Productivity501

Pieces of the productivity puzzle.

You are here: Home / Archives for 2008

Archives for 2008

Brook Sounds are Quite Popular

By 11 Comments

Yesterday I posted an MP3 that I use to give me ambient noise.  The audio is the sound of a brook.  Evidently brook sounds are very popular.  Here is what my outgoing traffic looked like for the past few days. The blue line is my outgoing traffic, which suddenly jumped when it was posted.  It looks like a couple thousand people downloaded the file.  If you were one of the ones who downloaded it, please give me some feedback on whether it was useful or not.  I've got a few other ones with different sounds that I'm thinking about releasing and I'd like to know what was good or bad about the way this one worked. If you didn't download it and want to check it out, the link is in the bottom … [Read more...] about Brook Sounds are Quite Popular

Getting the Most from a Large Monitor

By 31 Comments

Recently I read about a study that showed productivity increased (up to 52% increase for certain tasks) when people used a larger monitor--up to 24 inches. After that productivity started dropping off again. Having used monitors 24 inches or larger for the past 3 years, I've learned a few things about getting the most from screen real estate. I think I know why productivity doesn't continue to go up with even larger screens. To use a larger screen effectively you have to break a lot of bad habits developed over years of using smaller display devices. This is a lot harder than it sounds. In this article I want to explore some of the ways to get more from your screen as well as some tips to … [Read more...] about Getting the Most from a Large Monitor

No Refund

By 4 Comments

If you live in the US, today is the day your personal taxes are due.  It is also a good time to take a look and consider whether or not you got a refund.  If you got more than a couple hundred dollars back beyond the economic stimulus payment, it is a sign you need to adjust your deductions.  Don't get excited when you get money back.  It simply means you've over paid and gave the government an interest free loan.  Your HR department should be able to help you readjust your deductions. … [Read more...] about No Refund

Ambient Sound Download – The Brook

By 6 Comments

Have you ever wished you could tune out background noise--maybe to drown out an annoying co-worker or just to stay focused? I know a lot of people use music for this, but personally I find music divides my concentration (a possible side effect of my training in music theory and composition). To help concentrate I need something that will stay in the background. Trying a bunch of sounds, I've found that water seems to be the most effective. Someday I'll probably get a fountain for my office, but until then I've created an MP3 file to help me concentrate. I'm making the file available as a special bonus to RSS and Email subscribers. If you'd like to download it, just subscribe to the … [Read more...] about Ambient Sound Download – The Brook

Mac Audio Input

By 3 Comments

If you try to use your Mac for Skype you'll probably want to get a headset microphone some time.  Be aware that Macs don't actually have a microphone input.  They have a line in input.  This means with most microphones the signal will be too soft.  You can get around this problem by getting a USB headset or some type of preamp.  Hopefully this little bit of knowledge will save some readers a few hours of time and 3 or 4 trips to Radio Shack. (I speak from experience on this.) … [Read more...] about Mac Audio Input

Podcasting Conference

By Leave a Comment

I'm attending a day long conference of educators talking about podcasting at Kansas University today. At lunch it was very interesting to hear the professors talking about how their students approach to learning has changed after coming out of No Child Left Behind style education.  They felt that current students tend to take much less responsibility for learning than students from 3 or 4 years ago.  One teacher said he had 5 students go to the dean because they had attended every one of his lectures and didn't understand how they got an F in the class.  Their grades were evidently less impressive than their attendance records.   … [Read more...] about Podcasting Conference

Reader Question – Tidying Up Computer Wires

By 6 Comments

How do I clear my desk of computer wires? Make sure your cables are long enough - Many messy wire situations are caused by using cables that are too short. Route your cables using velcro straps - Bundling wires together and routing them out of sight can help you keep your desk clear. Black electricians tape is another option if your wire setup doesn't change too often. Get rid of equipment you don't need - If you have a bunch of gadgets that aren't being used, remove them from your desk. For example, your scanner might be better of keeping in the closet if you only use it once or twice each month. Use wireless - WiFi for networking and bluetooth for keyboards, mice, and audio can … [Read more...] about Reader Question – Tidying Up Computer Wires

Binge Productivity

By 2 Comments

Glen at LifeDev writes about how is is trying out Binge Productivity.  Instead of dealing with a big todo list, he is working on whatever project he wants for as long as he wants.  If you have the flexibility to work like this, it can be a great way to take advantage of the intense focus that comes from getting into your work zone. … [Read more...] about Binge Productivity

Fixing the Mighty Mouse Finger Ball

By Leave a Comment

Apple's Mighty Mouse works reasonably well, but they didn't provide a way to clean the finger ball.  If the ball stops working it is probably because of dirt.  Sometimes you can fix it by turning off the mouse and pressing down on the ball very hard with your thumb.  Move it forward, backwards, and side to side.  So for this has worked for me in dislodging the internal dirt and getting it working again. … [Read more...] about Fixing the Mighty Mouse Finger Ball

