 Best Tips for Losing Weight by Eating Pineapples. Ideas galore! Throw them out. You don’t need them. I’m not saying they aren’t good ideas. I’m just saying you don’t need them. And I’m saying that you already know this. What you need is to do something with the good ideas you already have. I’m guilty of this myself. I look for inspiration, for… -
Clutter is Tiring
17 Jan 2012 | 5:58 pmIt’s exhausting, actually. It’s hard on the eyes. It hems you in. Sometimes it feels like it’s just in the background, just there in case you need it. But then you remember how relieved and calm you felt last time you cleared out that clutter, as if a weight had been lifted. Clutter niggles at you, subtly draining your energy. Old magazines whisper “read me!” Piles of clothes coax “come sort me!” Your crafts bag says “come play with me!” This creates a low level of background chatter in your brain that’s more distracting than you… -
The Sublime Thrill of an Empty Box
29 Nov 2011 | 1:41 pmIt’s said people are motivated by two things: seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Of course, we also want to make a difference in the world, be compassionate and kind to animals; that’s the big picture. Those big picture motivators don’t always work so well when it comes to finishing an organizing project. Sometimes we just don’t wanna do it and that’s that. Discovering what motivates you in terms of pleasure and pain can help you over that hump. One of my clients noticed how excited and pleased she felt when she emptied a cardboard box and tossed it over to the…
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Daniel Richard
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How to Move On With Life & Walking in Faith
12 Jan 2012 | 4:50 pmHow to Move On With Life & Walking in Faith Realigning faith, following your vision, & focusing on others Possibly the most viral video, shared by Christians, those who had left church, and non-Christians, in my Facebook news feed today. What if I told you Jesus came to abolish religion. What if I told you voting Republican, really wasn’t His mission. What if I told you Republican doesn’t automatically mean Christian and just because you call some people blind, doesn’t automatically give you vision. I mean if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars? Why does it… -
What Do You Do When You’ve Overpromised?
11 Jan 2012 | 4:14 amWhat Do You Do When You’ve Overpromised? Overpromised? 3 Ways to Get Out & Overcome Word Debt “My son, if you become surety for your friend, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, you are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth. So do this my son, and deliver yourself; for you have come into the hand of your friend: Go and humble yourself; plead with your friend. Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the… -
How to Go From S$0 to S$1,000+ (S$1997 or S$4350?) in 3 Weeks
29 Dec 2011 | 12:21 pmHow to Go From S$0 to S$1,000+ in 3 Weeks 3 Things I’ve Done, Which You Can Adopt, to Go From S$0 to S$1,000+ in 21 Days “I secretly want to lose everything … I’ve secretly for a while now have been interested in a thought now that the Internet and alcohol being banned. And what would happen, because I’m so confident in my chops, I want to show everybody that I could go to dead zero, and build it all back up.” Gary Vaynerchuk with Jason Calacanis, This Week in Startups [46:49] Some of you who are close to me probably knew that I went from surviving to dead… -
How Paying-it-Forward Approach Works
20 Nov 2011 | 11:08 pmHow Paying-it-Forward Approach Works My thoughts on ebooks pricing strategy & the paying-it-forward approach I’ve always been curious with the state of the ebook pricing strategy that I’ve been thinking about lately, which I’ll call it the paying-it-forward approach. In short, it was meant for me to create content and ebooks which I’ll open up for public perusal, placing a premium for a bonus item or for the full book in .pdf format, where the premium would be priced as little as an iPhone or iPad app, and allowing readers to update the price as deem fitting and… -
How To Be Yourself
11 Nov 2011 | 3:45 amHow to Be Yourself 7 ways to march to the beat of your own drummer & put a dent in the universe Once I was told that any person should have her freedom to live on her own terms, not letting one change their lifestyles totally to suit the tastes of others. While that was a reference to a chat with a friend on the topic of relationship, I believe the same idea is applicable to more areas such as in business, career, or most of the things we choose to do in our daily lives. Too often have I seen others complaining about their own lives and tried to change out of their own mold to do a job…
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GO MOM!
