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Productivity is about more than making a series of to-do lists; it's about crossing all the items off those lists. Learn how to be more productive in everything you do.
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ArchivesProductive Emerging Technology, Part 3
February 09, 2007, 9:50 AM
To finish off this week of new and emerging technology that will boost your productivity we will look at two products and a service that aren´t particularly connected to each other, but which each are powerful in and of themselves, and are probably indicative of bigger changes and developments coming down the road. The Edge — This device isn´t particularly exciting in and of itself, but it is a nice trend. The Edge is a portable internet device. We´ve seen all sorts of phones and PDAs for years now with internet access, so that´s nothing new. The problem with ...
Productive Emerging Technology, Part 2
February 07, 2007, 9:45 AM
When you do have to rely on a portable device to keep you productive, one of the biggest challenges is keeping it charged up. Struggling with batteries can be frustrating and, if you don´t manage it well, you can find yourself with a useless device right when you need it most. Here are three upcoming products that take different approaches to solving the problem of batteries that die when you need them most: Boston Power Lithium ion batteries — Despite all of the emerging technologies, the Lithium ion battery is still the one that most reliably powers devices from ...
Productive Emerging Technology, Part 1
February 06, 2007, 3:52 PM
If you´ve read some of the stuff I have written in the past, you probably have a pretty good sense that I am not the hugest fan of technology. That´s not entirely true — I am practically attached at the hip to my laptop and my entire life and livelihood seems to be based online, so I am not a Luddite that is opposed on principle to all technology. What I am opposed to is technology that is supposed to be for productivity, but which actually doesn´t make us more productive. In fact, I am of the opinion that the ...
The iPhone - cool AND a friend to productivity?
January 15, 2007, 10:04 AM
Anyone who is interested in technology, or even has a passing awareness of popular culture, knows that the biggest story of the last year, and probably the last two years, in personal technology was last week´s announcement of Apple´s new iPhone. The product has been anticipated for a very long time. It was expected to combine an iPod with a phone but, in typical Apple fashion, it does so much more as well. When it comes to fun and interesting products, nobody does it better than Apple. The phone is full of mind-blowing features that will be incredibly fun to ...
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
December 22, 2006, 12:59 PM
I just wanted to take a few seconds to thank you for reading the Personal Productivity Blog over the last year, and to wish you the best over the holidays. I've enjoyed my end of the conversation, and I hope that you can say the same. Next year will be a bigger and better year for the Blog. I've planned out a number of features and series that will provide in-depth looks at challenging issues, and I will also be pursuing interviews and other ways to find the best resources to hel us be more productive. Enjoy your holidays. Take ...
Christmas shopping guide: Lifehacker book
December 18, 2006, 12:46 PM
As Christmas gets closer, you're either done your shopping and feeling smug, or you have barely started and you're feeling panic. If you fit into the latter then you are looking for something that is perfect, and you want to make sure that it isn't something the person you are giving it to already has. The sure fire way to make sure that the gift isn't a duplicate is to give something that is brand new. The new book Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tips is so new that it has ...
Christmas shopping guide: GTD
December 11, 2006, 3:16 PM
The holiday season has snuck up on me. If you´re like me then you may not be as advanced in your shopping process as you would like to be. I´ll be honest — I haven´t even started, and I´m still largely devoid of good ideas. With that in mind, I thought I´d spend the next two weeks looking at productivity related gifts that may be the ideal choice to stick under the tree for that special someone. There is really only one place to start — the current bible of personal productivity: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity ...
Worth A Visit - GTD Video
December 08, 2006, 2:22 PM
Here´s something quick for all you fans of Getting Things Done to check out. Ryan Carson is an entrepreneur/ web app developer/ rampant self promoter who runs a number of different sites and ventures. He has recently launched his own blog called Carsonified as his portal to the world. Ryan´s also a hardcore user of GTD, and he is very proud of his simple system to manage his GTD priorities. So proud, in fact, that he has posted a video on his blog detailing what he does. His system isn´t perfect in my mind, but it´s very solid. More importantly, ...
