Library/Internet Cafe image: sxc.hu

Even if you don’t have a “real” word processor, your computer probably comes with a basic text editor that can save text files on your computer ahead of time (eg: look for Notepad on windows, TextEdit on Mac). You may have to go back and do the formatting online later when you get to the library, but if you already have the body text written that can save even more time sometimes! And if the library you go to doesn’t have wireless so you can use your own laptop, bringing a USB thumb-drive with your posts and pictures that you need to upload will make it go even faster. But then again, if you get everything done twice as fast when you’re working at the library (you know that’s why we all used to go to the library to study and write term papers back in college…) use that to your advantage!

Post from: My Organized Biz

Take some time to think about how you use your computer. What items do you save on it? How often do you need to refer back to it? How easy is it to find things?

A little time spent forming an electronic file system will help you feel on top of things. There’s nothing like being on a phone call with a client and realizing you can’t find a file without a long, drawn out search. It’s embarrassing to ask them to let you call back once you find it, since it can make you appear unprofessional. You don’t want your client wondering what else you have lost, do you?

You can file items by project, by client, or whatever reference point makes sense to you. Make sure, though, that it will still make sense to you several months down the road. And keep things fairly simple. If you have too many subfolders, you’ll still have trouble putting your finger on your file quickly and easily. The idea is to get your mouse pointing to your files as quickly as possible.

Spend time getting more clients, making more money, and improving your business. Not searching endlessly on your computer for a text file with someone’s phone number in it.

Find what works for you, what makes sense to how you organize information. Then stick to it. When tax time comes, you’ll be glad you did.

[Image: Newscom]

Post from: My Organized Biz

I haven’t started the book yet. I’m hoping to find some interesting information in there. But I have to wonder about her title.

Is it feasible to skip checking email in the morning? I check mine to get my daily schedule and see what I need to work on that day.

However, I could see putting off email until you’ve had a chance to sit down and review your to-do list and see where you stand. Get some good, solid planning done before you open email and see what fires you need to put out.

If you plan your day before you check email (making sure you keep some flexibility in there), you can work in a calm setting. No emergencies. Just a solid look at what you need to accomplish.

After you get a majority of your thinking and planning done, then you can check your email to see if any of your priorities need to change.

At one of my previous jobs, though, my boss insisted that I check email first thing in the morning. Since I was checking customer email, he wanted to know if there were any issues from the night before that need resolution. I never quite felt like I was able to plan my day.

I was immediately set into a reactionary position, rather than a proactive mindset. Of course, that job also revolved around email, so it was pretty important that I check it frequently. But with so many interruptions, it definitely made it hard to get any long-term work and planning done.

Do you check email first thing in the morning? Why or why not? Does it help you plan your day, or does it seem like it’s immediately putting you behind?

Post from: My Organized Biz

And when I want to access it from a variety of computers, I turn to Delicious (formerly del.icio.us). I can easily save a site to my bookmarks, tag it, and return to it later. Also, it’s linked to my Friend Feed so others can see what I’m bookmarking as well.

You can use a bookmarklet to save your pages, or you can try the Delicious Firefox add-on. I really like the add-on because it saves a little time. I can add notes, tag it, and hit enter. Done. It doesn’t take me off of the page and back again like the Delicious bookmarklet does.

It just helps speed things up. I can quickly save a site for later reference. And when I’m doing a lot of research, it can be a great time-saver. Not to mention that I can get to my bookmarks from my computer, my husband’s or anyone’s, really.

The plugin isn’t perfect. It doesn’t work the same way on my Mac as it does on Windows. On my Mac, I don’t see previous bookmarks and tags in my list (that’s especially important when you’re sharing an account) so it’s easy to wipe out any previous references. From my Windows-using buddies, I hear that the previous tags show up with no problem.

While it’s imperfect, it has many great points. Easily tag pages. See what you’ve recently bookmarked. Quickly jump to your Delicious page. It can be a great time-saver. Have you tried it yet?

What other add-ons and plug-ins do you find indispensable for your productivity?

Image: mozilla.org

Post from: My Organized Biz

(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the volume of email you receive, it’s possible you need to make more frequent use of your delete key. Even with impossible amounts of storage available, you still need to hit delete every so often. In fact, the more frequently you use it, the better.

Here’s what happens when you keep every email that comes at you: you can’t find anything. Remember that email you sent to that client about the thing they wanted you to do next month? Well, would it be easier to pinpoint in 20 emails or 20,000? I thought so.

Even with great search functions like Google desktop and Spotlight, there’s no reason to keep everything. With search, you just need to remember a few key things from your message. But it’s much easier to wade through fewer emails to find exactly what you’re looking for.