Praise for the Procrastination Prevention Course

By 1 Comment

Since its release the Procrastination Prevention course has quickly gained over 550 users.  Here is what some of them are saying: Thank you so much for these Procrastination Prevention emails, they have been very interesting and useful. Changing one small thing has had profound effects and I feel much less likely to procrastinate in the future now I have tools like the 5 minute contract to hand! - Dianne … [Read more...] about Praise for the Procrastination Prevention Course

Asking for a Discount

By 3 Comments

One way to realize great savings is to simply ask for a discount. For example, when we were getting ready for our daughter to be born we asked the hospital if we could have a discount for paying the entire fee up front. They gave us 20% off what we would have paid otherwise. I've generally had good luck asking for discounts. Here are some tips to follow: Make sure you have something to offer - If you can pay in cash, but in bulk or offer some other type of incentive it is easier for the person selling to want to negotiate with you. Be prepared to walk away - If the sales person realizes that you might not make the purchase you have much better bargaining power. I've had car … [Read more...] about Asking for a Discount

Group Interview – Staying Organized

By 6 Comments

What is your best piece of advice to help someone stay organized once they have gone through the initial effort? "Organization needs to be a habit rather than a one time event. Having a daily routine to maintain the system is as important as the initial effort. While some people cringe at the thought of a daily routine, it is really the secret to more than just organization. Daily routines keep us organized, help us to achieve goals, but most importantly, they allow us to live a balanced life. With the ultimate goal of balanced living, it is easier to view disciplines and habits of organization in proper perspective." Melissa Michaels from The Inspired Room (rss) This is an area where I … [Read more...] about Group Interview – Staying Organized

Changes at Productivity501

By 15 Comments

We've made a lot of changes to Productivity501's look over the past week and I wanted to point out some of the changes. If you have any suggestions please post them in the comments. Since I haven't had a single comment about the new look, I've been worried that either everyone hates it or all of my readers are strictly using RSS. :) New Theme For those of you who only read Productivity501 in a feed reader or email, be sure to checkout our new look. The site has been redesigned in a way that will hopefully make it more usable and a little better looking. I'm still tweaking some things to try to make it a bit more user friendly. Main Page One of the biggest changes we've made is to the … [Read more...] about Changes at Productivity501

Photo Editing Options

By 1 Comment

Adobe recently launched a free online version of Photoshop.  it appears to share the name of their regular photo application more than anything else.  From what I've see it is kind of like Flickr with some image editing capabilities aimed at the home user.  If you need a more powerful image editing, but don't need the full version of Photoshop, Photo Elements ($99) is a good choice for Mac or Windows. On Mac, there is a nice program called Pixelmator ($59) that I've been pleased with.  Serif Software also has a basic Windows photo editing program that will do what many people need.  They have free and paid versions ($10 to $79).  Also the Gimp is worth checking out.  It is open source (and … [Read more...] about Photo Editing Options

Group Interview – Dealing with Paper

By 5 Comments

We asked a number of professional organizers to be part of a three question interview. This is the first of those questions that we will be publishing over the next few weeks. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their perspective. What is the single most important tip you would give to someone who is having trouble managing all the paper in their lives? "Recycle most of it as soon as it comes in the door." Melissa Michaels from The Inspired Room (rss) My trash can is right next to the mailbox. I've found that I can often get by without even bringing junk mail into the house. I've heard other people recommend that you open your mail over the trash can or recycle bin to … [Read more...] about Group Interview – Dealing with Paper

Credit Card Skimming

By 4 Comments

Today I got a call from my credit card company wanting to verify a few charges. They listed several purchases from a part of the country we haven't visited for years. The charges were all from a card that we don't use any more--we keep it just for emergencies (if other cards are declined or stolen). My wife and I both have our cards so it seems someone "skimmed" the number. Hi tech thieves will find a waiter or waitress and offer them $5 or $10 for each card they run through a small hand-held device. The thief then takes the device and downloads all the numbers into a computer and offers them for sale on the internet. Usually this will be done in a batch of cards say 100 or 1,000 card … [Read more...] about Credit Card Skimming

Group Interview – Organized Computer

By 6 Comments

Everyone has a different approach to organizing their computer files.What single tip would you give someone to stay productive in their computer organization? Take time to think about the top-level folders. How do you normally refer to, or think about, things? Then label the top level accordingly and put the ensuing files where you intuitively would refer to them. I confess, I tried to convince myself that because it is a computer, somehow it would organize me! Alas, I find that I have to be intentional and schedule weekly sessions with the computer just like a would a client. Steve Roesler from All Things Workplace (rss) I’ve actually had good luck with self organization using DEVONThink. … [Read more...] about Group Interview – Organized Computer

Reader Question – Organization & Saving

By 2 Comments

How can being organized save you money? If time is money and being organized saves you time, it saves you money. Lets say you look for 6 things each day that take you on average 5 minutes apiece. You reorganize your office and reduce the time to 1 minute search for each item. You are now saving 24 minute each day or about 146 hours each year. Even if you have to invest half of that time staying organized that still gives you 73 hours of extra time from being organized. This is an extra 9 days each year. You can reinvest your extra time back into work to try to earn more money, spend it with your family, or just take some extra time to relax. … [Read more...] about Reader Question – Organization & Saving

Procrastination Prevention Course – Now Live!