Worth A Visit - faxZERO
December 06, 2006, 12:39 PM
Sometimes a real detriment to productivity can be the lack of proper equipment. For example, I hit a bit of a speed bump every time I need to send a fax. I have a fax machine, but it´s an old dinosaur and I don´t keep it hooked up. I very rarely need to use it, and it takes up a lot of space, so I keep it in the closet. When I do need it, I have to pull it out, hook it up, remind myself again how to use it, and then send my fax off. It´s so old ...
Step Away From That Computer!
December 04, 2006, 1:19 PM
Stop right now. Stand up and move away from your computer. Well, read this article first, then do it. Give yourself (and, more importantly, your eyes and your brain) a five minute break from what you are doing. Go for a short walk. Grab yourself a drink. Make a cup of tea. Let the blood flow a bit. Take a look out the window. Ask someone a question about work, or about something that has nothing to do with work. You deserve a break. More importantly, you need a break. You´ll be all the more productive because of it. That ...
Latest Comments in Personal Productivity Blog posts
I'm actually more pleased with 101FAX. They have the payperuse service for those who send a fax occasionally, or monthly plans for heavy senders. The rates may be very affordable, but it's top quality service, unlike free sites with limited features. I can even fax broadcast with 101FAX.
By: rashel
on
Worth A Visit - faxZERO
There has also been a real movement towards personal productivity applications on the internet. An example is On Track (apps.facebook.com/ontrack) which allows users to add goals and projects online and track their progress.
By: Hua Ni
on
Productive Emerging Technology, Part 3
If a company's looking to boost productivity ...Behavior / wellness technology can produce a far higher ROI than electronics/software. 10% of ALL workers abuse drugs today, with some industry sectors reaching 30%. The cost impact if over $180B a year. For the most part corporate America ...and parents have ignored the problem. Technology (oral fluid drug screening) and assitance programs exist to managing the problem . Why do we continue to sweep drug abuse under the rug?
By: pcholakis@avitarinc.com
on
Productive Emerging Technology, Part 3
The future of productivity tools is web 2.0 and enterprise 2.0 applications. With Safari, the iPhone is THE platform for mobile web access. Thus, it follows that the iPhone is an amazing productivity tool. Read my post on the subject here for my rationale: http://2glue.typepad.com/productivity/2007/07/mobile-web-20-p.html ...
By: Erik Huddleston
on
The iPhone - cool AND a friend to productivity?
"You won?t read 95% of it again." This is really right. I can find many emails in my inbox that i just needed to read it once and i don't need them anymore or I have some emails that they are funny or interesting but their amount is so many so even I can not find them or I have forgot them. Thanks for your useful way.
By: Razib Ahmed
on
Worth A Visit - E-mail systems revisited
E.O. I'm going to try one of these ideas. In the past, email folders haven't worked for me. I put things in them and then never look inside them. I think the problem was that I named them by topic rather than by action. Action names would probably motivate me more.
By: Claire Tompkins
on
Worth A Visit: Two E-mail Systems To Try
I've just finished revising my workflow based on David Allen's Getting Things Done. I highly recommend it. I like the suggestions about e-mails you make here. I can simplify it even further. Your e-mail inbox is your Action box. Or think of it as Limbo. Messages can't remain there, you must do something with them. In other words you must take action. This works fine with me until I go on a business trip or vacation where the email piles up. Then it can be weeks before I clear it. But once I'm on top of it, it works--until the next trip.
By: Glenn
on
Worth A Visit: Two E-mail Systems To Try
You forgot to discuss about one important thing: "How to keep your motivation alive". I have been working from home for 3 years now, and i think the biggest problem is how to keep my motivation alive. Many people thought that working from home is easy (like I did). When they eventually realize that it's not that easy, they usually get upset and give up. Enzo Chiu Freelance Programmer and Web Developer http://www.makemoneyathome-idea.com ...
