The Productivity Pro® Blog by Laura Stack - Time Management, Getting Things Done, How to Be More Productive

I’m looking for information on cool, hip, useful, inventive, fresh, efficient products, processes, and services to help average Americans save time and money.  Please comment with tips, Web sites, examples, press information, photos, how you’re using it, etc., for possible inclusion in an upcoming story.  Here’s one submission from a reader to get your creative juices flowing:

<< Laura, I’ve started making my own list of time savers (some of which inspired by your first book):

1.      Ordering groceries via www.Freshdirect.com the last Saturday of each month.

2.      Ordering sundries/household items and pharmacy item via www.drugstore.com the last Sunday of each month.

3.      Get laundry picked up and delivered to my apartment each Friday.

4.      Using electronic post-it notes for my laptop to catch miscellaneous notes. (NOTE FROM LAURA: Get a 30-day free trial of this software at http://www.3m.com/us/office/postit/digital/digital_notes.html.  Or just use Outlook Notes.)

5.      Cleaning out my email/voicemail boxes and cleaning up my PC every Friday before work so I don’t have to do it throughout the week.

6.      Using Pre-Packaged coffee in the a.m.

7.      Doing my budget and home cleaning the same time each week.

8.      Quarterly check-ins on my short and long term goals for the year.

Still always looking for ways to grab a little extra energy in the late afternoon, and the peppermint tea has been helpful.

Elizabeth W. >>

I remember reading some of the citations about "Blackberry Thumb," http://www.wordspy.com/words/BlackBerrythumb.asp years/months ago and thinking, “How ridiculous.  You mean to tell me they actually have a definition of this condition?”  Yep!  It’s "A repetitive stress injury characterized by swelling and pain at the base of the thumb and caused by prolonged use of the thumb while operating a BlackBerry or other personal digital assistant." 

Well, now I’m not laughing so loud.  I went to the hand surgeon today with a severe, stabbing pain at the base of my thumb and wrist.  I left after a diagnosis for tendonitis, a cortisone shot in the joint, a wrist brace to sleep in for one month, and a strict admonishment to not hold my phone and type with the same hand.  How rude!  How am I possibly supposed to drive and type at the same time?

It’s truly amazing how easy it is to ignore our own physical symptoms of overuse or overwork and let the pain become “normal” or dull.  Take it from me — use your pain as a signal to guide you that something’s wrong and listen to your body — before it becomes a repetitive motion injury!

I found a nifty little portable keyboard on the Internet I bought that pops open and plugs into the Treo, allowing me to type my messages as usual rather than typing with my thumbs.  In the last few hours, I’ve also become fairly adept at using a pencil eraser and poking the buttons with my pointer fingers.  Desperate times call for desperate measures!

Your schedule is full, you’re double-booked again, and your to-do list still hasn’t been touched. Sound familiar? Then it’s time to get real about becoming more productive. Microsoft® has posted several helpful resources authored by me (Laura Stack) on its Work Essentials Web site.  It’s free!  Check out these helpful resources:

Pre-recorded on-demand Webcasts by Laura Stack (free!):

Increase Your Efficiency: http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032278426&CountryCode=US

Work Productively with Email:

http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?culture=en-US&EventID=1032278426&CountryCode=US 

Optimize Workplace Performance:

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032288321&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US 

Articles, worksheets, and templates:

Scheduling realistically: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011543931033.aspx

Managing priorities: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011543981033.aspx 

Meeting management: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011928131033.aspx 

Handling interruptions: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX012262911033.aspx