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How Kids Stay Fit with Family Fun
27 Jan 2012 | 11:10 amKeeping kids active in the winter can be a challenge for even the most athletic parents I know. From cold temperatures to snow storms, seasonal illness and the temptation to play video games, the battle to keep kids moving is constant and can be easy to lose. Last year I had the honor of attending the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration and while there, we were introduced to the now familiar Disney Magic of Healthy Living Campaign. Designed to partner with parents to make healthier lifestyles an easy thing to do, the press conference covered everything from eating right to staying… -
Introducing Dr. Mommy and Friends
26 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pmI am thrilled to join my good friend Dr. Daisy Sutherland in her new venture, Dr. Mommy and Friends Online. Described as “a place where busy women and momprenuers write to serve others” I am joining her team to share insights for your organized business. Found in Biz Tips, I’ll share posts monthly that will have an eye on how your can organize your business for its greatest success. Today’s post , How to Organize Your Business, is focused on how tackle the busy work of being in business. An excerpt: From taxes to bills, deadlines and emails, you have to… -
How to Organize Your Family Communication Station
26 Jan 2012 | 12:20 pmNothing says organized desk like a fresh set of desk accessories! It gives my space a new look and encourages me to create systems that I will want to use well. Add in a rainbow of color through my office supplies and truly, I am in organized heaven! January is a great time to give your home office or family communication station a shot in the arm with a boost of organization that naturally works with your home decor. When I’m looking for organizing accessories that are stylish too, its Willow House for the win every time. Here are a few of my favorite desk accessories, each on sale… -
How to Test Drive a Car
24 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amI am the mother of a soon to be licensed teen driver. This terrifies me more than you can know. No longer can I keep him safe by buckling him into a car seat built like Mt. Rushmore and drive under the speed limit at off peak times, making sure my every move keeps him in a cocoon. Instead, our conversation runs something like this: Child: “Mom can I go to Subway with John?” Me: “Who is driving?” Child: ”John” Me: ”How many months has he had his license? Does his mother know you are going to be a passenger right now? Is he allowed to… -
How to Organize a Closet
23 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amThis is my zen ~ can you blame me? I’m standing inside an ORG closet solution and clearly anyone can recognize that if you have a backdrop like this, being well organized is a natural result. But for most of us, its “Organizing your Closet 101″ because you might not have this set up today (although you might be moving towards it). No matter what product solutions you have at your disposal, here are 3 tips to help you better organize your closet at the start of the New Year or anytime you decide to go in and tame the beast. 1. Think About Height: Think about where things…
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Productive & Organized
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Sometimes Taking Action is Not the Right Choice
20 Jan 2012 | 12:03 amSometimes taking action is not the right choice. I have been thinking about that statement for a while now. Then, tonight it came up again as I was interviewing Des Gray on Mindset. OK, so maybe it is time that I write about it again. It seems funny for me to say it because I'm continually telling people they need to get into action and out of perfectionism and procrastination. Just do something! However, I'm reminded that not all action is good action. In fact, last year when I told you about my theme for 2011 of Decisive Productive Action I… -
12 Quotes that Get Them to Take Action
18 Jan 2012 | 9:22 amI have been collecting quotes since I was in grade school. In fact, when I worked in corporate, I had my interior windows plastered with quotes. (They worked to eliminate distractions of people walking by too.) Quotes from others have a way of resonating with our psyche. They have a way of making us get up and go when other things might not. Over time, I have learned that many people use quotes, but the same quote could have a totally different effect on different people. So, I asked my panel: What quote have you read that gave you the motivation… -
High Productivity from Modern Workplace Design
16 Jan 2012 | 1:17 pmThere was a time that "open office design" was a new term, but it was a way of organizing your facilities that was reserved for large corporations. I remember, back when I worked in corporate the move we made from traditional offices to "open space." I have to admit, I was really resistant! However, over time, I came to realize how valuable that open space was for my team. Today, open office design is for more than large corporate entities. Many small businesses and shared office spaces are using the strategy to be able to stay flexible to the… -
I Invite You to Make 2012 Different - Take a stand and say YES with me.