By: Enzo Chiu
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
Thank you for reminding me that I may be a workaholic. You know most of the things I start to feel. Suppose, it's time to relax a bit ;) I will try to make you laugh and add my own: If you try to adjust every object you see for your work, you must be a workaholic. Have I managed?
By: Julia Dorofeeva
on
Worth A Visit - You Might Just Be A Workaholic
This article raises some good points. I do think however that with a few key procedures in place such threats would be inconsequential. For example if key files where encrypted by let's say, Digital Vault (http://www.stompsoft.com/digital-vault.html) then changes to the system files or other files could be near impossible. Hilo ...
By:
on
Are Gadgets Threatening Your Security?
Welcome back! Like you, I've just returned (2am today- Ouch!). However, I do as M. Ricci does and check my email at least a couple of times a week. We are a very small shop so there is never a total down-time for me and I find that checking my emails every other day or so cuts down on the 'what if' anxiety (I don't bother during the weekend, which is the one time I really can turn it all off). Usually, if there is a problem I can delegate it or fix it with a quick phone call - then it's gone and I can relax. Keeping in infrequent touch also keeps the thread to the shop intact. It's loose but returning isn't such a shocker.
By: Anita Berlanga
on
The holiday is over
Great post T.O. Along the same lines as Monica, I like to reserve a 'buffer day' when I return from a vacation or holiday. It's a day between the actual day I return and the day I will return to work. More than one day would be better, but usually is not doable. That 'buffer day' allows me to re-acclimate away from the place I came from and shift back to the reality of my life and business. BTW, work is off limits on my buffer day.
By: Frank Ross
on
The holiday is over
Welcome back! I do a few things that help me to not feel so overwhelmed when I come back from a holiday. First and foremost, I always leave an outgoing voicemail message that says I'll be back in my office a day later than I actually will be. This gives me an entire day to do nothing but get caught up. It's like my blissful little secret. The second thing is that although it's anathema to some people, I take my laptop with me and I keep my email as caught up as possible. I'm able to delete the thousands (literally) of spams that I will inevitably get, I respond quickly to social emails, letting people know I'm on vacation and if there is something really important there, I'll handle it then. I typically do this first thing in the morning or late at night, so it doesn't cut into my vacation time, and by taking a few minutes every few days to do this, I never come home to a ton of email requests and such. Which works for me! ~Monica ...
By: Monica Ricci
on
The holiday is over
i like what you did but isnt the holidays about love and family and being with someone you love and even if the holiday is over you still love that person ...
By: Jasmine
on
The holiday is over
Thank you for your professional learning advise on how to place oneself when encounter sickness. Rest assure that I will share your artile to my office mate. Its a very interesting tips, it is worthwhile anyway. Thank you.
By: TEODULO P. LUMOTOS
on
Take Care Of Yourself, Sick-O!
Welcome home from your vacation. I am sure that you are now completely relieved from stressfull work. Hope to hear more of your expertise in human resource management principle and actual practise. More power and God Bless you and your family. Thank you.
By: TEODULO P. LUMOTOS
on
The holiday is over
Welcome back! Yes, it's always hard to come back from really good holidays, and yes, there's always some work for you to be done immediately upon your arrival :) I found it useful to pick a particularly interesting (and not necessarily easy) task or project just before heading off to enjoy my holidays, and leaving it to work on after I'm back. Yes, it's still a work to be done, but because YOU get to choose it, it will feel much better. Whenever I'm back, I start processing the full inbox and going through the voice messages, but if there is an interesting project waiting for me to dig in, it makes me feel much better.
By: Gleb Reys
on
The holiday is over
OOH!!! T.O, you have stepped into a very sensitive area of mine. It is one of my main problems. I do not know how to get rid of it. I have read your strategies. They look really good. Let’s hope they work for me.
By: S.M.Mehdi Hassan
on
Controlling the TV Habit - Part 1
Good tricks! One of my main advantage is that the television in our house is not in my room. I spend most of my time in my personal room. Is it good?
By: S.M.Mehdi Hassan
on
Controlling the TV Habit - Part 2
I prefer option two. Less channel means less surfing and less wastage of time.
