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Ring ring….
Do you take notes while you’re on the phone? I am a voracious note taker; it’s how I remember things best. If you’re like me, you might be drowning in little notes from voicemail, conference calls or just plain old phone conversations. Where do you put it all? One thing you can do is create a Phone Log. It can be in whatever form you want. Here’s some ideas:
Leather bound book: Get something fun like a Moleskin notebook or bound journal. Whenever you talk with someone on the phone, write down important information like dates, names, phone numbers, conversation details, etc. If you use this book consistently, you’ll know right where to go when you are looking for your information.
Have you checked out Simpleology? Oh boy, will you be glad you did. As you probably know by now, I’m all about making life simple & productive. Afterall, don’t we all deserve getting what we want?
I’m excited to finally announce that I have joined the faculty at the NEW SparkplugU! SparkplugU is a new virtual learning environment brought to you by Wendy PIersall of Sparkplugging.com (formerly EMomsAtHome.com). Here’s a SparkplugU review by Darren Rowse of Problogger.
If you work from home, or would like to (without signing up for a scam) there are some great courses and instructors to learn from! Courses are very affordable, starting at $19.95. There are courses about diversifying your income , podcasting and organizing your home office (presented by yours truly).
If the price of gas is driving you crazy and you have ever thought of working from home you just might find something that will spark some creativity in you. Come blaze your own trail and join the NEW work at home generation at SparkplugU!
On Thursdays I share a quote that I hope will inspire, make you think or just make you smile. Here is this week’s quote. Merlin Mann of 43 Folders gives a talk at Google about managing email (and suggests some great options they could explore). Enjoy!
Here’s the latest version of my favorite links. Enjoy!
Web Worker Daily gives some great tips on using a whiteboard. One of them is for brainstorming, and I admit I do this and then put it the finished project into a Powerpoint slide.
Levenger has a great article about organizing a home office. They have some good tips about multi-use home offices if you are just setting up your office.
My Design Secrets is a developing directory of decorating sources. I read about it in my local paper, and had to share. Great place to get ideas if you are remodeling, rearranging or redesigning soon.
Zenhabits’ article about “editing” your workspace. I especially love the “quick not about productivity. It’s pretty much how I feel about productivity: it’s not that we have to do more and more and more… it’s that when we are more effective with our time and get our work done, we can spend time doing other things we love.
43 Folders: “Inbox Zero” Email can rule your life, and recently I heard someone call it the bane of our existence. What we need is a system, and some fierce, ninja-like tactics to get the stuff under control. That, and not checking the inbox every 10 minutes. ;) (Check out Merlin’s talk at Google, very good stuff!)
The O-Myth Contest: Share a tip or an “O-Myth” and you can win a whoMi wall family calendar. Leave your comment below, along with your email to be entered in the contest.
Winners will be announced on our next show, June 20th!
Use systems to make life easier: Routines and tracking systems will go a long way to making life easier.
Systems make sure things get done: Ever gone through your day and wondered what the heck you accomplished? Too many of us live life unconsciously and don’t get to the things we want or need to do. Using routines and systems help you go about your day with purpose!
Email doesn’t have to rule your life: This was especially insightful. Ronnie shared with us that she doesn’t read every email she gets. Some people will use email to get too familiar or ask for things they wouldn’t otherwise. She heavily screens her email, and not all of them are opened (some are just flat out deleted). Very interesting, and caused me to think…
If you couldn’t make it live, you can listen to the audio here.
Don’t want to miss the next show? Scroll down on the home page, and subscribe with an RSS Reader or with iTunes. You can also have a reminder sent to your email or cell phone!
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Don’t forget to enter The O-Myth Contest: Share a tip or an “O-Myth” below to win the whoMi calendar. You can also check out the other entries on Krista’s blog. Good luck to everyone who enters!
Best Contact Management Software: There’s lots of ways to track your contacts electronically, this is a roundup (along with some honorable mentions at the end) of LifeHacker’s popular vote.
Chief Home Officer’s Link Roundup: I know, it seems silly to link to another link roundup, but I’m doin’ it anyway! From noise levels, kids and backyard offices, this is a good read.
I’m nice, really I am. But there are times when I hide. I just don’t want to engage… know what I mean? As I was sitting here in my office, a friend came online and I changed my Yahoo messenger to “invisible” and shrugged off the twinge of guilt I felt. It’s not that I didn’t want to chat, because ohhhh I do. It’s not even that I didn’t like this friend, because I do. It was that I was in the middle of something and I just didn’t want to be interrupted.
Have you felt this way? That move title, “Girl Interrupted” comes to mind (note: I’ve not seen the move, just like the title). In this age of digital convenience, “crackberries” and instant messenging you can feel slightly overwhelmed and want to get away from it all. It’s no secret that these conveniences can make life more complicated and wreak havoc on your productivity. No fun. No fun at all. So, how can you boost your productivity using avoidance? Here’s a few tips:
Step away from the IM: You know who you are, you are a voracious IM’er (and you just might be on my buddy list). You have a buddy list as long as your arm… not that there is anything wrong with that. But when you are on a deadline or trying to get stuff done, IM is a distraction so turn it off for a short while.
Put your phone on silent mode. There’s this great invention we have, it’s called “voice mail”. It will be your friend and your assistant while you are getting work done.
Your calendar is your friend. Be real about how much you can do in one day. Can you really get 37 tasks done in one day and still be sane at dinner time? Use your calendar, spread things out a bit and be sure you create some white space in there so you aren’t overwhelmed and want to hide away from the world.
Don’t feel guilty. If you avoid people in the grocery store, use your caller ID to screen your calls or simply don’t pick up a call - you are not a bad person. You don’t have to be available 24 hours a day or 7 days a week. Save some time for yourself or you’ll be headed for disaster and then you won’t have anything to give anyone.
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