13 Jan 2012 | 7:45 amWarning - this message may be a bit more harsh than you are used to reading from me. Read it anyway! If you are like most business owners, you created your business because you wanted to live on your own terms and you knew that you have something amazing to offer.But, have you realized that dream?Are you doing what you love, or putting out fires? Do you have minor business problem gathering other problems, rolling downhill and ending up smack, dab in your personal life? Do you find you are getting sidetracked and not finding the traction you need to move your business… -
Small Biz Gifts to Help You Simplify and Celebrate! You've got to check these out.
21 Dec 2011 | 7:29 amI have a secret to share. I LOVE Gifts! I love giving them and I love getting them. 'Tis the season. That means the SmallBizChristmas giveaway is back! The fantabulous Michelle Shaeffer is hosting and she invited me to share a gift, along with 12 other entrepreneurs and small business owners. These gifts have been created especially with YOU in mind, to help you reduce stress, get organized, grow your business and more. Want a sneak peak? Keep reading. What you will find in your gift box: * How to Combat Holiday Stress – Lisbeth Tanz * The Savvy Woman’s…
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The Organized Executive's Blog
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Do you read books or display them?
26 Jan 2012 | 8:21 amFifty-nine. That’s how many volumes one friend recently donated to our local Friends of the Library book sale because he was moving to a new office. When it came time to pack and move everything, he realized that he didn’t really need those books. Either he had already read them or he never would. Another friend is paring her book collection to make space for a new roommate. She’s deciding which books to buy for her new e-reader, which to keep in paper format and which she no longer needs. I’ve never been impressed by executives who display popular business books on their shelves like… -
Invest in your staff’s potential
24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amThe following is a guest article by Catherine Welborn, web editor of Briefings Media Group. You work hard to ensure that you hire the best people for the job. But even great employees have room for improvement. For the past few years Briefings Media Group has been offering top-notch workshops from some of the best industry experts around. Last year we added several high-interest topics to our repertoire, and this year we’re offering even more new workshops. Find the right ones for your employees! Surely you have some of these people at your organization: New (or flustered) administrative… -
6 business lessons gleaned from Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google
19 Jan 2012 | 8:16 amThis is a guest post by Phil Simon, author of The Age of the Platform: How Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google Have Redefined Business Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, aka the Gang of Four, seem to be comfortable leading the way in a digital world where consumer demands are always changing. They’ve set themselves apart by inviting third parties—users, customers, and partners—to participate and collaborate in their business in unusual ways. They quickly adopt emerging technologies, sometimes veering off in unplanned product and service directions because of them. And they thrive in a… -
My shocking productivity habit
17 Jan 2012 | 8:20 amThe first time people see me do it, they often seem stunned or uncomfortable. It takes them a moment to continue our conversation. But I have adopted this habit because I am committed to giving my full attention to the people and tasks in front of me. I will ignore a ringing phone. Of course I will turn off my phone’s ringer before a meeting, but sometimes it rings during an unscheduled conversation. I’ll even let my phone go to voice mail if I’m concentrating intently on something at my desk. The phone is a tool for me to use, and I refuse to have a Pavlovian response to an incoming… -
Table the smartphone problem in meetings
12 Jan 2012 | 8:13 amNo matter how stealthy people think they are being, other meeting participants know when they are checking messages or texting under the conference room table. So I immediately saw the workplace application when a friend told me about the phone stack. It’s a simple idea: When friends meet for dinner they place their smartphones face down in the middle of the table. Anyone who picks up his or her phone must pay the tab for the entire table. Just change the penalty for meeting participants. Maybe the person who can’t resist the phone temptation has to take the minutes next time, clean up…
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2Time Labs
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Next NewHabits Class on January 26th
19 Jan 2012 | 10:27 amI have taken a short break from my strategic planning efforts for 2012 to let you know that I am offering the NewHabits Foundations program on January 26th here in Kingston, Jamaica. For details about the program, which will include a new module on Email Overload, simply visit http://newhabitsja.info P.S. There are some big changes coming to 2Time Labs in 2012, with a sharpening of focus on research, and a consolidation of coaching activity in an entirely different website. Stay tuned… By the Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress. Tweet This… -
Who Cares What Time You Come to Work?