By: S.M.Mehdi Hassan
on
Controlling the TV Habit - Part 3
T.O We got rid of our Cable subscription and I must say that it has eliminated the problem of the TV being a time eater. We still have a TV for watching movies when we feel like renting them on DVD, but those become planned entertainment events rather than the usual time draining 'couch potato' entertainment. As for football games and other events, well ... that's what friends and relatives are for!
By: Frank Ross
on
Controlling the TV Habit - Part 3
Couldn't agree with Jim more! One of the keys to achieving your goals is to write them down and make sure you keep them close where you keep reminding yourself about 'em. This really improves your success rate with achieving goals.
By: michael
on
Worth A Visit - Goal Setting in an Hour
T.O. I totally agree with this philosophy. In her book, Making Work Work , Julie Morgenstern talks about being an entrepreneur at your job. She means that no matter what your job is, you should treat your boss like a valued customer. This does contribute to more on-the-job satisfaction because now you're the owner of your own service company and have a vested interest in excellent performance. I think it's also just another way of taking responsibility for your actions and their outcomes.
By: Claire Tompkins
on
Worth A Visit - Love Your Job?
Good points. People are way too fixated on email these days and we tend to get so wrapped up in it that we can't focus on important things. We're expected to respond instantly on each email which can become very distracting to our other tasks at hand.
By: Jenny
on
Delete Your E-mail!
Yeah, I read the article and I could not but agree with it. My father was in government service for twenty five years. He never liked his job but he worked hard. He did it because his family was in bad condition and the money was good. Still, I do not understand how he survived; may be he liked his performance.
By: S.M.Mehdi Hassan
on
Worth A Visit - Love Your Job?
Yeah, I read the article and I could not but agree with it. My father was in government service for twenty five years. He never liked his job but he worked hard. He did it because his family was in bad condition and the money was good. Still, I do not understand how he survived; may be he liked his performance.
By: S.M.Mehdi Hassan
on
Worth A Visit - Love Your Job?
Many people do not get the job what they dreamed of. As job is an important part of our lives why make us unhappy by nagging about the present work. If possible we should change it. If not then we should try to enjoy it. Facts are there if we are passionate about the job we did not want even then we become more productive and enjoy the good sides of it. Change of attitude changes life.
By: Razib AHmed
on
Worth A Visit - Love Your Job?
Yes T.O, you are right. I would like to add another point here that many people are not that tech savvy. They do not understand the operations very well. For them, operating a mobile with so many facilities can be troublesome. So, why use a device with which you can not do your job properly.
By: S.M.Mehdi Hassan
on
The Myth of Multi-Tasking
I agree with you on this one for most of the time. Other than the possibility of needing something to communicate with in an emergency, I don't find much use for most of these gadgets either. To me, the value of being able to concentrate uninterrupted is far greater than anything that technology has to offer. I don't want to be so connected that it interferes with important business or personal moments.
By: Gary Bourgeault (thealphamarketer.com)
on
Do you really need that gadget?
Especially when you own your own business, self-discipline is a critical factor to your success. A great way to keep your day- and your business- on track is to plan your day in advance. Set up a schedule for yourself and stick to it. What I have found to work well is to use my day planner to organize my day in 15 minute increments. By scheduling your day, not only will you accomplish everything that you need to, but you will also work more efficiently.
By: Rosanna Tussey
on
Per-Minute Income
You said something that all of us know but the problem is we can not control ourselves. Sometimes even when I just finished writing a post I feel like surfing the net and getting distracted but I must say this is a waste of my valuable time. You are right. Thanks for writing about it. i will try to be more careful from now.
By: Razib Ahmed
on
Per-Minute Income
Hello T.O: Thanks for your insightful review of Firefox browser. I have seen so many websites with ads to download Firefox but never gave it a second thought. Now that you have mentioned some good reasons to try it, I may give it a chance. You're an interesting writer, keep it up. Home loans Guy http://www.geocities.com/cashfreedom2/sitemap.htm ...
