The Pomodoro Technique® just might be one of my favorite time management tools, and not just because it features a lovely vegetable (or wait, is it a fruit?) shaped kitchen timer as its hallmark. For those unfamiliar, the Pomodoro Technique® is ridiculously simple. The idea is to break your work down into 25 minute [...]
This is a question I get asked by almost every client I work with. They want to know if I’ll make them “go electronic.” The answer is that everyone’s needs are different. The first thing I ask clients is “Do you gravitate towards paper” (for calendars, to-do’s, etc.) If the answer is decidedly “yes”, [...]
Email chains are painful, aren't they? Your inbox is overwhelming, it isn't always clear what you're supposed to respond to and what you can delete, and prioritizing is a nightmare. While you can't eliminate email from your clients, prospects, and vendors, you can make your work team operate entirely outside of your inbox. Enter Slack Slack [...]
In my last post about backups, we discussed the importance of backing up your data and explored backing up in the cloud. Today, let’s look at your options for backing up using physical hardware. Physical hardware solutions External hard drive Most of these drives connect to your desktop or laptop computer through the universal [...]
What is a backup? A backup means that you’re keeping copies of your files (documents, photos, music, etc.) in another location so that if something happens, you will still have access to them. You can look at backups as insurance for your files. Usually, if you need very little storage space, you can find [...]
So many of us resolve to get organized each year, but it feels impossible to get started. Here are the basic steps that almost every organizer follows, and if you take it slowly, you can make it happen! Have a vision for the space you’re organizing (even your computer). Make sure it’s a realistic [...]
For most of my life, I have completely avoided the task of painting. I'm so bad at it that even when I offer to help I am usually dismissed from the task fairly quickly. Our 1970s home has trim sorely in need of painting. The rest of the house was freshly painted (by a painter, [...]
Procrastination is the easiest thing in the world to do; that's why so many of us are guilty of it. And some of the most procrastinated projects are cleaning and organizing. The reasons we procrastinate vary but generally breakdown to disorganization or dislike of the project. While we can't make unpleasant tasks more pleasant, [...]
Technology solutions can be great for productivity, but they can also cause distractions. Follow these simple steps to get all of the productivity benefits from your technology solutions without destroying your productivity! 1. Check and respond to email at set times. Checking and responding to emails as soon as they arrive is detrimental to [...]
People who are resistant to setting up routines often tell me that they don't need them. They are afraid routines will tie them down and they are hesitant to commit to doing things the same way each week. I will fully admit that I was resistant to establishing routines myself for these reasons. Plus, [...]