12 Dec 2011 | 8:28 pmA few years ago, I remember talking with a friend who was telecommuting and saving an hour each way in traffic. At first, it sounded great! That is, until I heard about the electronic snooping, keystroke recording, logging and clicking in, and webcams that were used to track whether or not she was really working or goofing off. It sounded worse than working in the office. A couple of companies have moved in completely the opposite direction, and given their employees complete freedom to set their own hours. What’s remarkable is that these companies are are well-known national… -
Giving Thanks
25 Nov 2011 | 9:50 amI can’t imagine what this post has to do with time management… but yesterday was Thanksgiving Day in the US, and this video made me not only thankful for my mother, but also the life I have here in Jamaica. Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress. Tweet This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post -
How Time Management Skills Cause Strategic Plans to Fail
23 Nov 2011 | 4:02 pmAn article I recently wrote for the Jamaica Sunday Gleaner focuses on the ways in which low time management skills kill even the best strategic plans: Getting Past the Post-Retreat Flop Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress. Tweet This Post Digg This Post Stumble This Post -
Crucial Moments in Time Management
16 Nov 2011 | 8:32 amRecently, I have been exploring a different way of looking at time management skills from the approach I have taken here at 2Time Labs so far. The idea is simple: perhaps one’s skill level in time management has something to do with what happens on a habitual basis at particular moments throughout the day. I imagine that for most adults these are unconscious practices that they learned long ago, and they are done in an unthinking way. Moment #1 – New stuff you initiate You decide to act, and create a new time demand by making a mental commitment to act in the future. Moment #2…
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Do Life Big
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It’s always too soon to give up hope!
26 Jan 2012 | 3:45 pmPosted in Uncategorized What happens when the big dreams, bright future and breakthroughs don’t happen? What about the times when the planning and effort feels like a bust? Though I’m convinced breakthroughs and impossible, God-sized goals are achieved every day. But what happens when they don’t? Mark Batterson, author of The Circle Maker challenged me with this verse. “Lord”, Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:21-22)… -
Supercharge Your Growth
11 Jan 2012 | 11:15 amPosted in UncategorizedPurposeful living requires work. It’s a slow growth discovery process that draws on prayer, solitude, planning, study, discipline, risk-taking and work ethic. There is no easy way to cultivate a life lived by design instead of by default. However, most people make it harder than it has to be. You can ignite your development, whether personal or professional, by simply drawing from something that is all around you: community. Too often, personal development happens in a vacuum. The aim is often noble; take personal time to sharpen self, right? However, we miss… -
The Greatest ‘Great’
3 Jan 2012 | 7:34 pmPosted in UncategorizedRegarding leadership and success, I recently heard someone say, “the greatest organizations have the greatest talent”. This sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Find and employ the best. We spend tremendous time, money and energy to secure great things. In fact, many leaders become consumed by the pursuit of ”the next great thing” and the proposition for quick fixes and immediate success. If I just had ___________, then my ministry/business/life/etc, would be perfect! Now, there is undoubtedly a correlation between success and what is… -
Sun Stand Still
27 Dec 2011 | 8:09 pmPosted in UncategorizedNormally, I wouldn’t write a long blog post pitching a book. However, when a book literally changes my life, it’s time to write a post. Yesterday, I wrapped up my 2011 reading list with Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick. Furtick is the 31 year old pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. Furtick’s tremendous faith, commitment to vision and sensitivity to God’s voice has helped grow this church to 9,000 members. For five consecutive years, Outreach Magazine has called it one of America’s fastest growing churches. So, how did this book… -
Do Dreams Matter?
14 Dec 2011 | 11:25 pmPosted in UncategorizedRecently, I was with some friends reading the Christmas story from Matthew 1-2. A friend observed how essential dreams are in the story. I listened closer; he was right, dreams are everywhere. In fact, because Mary, Joseph and the Wise men listened to their dreams, Jesus was safely born and spared from Herod’s infanticide. Dreams are an absolutely under-explored reality of life. They are products of the our most unfiltered state of thinking and I find it fascinating that God used them to speak to normal people, to deliver the most important message in history.