By: Home loans
on
Worth A Visit - Firefox
There is a great book called The Money Machine by Dwayne Esterline that shows how to drastically cut costs is a company. His book explains how to show employees the importance of saving money, and how to cut costs without cutting back on workers. It really made me understand exactly how much money gets wasted just because no one is directly accountable for the spending. They sell it on Amazon.com, it's great for managers or business owners to read, or anyone who wants to learn more about saving money in their business.
By: Stephanie
on
Per-Minute Income
This is very interesting site ...
By: becky
on
6 Steps to More Time - Part 1
This is really great. I establish so many goals and I fail to achieve them. The home page is really cool. I think there are many other people like who are in the habit of failing. I think this website would really help them.
By: Razib Ahmed
on
Worth A Visit - Get Back To Work
Nice advice T.O. I do the same thing you see. After studying I do not keep my books in proper places and then after few days my table becomes a mess. I waste around half an hour to bring everything in order.
By: Razib Ahmed
on
Box It Up
Hi T O Whenham; I liked your column in the first instance as same things happens with me.But can u call it as procrastination or for that matter one's weakness.Will it hamper your business life or career life?
By: Umesh Dengle
on
Work to a Deadline
Meeting deadline is important whether set by the person himself or the company he works for. I must admit that I also have the bad habit of doing thinkgs at the last moment but I must agree that last moment work is very haphazard. The only thing that remains in your head is when you will finish it.
By: Razib Ahmed
on
Work to a Deadline
Hi T.O., Great column! I also set my own in-house deadlines when writing and then I also set up rewards for myself if I meet those. Like if I have a very big project to do and I finish it early I will treat myself to a new book from Amazon! I'm a bookhound so this is actually a great reward! Nettie ...
By: nettie hartsock
on
Work to a Deadline
Yes it seems a very good idea T. I enjoy reading Del Carnegie and he also suggested the same thing # Clear your desk of all papers except those relating to the immediate problem at hand. # Do things in the order of their importance.
By: Razib Ahmed
on
Embrace the One Task Day
I am a professed multi-tasking junkie and it's almost unimaginable for me to stick to one task. I'm in the middle of creating a business plan for my company and it seems that one task will produce two sub-tasks and so forth. I hang onto this mantra that saves my sanity on a daily basis: I believe that tomorrow is a continuation of yesterday and today.
By: Cassandra
on
Embrace the One Task Day
T.O., I have a suggestion for cluttered e-mail boxes. If you're a business flyer, use the "air" time to clean up your e-mails. My personal record is deleting 986 e-mails between Salt Lake City and San Antonio. Glenn ...
By: Glenn
on
Embrace the One Task Day
i check my mail practically everyday. i have to because most of the work i have to do i send via email and my assignments get sent to me that way too. but i do get a bit anxious if am not able to check my mail even if i'm away, since at the back of my head, i'd still be worrying if someone had sent me an important message.
By: nikki
on
When Do I Check My E-mail?
Skip a meeting! Shucks - I miss playing hookie! I haven't played hookie since college :P ...
By: nikki
on
6 Steps to More Time - Part 2
Internet has both its merits and demerits. But it depends on the people who are using it. If you are serious about internet and you are a beginner then the first thing about learning internet is PATIENCE. The problem is it is not easy to learn internet. One has to spend lot of time.
By: Razib Ahmed
on
How Much Time Do You Spend Online?
I think it is a personal decision; that has to be based on the individual, their role and the industry they belong to. Fundamental question to ask one's self is that,"having operated in a certain fashion i.e. reading & responding to every E mail instantaneously - you may have set an expectation in the minds of your customers and or co-workers that may be hard to break.
By: Syed Sherazi
on
When Do I Check My E-mail?
T.O, Should e-mail be "on" all day long, or should a productive person only access it 3 or 4 times a day? Should it be the first thing you do when you begin working, or will doing other tasks make you more productive?
