Decision Time – Fix the Old or Buy New?
You’ve probably been faced with this important decision several times: Do you invest more money in your old thing or shell out the cash for a new one?
It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about your car, lawnmower, house, or computer. There’s a set of questions you run through. You make a decision based on similar factors, every time.
I’ve been facing one of these decisions all weekend. My bicycling hobby took me to the local bike shop. They kindly told me that it …
Streamline Your Work – Batch Process
How many simple, repetitive tasks do you have each week? Don’t they take up a lot of time? There IS a way to get them done quicker!
Easy as building cars
The assembly line revolutionized manufacturing because it broke down a complex project into a series of small, batchable tasks.
Instead of lots of people working on all parts of the car, each person was given a discrete task that they’d do repetitively. Each worker could do his task quickly because he was geared up for it all day, every day. The tools …
Get It Done AND Clear Your Inbox – Gmail + Milk
Is your email inbox overflowing? I’ll bet that’s not helping you get things done.
There’s hope for you: Gmail + Remember the Milk.
Link directly to emails
Productivity ninjas agree that you should archive email, not leave it in your inbox. But what about emails that have critical information in them? You probably get emails from your boss, asking you to do things. Nobody wants to lose those!
Gmail has a little known feature that lets you link directly to any email. …
Improve Your Workspace with $200
Are you happy with your office or workspace? Could it be better? I’ll bet you have some improvements in mind.
I know I do. And I just had a $200 windfall (more on that later). But what should I buy with it?
How can $200 improve your workspace?
Most of us spend the majority of our awake time at the office. So why not make our workspace pleasant?
That’s what I’m setting out to do, but I’m stumped. There are so many possibilities that I can’t decide what to do.
Please give me your advice!
New …
Do We Have to Use Email Salutations?
I’m always looking for ways to be more productive, especially with email. Heck, I just wrote a series on good email habits. But today I need your help.
Do we have to start every email with a salutation or even the recipient’s name? And do we have to close with our own name?
My response: no. To both questions.
Emails are notoriously less formal than the old fashioned letter. They’re quick communications that should be short and effective. Why include excess words?
You have already typed the recipient’s email address into the “To” …
11 Exercises for Your Email Inbox
Photo by Jam Adams
Now that you’ve deleted useless emails and unsubscribed from pointless lists, it’s time to focus on your inbox. This is email command central. If you can’t tame it, you’re sunk.
Unfortunately, you can’t just whip your inbox into shape and have it stay that way. You need to create the proper habits. It’s time for your inbox to get exercising!
1. Wait to check it. Don’t open the inbox when you first walk …
Eliminate Email Newsletters – Unsubscribe or RSS
Photo by edwardleger
In yesterday’s post, we talked about deleting useless emails. Today’s continuation of the Email Checkup series focuses on email subscriptions. They plague your inbox. But should they?
Unsubscribe, really
It probably took you a long time to subscribe to dozens of email newsletters and alerting services. But it will be quick to unsubscribe. Just click the little link at the bottom of each email.
Unsubscribe from those emails and see what happens. Your inbox will be cleaner. Will you miss …
Emails You Should Delete NOW
Photo by Rafa from Brazil
If you’re not suffering from email overload, you must not have an email account. Pat yourself on the back, leave the library computer you’re reading this on, and go oil your typewriter.
For everyone else, I’m ending 2007 with a new series on managing email overflow. Close your email and pay attention. I guarantee these tips will help you start 2008 with a cleaner inbox.
Find the delete key
Do you remember the days when you got an email or two per day? I’ll bet you saved every …
Top 10 Must-Join Websites of 2007
Photo by Stabilo Boss
None.
That’s right: there isn’t a single site you MUST join this year.
A year in review
2007 saw millions of new websites launched. Thousands of them made major splashes even in old media formats like television and newspapers.
And you received hundreds (maybe thousands?) of email invitations to join these websites. Everyone’s doing it! Don’t you love the peer pressure?!
But did you succumb? Did you accept every invitation?
Turn them down!
If you value productivity and actually being able to live your life, turn down those countless email invites. Don’t …
Make a Good Name for Yourself at Work
Photo by dziner
Whether you’re working in a mega law firm or a tiny non-profit office, you need to have a positive image among your coworkers. If you’re known as the lazy butt or the slob, your career won’t go far. But if you follow these tips, your public image will shine.
Clean your desk – How can you be productive with mounds of papers all over your desk? Your coworkers will wonder the same thing. And if they give you something important, will it get lost in the shuffle? Keeping …
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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