Displaying All Posts from September, 2010

How Digital Devices Detour You from Thinking Clearly

How Digital Devices Detour You from Thinking Clearly

My new smart phone is one of my coolest productivity tools. While I’m anywhere, I can talk on the phone and check my e-mail. Or read a blog. Or play a game. It takes multitasking to a whole new level.

This has to make me super productive.

Or not. Read More



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10 iPhone Apps for Improving Productivity

10 iPhone Apps for Improving Productivity

If you browse through the iPhone App Store, you’ll find thousands of applications in all kinds of categories. That includes a huge number of apps made with the personal productivity of an iPhone user in mind.

Here are 10 such apps to consider using to get things done quickly and effectively on the iPhone — some are free, some are not — and most of these apps should also work on an iPod Touch or iPad. Read More



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Motivational Music: Songs That Get Me Going

Motivational Music: Songs That Get Me Going

I was reading an article on music motivation and I started thinking about when I listen to music at work and what I seek out for motivation.

To be honest, I have a hard time listening to music when I’m writing — even classical music. But there are times when I’m not writing or editing and I need a pick me up. That’s when I turn on my iTunes and tune in. I try to keep it at a normal decibel level during normal office hours, but when I’m working late and the only one in the office I can turn it up and even — gasp! — sing along. Read More



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How to Practice the 2-Item To-Do List

How to Practice the 2-Item To-Do List

Are there any other type-A personalities out there who read with disdain blog posts about eliminating the to-do list? Do you roll your eyes like I do when you read things like, “do less and you’ll get more done.” Or, “just choose the one most important thing to focus on for the day and don’t do anything else.”

The little voice inside my head always screams,

“Yeah, right! I don’t know what planet you’re living on, but my planet sure doesn’t function that way.”

But then again, my to-do list is an ever-growing monster. It seems like every time I cross one thing off, two new things get added. Now if that isn’t the epitome of counter-productive, I don’t know what is. Read More



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5 Online Meeting Planner Software Solutions

5 Online Meeting Planner Software Solutions

If you are looking to quickly organize a meeting with colleagues, or may be meetup with old pals on the weekend, the following web based meeting planner software solutions are worth taking a look at.

NeedtoMeet

NeedtoMeet is a really cool online meeting scheduler and organizer. Create a meeting, send across a link to the attendees, they select the time that suits them and you can see what would be the best time when everyone could attend the meetup. Simple and easy. Read More



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Rational Plan: A Project Management Software Review

RP_Controlling-Work_Cost Tracking_ALLSelected

Rational Plan is project management software that focuses on project planning.  There’s a trial version that includes all features of the paid version except it limits the number of tasks to 20.  The many options and features available in the program show that the developers put a lot of thought into what every user would need and want in a project management software but the end result was a cumbersome program that has just too many things going on.  A user can plan every minute detail of every project and task, which is both unnecessary and time-consuming for the average user – the program might possibly be useful to project managers who need to keep track of every nail and screw and who have some time in their hands. Read More



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3 Keys to Handling Criticism

3 Keys to Handling Criticism

Handling criticism - especially the constructive kind – is not the easiest thing to do. Yet we face it each day, whether in small doses or in large chunks. It pays to be adept at knowing what to do when someone criticizes you or your work — not how you handle can have a positive (or negative) impact on you. It can impact your livelihood, your perception of yourself and those around you and even the source of the criticism itself. As you can see, there are a number of factors to take into account when faced with handling criticism; these 3 tips should get you in the right mindset to deal with it accordingly. Read More



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Room To Breathe: Tips to Get More Done with Less Stress

Room To Breathe: Tips to Get More Done with Less Stress

I like to swim. The rhythm of the stroke, the silence of the water, the regularity of breathing: they bring peace to an overactive mind that otherwise gets overwhelmed by things to do, while getting little done.

Recently, I expressed a desire to increase my lung capacity underwater. If I could come up less often for air, my stroke would be more efficient, and my lap time would be faster. The technique I was shown was fundamentally simple, but through it I discovered a way to overcome writer’s block. Read More



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Awesome Links #16: Self-Confidence, Single-tasking, Gmail Tips

Awesome Links #16: Self-Confidence, Single-tasking, Gmail Tips

63 Ways to Build Self-Confidence

The Lifehack blog talks about various ways (in fact, 63 of them) in which one could build his self confidence. Nice information with some unique tips.

Setting Goals to Succeed: Lessons from a Freelance Classical Musician

Marion Harrington gives an account of how he successfully relaunched his classical music career by setting goals the right way, on our sister site Freelance Switch. Read More



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6 Natural Energy Foods to Revive Yourself at Work

6 Natural Energy Foods to Revive Yourself at Work

Have you ever been so tired at work that you fell asleep at your desk? You put your head down for just a minute and, well, you wake up with drool all over the report you were working on. Not only does sleeping at your desk look bad, it can be gross (hello, drool!)

Most of us don’t have the luxury of shutting our office door and taking a cat nap during the day. And sleeping more at night might not be the solution. If you’re like me you have a stash of natural energy foods by your desk in case you need to fight off a growling stomach. Here is a list of foods that give you energy, fill you up,  and keep you alert and functioning at the same time. Read More



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Smart Goal Setting: The Importance of Setting Realistic Goals

Smart Goal Setting: The Importance of Setting Realistic Goals

I once worked for a boss who wanted us to assign a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal (BHAG) to every project and proposal. When we created a site for small business owners, it was supposed to be “The top visited site for small business owners looking for solutions to their problems.”

We never got close. Read More



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How to Find the Work You Love

How to Find the Work You Love

Finding work we enjoy is vital for our well being. After all most of us spend a fair portion of our week engaged in work. So how do we find work that we love? Here are some practical tips that I have found useful in my own life and when working with coaching clients. Read More



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