Displaying All Posts from August, 2010

Awesome Links #11: Google Contacts, Morning Routine, Frugality, Small Workspace

How to Find Enough Time to Do Everything You Want

The Dumb Little Man blog explains how to utilize the time we’ve got and make the most out of it.

Productivity Tip: Google Contacts Keyboard Shortcuts

Google Contacts was updated recently and keyboard shortcuts were introduced. Web Worker Daily lists all of them in this article.

Increasing Creativity and Productivity with Your Morning Routine

Our sister site Freelance Switch suggests some morning routine changes to enhance creativity. Do browse through the comments to see what everyone else has been trying.

48 Things Frugality Has Taught Me

A great article by Trent from The Simple Dollar on what he has learnt by being frugal. Some useful nuggets of wisdom there.

How to Make the Most of a Small Workspace

If you’ve got a small workspace, this article by Lifehacker is a must-read. Click Here to Read Article …

The Digital Nomad’s Guide to Using Paper Stationery

I’m a digital nomad. I love using computers. I worked as online editor for newspapers. I am so online that my filing cabinets are practically empty.

So going paperless should be a no brainer. Although I don’t hug trees, I don’t mind saving a few. But after looking through my messenger bag, I realize that it’s harder to do when you work out of the home office. If I stay sequestered at home every day without meeting anyone, I can go paperless fairly easily. Once I step out, things get trickier than they do at home, and at least some paper stationery becomes necessary. Click Here to Read Article …

Have you Digitalized Your Photo Albums?

Photo albums still line shelves in some living rooms and the feeling of going from page to page gives viewers a feeling of excitement when, not knowing what comes next, they find a photo from 1975 when they were just a baby – or just had had a baby.

On the other hand, those albums do require maintenance – cleaning and implementation of other anti-mold techniquest – and take up lots of space.  Digitally scanning all the photos can take ages but you’ll be able to share the photos with all friends and family with an email address.

So what do you do in this case?

Do you sacrifice a few weekends in exchange for more space and less dust?  Sure, it’ll take some time to get done – but it’ll be time well spent in exchange for preserving these memories on a digital medium.

Do you just leave it alone?  You’ve got far more important things to do than to spend time scanning photos that are already well-preserved and not doing any harm as-is.

Which way would you go on this? Let us know in the comments. Click Here to Read Article …

Internet Etiquette for Vacationers

My boyfriend Shane and I recently went on vacation with my parents. It was a laid-back camping trip in Quebec, Canada.  We were 20 minutes outside of Quebec City, rife with campfires and Scrabble matches.

Incidentally, Shane doesn’t go anywhere without his MacBook and iPhone, and a family vacation was no exception to the rule–no matter what my parents thought. Click Here to Read Article …

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Blogging Advice for More Prolific Writing

Like in any other trade, there are certain methods and tricks a blogger could follow to blog more productively and efficiently. Here are six quick nuggets of blogging advice to increase your writing output.

1. Writing tools

Since 70-80% of blogging is creating content, a blogger needs to know how he could write in less time without compromising on quality. Hence, making use of some power writing tools is suggested.

2. Control Email Usage

Most of the bloggers frankly confess to being addicted to email. We’ve covered managing email overload before and those tips should help.

3. Write Every Day

Write every day. No, you don’t need to publish every day – but write every day. That helps you stay in the flow and also, it ensures that you have an oversupply of articles. Check out this nice article by Daily Writing Tips on how to write everyday.

4. Delegate When Possible

Your blog is your baby but if it’s getting too overwhelming to manage it, it’s time you bring in other people. That’d be good for your blog as well.

5. Avoid Information Overload

Bloggers need to consume more information than the average internet surfer. It’s a part of what they do. And hence, they need to take extra care to avoid getting buried under information overload. Check these tips to avoid information overload.

6. Enjoy the Process

Lastly, blogging is fun only when you enjoy doing it. If you worry too much about things like traffic, reputation, competition and all, it won’t be fun anymore. And then, no matter what you try, it’d be really hard to execute tasks productively. Click Here to Read Article …

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7 Reasons to Switch to the Dvorak Keyboard Layout

“Something’s wrong with your keyboard,” a friend borrowing my laptop would say. “When I type, all that comes out is gibberish!”

“Nothing’s wrong with my keyboard,” I would reply with a grin. “It’s the layout on your keyboard that’s wrong!”
Click Here to Read Article …

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The Art of Self-Assertion

If you ask, you shall receive. It sounds simplistic, but it works in all kinds of ways.

If you’d like to make a sale, ask your customer if they’re ready to buy.

If you’d like to work on a new project, ask if you can get involved.

If you want a raise, ask for one.

Asking for what you want is often the quickest way to get it. Self-assertion allows you to take control, be proactive and grow as a person. Instead of seeing a world of limits, you see a world of opportunities. Instead of living small, you live large.

Being assertive is a critical skill, but many people are hesitant to try. If this is something you struggle with, read on for some helpful tips. Click Here to Read Article …

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Create a Web Banner in Microsoft Word

I’ve reviewed some of the things that can be done using Word 2007 – but it is not a web tool.  Well, it’s not necessarily a web tool.

What if you are stuck and need a simple web banner?  You can actually create web banner ads directly in Microsoft Word.  The following tutorial shows you how to do just that. Click Here to Read Article …

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