By: Glenn
on
Get Through Your E-mail Messages
It's a good question, Glenn, and one that I probably differ with most people on. Conventional wisdom is that you should keep your e-mail off and only look at it a couple of times a day. That's fine for some people, but it doesn't work for me at all. I drive myself insane when I don't have it open and am just distracted by thinking about what might be in there. Like most things, I believe that there is no 'correct' answer to your question. You just have to know yourself and put the time into exploring what works best for you. I also check my e-mail very first thing in the morning for the same reason. Other people can leave their e-mail unopened for a couple of hours (or days), butfor me that's the same for as trying to wait until christmas afternoon to open presents - it just won't happen.
By: T.O.
on
Get Through Your E-mail Messages
T.O., Two thoughts: One, it's terrible to be cursed with ethics, isn't it? :-) Second, See Covey on synergy. It supports your thesis on being too productive. Regards, Glenn ...
By: Glenn
on
Can We Be Too Productive?
Great points T.O. I long ago stopped listening to the car radio. Instead, on my longer drives (over 30 minutes) I take business related podcasts (via MP3) with me to listen to. Helps me make some good use of time on the road. While I can't interact or actually get things done, they can often get my mind flowing as you say. Thanks!
By: Frank Ross
on
Turn Off Your Radio
It's easy to dismiss videogames as unproductive. However, I've found that videogames generally promote a few useful skills: focus and concentration, puzzle/problem solving, and spatial analysis. There are also games which encourage socialization, cooperation, and exploration. This is significantly different from zoning out in front of the television, for example; I think what we'll find in 30 or 40 years is that those sharp older people you mention may include some game-playing in their daily routines. That said, I'm glad you find Nintendo's new game/experience interesting and productive. Good luck improving your brain age...
By: Brett Douville
on
Give Your Brain A Workout
you know another exercise that gives the brain a good workout? daydreaming and visualization! works wonders - gets one out of the daily rut and it actually seems to enhance creativity.
By: nikki
on
Give Your Brain A Workout
T.O. I'm going to try this exercise! I do a version of it once in a while, to weed out all those niggling to do list items that won't go away (they really are weeds). This technique reminds me of the GTD advice to consciously decide what you're *not* going to do. When you leave a task on the list but never do it, it's taking up what Allen calls "psychic RAM" and getting in the way of what you do want to do.
By: Claire Tompkins
on
Pareto-ize Your Schedule
If you are already in the Firefox habbit, don't switch back to IE! IE still has it's issues. Instead, create a second profile in Firefox (via the Profile Manager), and ask it to ask you which profile to use each time you start the browser.
By: Scott
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
Interesting comment re: trying two browsers. I think this is a neat idea that could really help manage the personal vs. business web-surfing done by folks who work at home. I would recommend Firefox for business browsing due to its superior functionality, and Internet Exlporer for personal browsing.
By: Cortland
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
I find that taking a 30 minute commute up and back down the freeway (for no particular reason), really helps get me in the mood. That, and a poorly lit (by fluorescent blubs, nonetheless), cubicle, far from any natural light, enhances my productivity as well. You can find these at your local office surplus store. Sure, it will look out of place in your home office, but it'll really help you "get into the zone," if you will. In all seriousness though, I don't know what companies are smoking to not let their employees telecommute. I've been doing it for SproutIt.com for the past 3 months and could not go back to working full-time in an office. I've even turned down repeated requests to interview with Google to keep this setup. (Google frowns upon telecommuting, I hear) ...
By: Shanti Braford
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
I work from home 1-2 days a week and have two kids (5 & 10). I took an old bicycle brake light and installed on the wall outside my office. Whenever I get on the phone, I flip on the light from a switch on my desk. The house rule is: If the light is on, don't bother Dad unless you're bleeding !! Works very well....
By: Sean Cappy
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
The getting dressed routine really helps me. Even if it's changing from 1 t-shirt to another, the act of changing and the feeling of a fresh shirt just makes me wake up. That and putting my contacts in are the 2 things I have to do to wake up and start feeling productive.