A friend on Twitter had a great suggestion the other day. If she only needs a snippet of information from an email, she captures it someplace else and then deletes the email. Maybe it’s just a phone number. Or an appointment. Why not add it to your address book or calendar and then trash the email? She mentioned a Word document that she uses for things like that, but it could be anything that works for you: an appointment book, a database, a document, a spreadsheet. Anything – as long as you can find it later. As long as you can put your finger on it within a minute or two (preferably less) of needing it, all without too much searching.

I have been known to keep emails with addresses and phone numbers and even directions in them. I leave them in Gmail because I can access it from any computer. But Gmail also has a contacts section where I can list that same info. So wouldn’t it make sense to list it under the contact’s name where I can easily get to it, instead of searching thousands of emails from or to a particular person? I’m learning to be better at that.

So again, reduce the number of things you need to look through to find the information you need. Don’t spare that delete key – let it fly! What do you have trouble giving yourself permission to toss?

Post from: My Organized Biz

I was especially interested in Leo’s question about filtering out noise:

ZH: Do you have any thoughts you can share about filtering out the noise in life (especially noise from technology) to focus on the things that are truly important. How can we be sure to see time-sensitive emails but not live in our inboxes?

Covey: I am fortunate to have a very helpful team that enables me to spend time doing things that are important but not necessarily urgent. This requires the development of a personal mission statement to give a larger context and also the determination of what is truly important but not necessarily urgent. People who have no such team need to also make these larger decisions so that they can cheerfully say No to that which is urgent but not important. Learn to use technology in such a way as to filter out that which you really know is important to you personally and professionally. Remember, technology is a great servant, but a terrible master.

Learning to do what is important but not necessarily urgent is something I want to work on a bit more. And I want to get rid of urgent but not important tasks, as well.

What about you – how are you filtering out the noise in your life?

Post from: My Organized Biz

You can brainstorm the beginnings of a project, to help you figure out what resources you’ll need or what general steps to take. It gives you a solid starting point, something to help you flesh out a larger plan.

Try planning your day this way. Think about everything you need – or think you need – to accomplish that day. And then you can choose the most important items and go from there.

Sometimes, mind mapping is a great way to throw out ideas. Don’t think too long and hard about it – the point is just to get ideas on paper. And don’t judge. You can qualify the pieces later.

Lifehacker’s recent featured download is called PersonalBrain. And there’s a free version! It works on Mac, Windows, or Linux, so there’s a version for almost everyone. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll be checking it out. I could use a little inspiration. How about you?

Do you use mind mapping? Does it work for you? What other idea-generating exercises do you engage in?

Image: mr. happy (cc)

Post from: My Organized Biz

I’ve been frustrated with this for a long time, needing 2 or 3 power strips when I should only need one. But not too long ago, I discovered a pretty darn-near perfect solution to this mess: the PowerSquid.

The PowerSquid Outlet Multiplier takes away the normal power strip and instead gives you five flexible outlets connected together. Brilliant! No more trying to squeeze your printer, scanner, cellphone, speaker, and other plugs onto one strip. I love this idea!
And now you can also get the PowerSquid Surge as well. It’s perfect for plugging in sensitive computer components, your stereo, or anything you don’t want damaged in a power surge or outage.

I originally stumbled across these at Think Geek, but I think they’re slowly making their way into other stores as well.

Images from Think Geek

Post from: My Organized Biz

I don’t always remember to check the next day’s schedule, but I always check my calendar in the morning. So how do I make it to those early morning commitments that occur before I log on to my computer?

I use my cell phone. Most of today’s cells have a built-in calendar and reminder system. So if I have something I need to remember earlier than normal, I let my cell do it. I schedule in plenty of prep time and set the alarm. Need to be somewhere at 7 a.m.? I just set it to remind me at 5:30 or 6 a.m.

I’m sure there are many other ways to remind yourself of those early morning commitments. What methods work for you?

Image: morgueFile

Post from: My Organized Biz

One technology item that has helped me countless times is Google calendar. But not just the calendar. It’s the event reminders.

Every day at 5 am, Google calendar emails me my daily schedule. And since I check email as soon as I get up – yes even before coffee – I know if I have any important meetings or deadlines that day. And for whatever reason, that works better for me than trying to remember to open a calendar program.

There are other helpful features from Google calendar (and others as well) that we can highlight as well. We’ll be sure to feature them soon.

So tell us, do you rely on reminders for events? Have you trained yourself to just check a calendar? Or maybe you use phone notifications instead? Let us know what works for you.

Image: morguefile

Post from: My Organized Biz