By 1 Comment

Previously I announced that we were testing the Procrastination Prevention Course. I took the feedback from the testing group and made some changes. The course is now live. If you have trouble with procrastination, you need to go through this course. It is designed to give you some simple strategies for preventing procrastination. Each day you get a short email with a simple assignment to help you practice breaking the procrastination habit. The funny thing about a procrastination course is that the people who most need it are the ones most likely to put it off. If you are reading this and thinking "Maybe I'll do that some day" I strongly recommend that you sign up for it right … [Read more...] about Procrastination Prevention Course – Now Live!

Group Interview – Productive Software

By 1 Comment

If you made a list of the software that helps you stay productive, what do you think people would be most surprised to find on that list? That is the question Productivity501 asked a number of productivity experts. Below are their responses. A little program called On The Job from Stunt Software. It's a simple time tracker and invoice generator for projects. But here's how I also use it: I have entered what would be my hourly rate based on my projects and income. Then, as I field phone calls, do tasks, and muck around, I click the starter button on the timer, the "Stop" at the end. The value of what I just did immediately appears on the screen. Wow. After one day of seeing how I was using … [Read more...] about Group Interview – Productive Software

Books

By 1 Comment

Earlier today I mentioned a book by the Wall Street Journal about personal finance, but failed to actually point people to the book. I've added the book to the Productivity501 store. The book is designed to give you a good financial foundation.  It doesn't go into great depth on subjects, but it seems to do a great job of making sure you aren't missing anything in your financial foundation of understanding. Another book that I'd recommend is called Founders At Work.  It is a series of interviews with people who started various companies.  It is a great read and very enlightening to hear the stories behind all these different businesses. One thing I've been fascinated by in the book … [Read more...] about Books

Being Financially Literate

By 11 Comments

One of the best investments you can make in yourself is to increase your financial literacy.  In fact if you only have 10 hours this year that you can invest in self-improvement there are very few ways you can better spend that time than reading a book on investing and financial management. Go ahead and take the time to visit your library and find a few books on investing and financial management.  Even if you just skim the parts that look interesting you'll find this small investment can make a big difference in your ability to plan financially for the future. The Wall Street Journal has a good book on investing that I'd recommend.  What do other people suggest?  Is there a financial … [Read more...] about Being Financially Literate

Group Interview – Distraction Free Internet

By 3 Comments

The internet can help your productivity, but it can also be a distraction. How do you obtain the benefits while avoiding the downsides?. I finally had to do two things that are working for me: In the Bookmark Bar, I narrowed the categories to only those related to business. I allow myself a set amount of time (20 minutes) to check the newsfeeds and other favorite sites for 20 minutes maximum 4 times during the day. On minute 21, I close the browser window.That means I potentially "lose" 1:20 minutes of work. As a result of the routine, it never amounts to that much. Steve Roesler from All Things Workplace (rss) Steve's suggestion to allow a certain amount of time for … [Read more...] about Group Interview – Distraction Free Internet

Reader Question – Checking Email Abroad

By 5 Comments

How do I access my email from a foreign country? In most countries you can check your email just like you do in the US. If you are using a web mail provider like Gmail or Yahoo, you just have to find an internet connection. Many countries have internet cafes where you can use their computer for the internet by paying an hourly fee. If you are in China or another country where they limit citizen's access to certain sites on the internet, it might be more difficult to check your email. If you are traveling with a laptop and want to download your mail, things should still work about the same as in the US. Many internet cafes will let you connect into their network with your laptop for the … [Read more...] about Reader Question – Checking Email Abroad

American Express Concierge 3

By 1 Comment

On Mondays we've been discussing working with a remote assistant.  We've taken a brief side trail for a few weeks looking at actually trying to use American Express' concierge service.  This week I'm going to show an attempt to use the service to find housing in Mexico.  My wife and I lived in Durango Mexico for a few months and couldn't seem to find any type of furnished housing.  I figured the concierge would be good at locating this type of thing--especially since dealing with lodging in other countries seems to be something American Express advertises they do well. Here is the message I sent:  I am looking at spending some time in Mexico next fall. Specifically I am looking at the … [Read more...] about American Express Concierge 3