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Productivity Hacks
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Is Your Business Ready for Gamification?
26 Jan 2012 | 1:12 pmAre you and your business ready for gamification? As you probably already know, gamification is the latest hype in the business world, with companies ‘gamifying’ everything from order forms to customer reward systems. But before you jump on the band wagon, it is advisable that you take the time to understand what it means and [...] -
Have You Devised Your Disaster Plan Yet?
19 Jan 2012 | 1:10 pmThe importance of a disaster plan for your business. Unfortunately, too many business wait until it is too late to consider the effects that a natural or manmade disaster would have on their business. The truth is that one out of every four small businesses are never able to recover after disaster hits. The good [...] -
Six Leadership Styles You Find in the Workplace
5 Jan 2012 | 1:10 pmSix Leadership Styles You Find in the Workplace Every company has people in management that use certain types of leadership styles. Depending on how your personality clicks with the leadership style used, you can either prosper in your position or despise going into work. There are six leadership styles that you can find in the [...] -
Participative Leadership and how it can change your workplace.
22 Dec 2011 | 1:06 pmWhat is “Participative Leadership?” Managers are faced with a number of approaches in how to implement and arrive at decisions in the workplace. Each method has benefits and disadvantages with widespread ramifications in the workplace. In participative, or democratic leadership, employees are invited to become part of the decision-making process. While a leader assumes the [...] -
Build Teamwork & Increase Productivity with these 10 Simple Exercises. Part II
23 Sep 2011 | 1:22 pmPart II: 10 Simple Exercises to Build Teamwork & Increase Productivity In the office and at the workplace, success is rarely the result of a single person. Rather, success is the result of several people coming together to work as a single team. Thus, effective managers are well aware that the key to increasing productivity [...]
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Productivity Bits - Productivity & GTD Hacks Blog
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Outsourcing Blog: The Good and The Bad
16 Jan 2012 | 3:19 pmThe past year 2011 has been good to me in general. There are a lot of good things to remember from last year. I experimented with few things on this blog – I outsourced the blog to guest writers. With that, the blog’s Alexa Ranking and number of RSS subscribers have increased dramatically. But I am not happy with that improvement. Here’s why: 1. Losing my personal voice My main goal when I started this blog was to be able to voice out my take on productivity topics that I am interested in. My own voice quickly faded away once the guest posts started to come in. 2. Losing… -
Online Degree Program Tips for Stay at Home Moms
16 Dec 2011 | 7:45 amJuggling a career and family life is very hard to do which is why many women opt to prioritize the welfare of their husband and children and choose to forgo a lucrative career and simply stay at home. But choosing to stay at home does not mean that you will have to put all your dreams and aspirations aside. Becoming a mother should give you more determination to strive towards your goal to inspire and motivate your children. Thankfully, the Internet has paved the way for stay at home moms, like you, to get a degree without needing to leave your home. Online degree programs give stay at home… -
7 Things to Do Before Asking for a Raise in Writing
13 Dec 2011 | 1:58 pmAre you getting ready to ask for a pay raise? It is an intimidating thing to do―no matter who you are. You might think that you completely deserve your raise―but you still might feel very intimidated when it comes to asking for a raise. If you have talked to your boss about a raise and you want to follow-up with them, here are 7 tips to writing a letter to ask to get a raise. 1. Know the market. Do a lot of research about the field that you work in. Make sure that you are asking for a very understandable raise. You want to show your boss that you have done your research and you know what… -
The Benefits of Renting Office Space
8 Dec 2011 | 7:53 amOwning a building gives people the freedom to do anything they would like with their property, but this doesn’t always benefit every business owner. Sometimes, renting office space offers business owners more benefits than owning. Renting Means Flexibility When people rent their office space rather than purchase, they are not forced to remain in one place. If the building becomes inadequate for whatever reason, the business owners can wait for the lease to expire and move to a more suitable location. If the amount they are paying becomes cost-prohibitive, they can also decide to move…