By: Justin
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
Early morning is my sharpest time too. Up at 5, change from night pajamas to work sweatpants then put on some coffee and come out of the office around lunch for 30 minutes or so. Wife and kids are generally running aroung while my extra insulated office keeps me safe from the havoc.
By: Jay
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
I agree with one of the above posters -- it's not 'trying to learn how to work at home', it's knowing when to STOP working. I get up fine, get working fine, work well when I can, but it's hard to shift gears to being "at home" instead of "always at work". I have a separate office which is on the main floor of my home, next to the front door. I don't use 'an extra bedroom', dining room, or kitchen table. This is a dedicated room for business - I don't even have any video games. I know other business people who do the same thing: work at home. I have to FORCE myself to make the adequate transitions that would normally come in an office environment. Equally, there are people who know I have an office at home - and will call me at any time (even 9pm at night) for a business call. Some people are even annoyed that I did not return email between 10pm and the next day's 8am. Here is my solution and also my professional advice to my own clients, for work/life balance: 1) Set your alarm and get up 'as if you are going to work' elsewhere. This is because you are a businessperson with duties. 2) If you tend to spend time in forums and chat areas, only do so in "breaks" from work. If you find yourself drawn into online drama, note what of your own work falls into the cracks. (It will, believe me). Pull back from the drama and delve back into your work. 3) Take needed breaks! Working at home still means that you have to walk away from the computer... but you have the added advantage of going to water plants, taking a walk, whatever. 4) Don't skimp on your own needs. Most attentive work-at-home people I've met will skip shopping or other self-care to OVER-PROVE their worthiness to be at home. Schedule these times into your week... getting guilt feelings are as bad as not doing these things. 5) Have a drop-dead time that you will 'leave the office' at night, unless there's an important deadline. This may be different every day or the same every day. If you have an office door, close it... or keep the light out. Make sure that you have a difference between the WORKER-YOU and the HOME-YOU. This may not seem important, but that's because this society has conditioned up to want more-more-more. That's fine, if you have decided that your own 'life' is worth nothing. 6) Have a signal with your spouse, roommate or kids, that if you are on the telephone, it's "quiet time". I am constantly on the phone with businesses or clients, but my housemate knows to mime to me or just wave.... however, I consistantly hear home-clients screaming at their kids, "Can't you hear I'm on the phone? Why do you always bother me when I get on the phone!?" This is not hard to teach to children even at an early age, especially if kids (and spouses) are feeling attended at other times of the day. 7) Make your decisions early on who and what you value the most... what will make you turn from business attention? I decided early that my long-distance partner takes precidence when he calls, unless I have a scheduled appointment. My working at home means that I can take a few minutes extra away from work to speak to him, since we have limited time together. This is my value and it's precious to me. 8) Give your other business dealings the same respect as you give your life. I know one home-office who would repeatedly cancel business appointments because he would oversleep to the afternoon, or other excuses. Save yourself the problem of excuses -- just keep the same business respect as if you had a separate office: which you do, it's just a shorter commute. My thoughts, Lauren Muney ...
By:
on
Training Yourself to Work at Home
"Get dressed for work" is common advice for us home workers, but I disagree with it (YMMV, of course). I get up early, way before anyone else in my house is up, throw on some PJ's or comfy clothes, and work until the house begins to awaken. Then a couple of hours off while we eat breakfast and get the kids off to school. Then back to work. Morning is my sharpest time, so I don't want to waste 30 minutes of it showering and getting dressed. Generally I shower after lunch; the shower helps shake off that post-lunch urge for a siesta.
By: Joe Ganley
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Training Yourself to Work at Home
"Get dressed for work" is common advice for us home workers, but I disagree with it (YMMV, of course). I get up early, way before anyone else in my house is up, throw on some PJ's or comfy clothes, and work until the house begins to awaken. Then a couple of hours off while we eat breakfast and get the kids off to school. Then back to work. Morning is my sharpest time, so I don't want to waste 30 minutes of it showering and getting dressed. Generally I shower after lunch; the shower helps shake off that post-lunch urge for a siesta.
By: Joe Ganley
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Training Yourself to Work at Home
T.O. that is a terrific post! One of the biggest and least talked about challenges of running a home-based business is disciplining ourselves to actually spend the time needed for build our businesses. In other words - work work work. My solution for #3 is to have a written schedule - that doesn't work for everyone, but it may help those who like seeing their schedule on paper.
By: Frank Ross
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Training Yourself to Work at Home
As a fellow blogger on this site,I was browsing some of the other columns and stumbled upon yours. Because I work from home 90% of the time and have done so for a number of years,I know the challenges a business owner faces. Not only do I not miss working in the office,but my blood pressure has improved dramatically(it used to be sky high) and has remained consistent. I find that I follow my mood,energy and schedule accordingly. For example,as I write this I am have a productive but more leisurely work day,While tomorrow may be more active and frantic. The point is ,find what works for you so long as it's productive. You're the boss ...run with it. BTW I agree with Frank. Great post T.O.!!! Tony Wilkins ...
By: Tony Wilkins
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Training Yourself to Work at Home
I agree that it is sometimes hard to get started but I have found the opposite problem to be more daunting after 20 years in a home office. That is not having a boundary between work and home. The commute takes less than a minute but I make it before breakfast and after supper. Of course there is always more to be done in any small business so when do you draw the line?
By: Don Kleiner
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Training Yourself to Work at Home
I am one to say that quality not speed is the most important thing. When typing a few thousand words out one could say that it may save you 20 to 30 minutes of time if you could hammer out 25 words more a minute, but think of the time you have to invest in practicing proper technique. I think in the case of 10000 words you may want to outsource your typing if you are concerned with saving time. I know some people who would gladly loan out their typing services at a fairly decent rate.
By: stewy
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I Waste Time Every Time I Type
I think it's more than ideas. Idea is absolutely, no doubt one of the most important things. But don't discount the power of planning and execution. A savvy entrepreneur must have all three of them. There must be a personality that comes up with new and fresh ideas and what can you achieve with those ideas. Then there must be a personality that comes up with a PLAN about how do you want to achive it. Lastly, you have to be able to EXECUTE. Now this is the most difficult for any entrepreneur. Execution makes all your dreams happen. If you don't execute, you ain't got nothing.
By: eBizBest
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Keep Your Ideas Working for You
"t that the numbers would remain about the same for a larger group. More than half of the people who have answered have said that they don’t set aside thinking time, though they would like to." Really sad picture. Well I must admit that I do not put aside seperate time for thinking but I do think a lot everyday. Best time for me is to think when I am sleeping or when I am eating lunch or dinner.
By: Razib Ahmed
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Just think!
That's a good comment about time use resulting from "decisions we make (or ones we fail to make)." Often people get sucked into doing work that comes to them from others, or answering email or phone calls. They wait until they "find some time" to do the other important, but not urgent, work. What they don't accept is that found time gets eaten up by other things. The time to do important work has to be scheduled in, consciously set aside.
By: Claire Tompkins
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Take Back Your Time
Very refreshing and balanced viewpoint, T.O.! My work takes me out of the office, and I have deliberately refused a wireless hookup on my laptop; I know what I would be doing with any ?spare minute? or break I might find?I would succumb to the urge to check and respond to e-mail. I CAN actually be present in whatever my current assignment may be and spend less time feeling guilty about my unwritten, on-line correspondence! Thanks for linking into the Stephenson article?a reading well worth my time. Kate ...
By: Kate B.
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Delete Your E-mail!
Hey T.O., welcome to the AllBusiness blog center. Glad to have you aboard! I'm going to go out on a limb here but I'm thinking the "get a gun" suggestion falls into the extreme category? Actually, I like the "stand up and walk toward them" idea. I used to do this and it always worked. I'd just pretend I was leaving to get a cup of coffee or whatever. By the way, if you don't tell us what "T.O." really means, we might have to have a contest and let our readers decide for themselves what it stands for!
By: Kevin Stirtz
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Drop-in Visitors - One Approach
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