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

I’ve worked full-time from my home since 1992 and can’t imagine doing it any other way. Whether you work full time out of your home, occasionally telecommute, catch up on work in the evening, or run a household, you need some sort of dedicated “office” space in your home. Offices can serve as the family computer center, a place to do paperwork, and the occasional work-at-home office.

The first big question is where to locate your home office. Until the last few years, most builders didn’t catch on to the popularity of a built-in home office. If you have a computer, you probably need more than an antique writing desk in the living room. But if you only use your “office” to pay bills, write letters, and return phone calls, you can get away with a corner of the kitchen.

In most homes, extra space is difficult to come by, so you’ll need to get creative. I’ve seen people attempt to use a hallway, part of a bedroom, and even a closet. However, it’s difficult to work while children are running around you, you see your bed and think about napping, or when it’s too cramped. So I’ve always commandeered the “formal” dining room or living room—no one ever used it anyway—so it’s wasted space. Or perhaps you can steal the guest room.

Set yourself up for success. If you are going to be working from your home full-time, use this checklist to ensure you’re set up for success and maximum productivity:
• Where will you set up your home office?
• How will you modify the space to meet your needs?
• Can you lock the door? Can you lock the windows?
• Do you have sufficient lighting for that area?
• What office supplies you will need?
• Where are the electrical sockets located? Will you need additional power sources?
• Do you have enough storage space, such as a file cabinet, bookcases, credenza, closets, etc.?
• Where you will store back-up disks? Is the storage area safe from fire, flooding, etc.?
• If your home office is in the basement, and if the basement tends to get damp, do you have a de-humidifier?
• Do you have a personal computer that you already use at home? Will you need different software or upgrade the RAM? Will others need to stop using it for personal purposes?
• Do you have sufficient office equipment for your home office?
• Do you have a desk? Is it large enough to do office work?
• Do you need to have a modem installed on your home computer?
• Are there sufficient phone jacks in the area you’ve designated for your home office?
• Do you need a separate fax line, Internet line, and business line?
• Do you have voice mail or an answering machine?
• Do you have a smoke detector in your home office area?
• Do you have a fire extinguisher located hear your home office?

Regardless of whether you work full-time from home or a few times each month, your home office has some common requirements:

Furniture and storage
• A professional office desk and worktable
• Sturdy filing cabinets and drawer space for files. Invest in quality pieces that won’t fall apart.
• An ergonomically correct chair
• Bookcases or shelves to hold binders, trays, phone books, and reference manuals
• Stackable storage units that maximize your space vertically
• Large garbage can
• Supply caddy/accessories
• Stackable trays for “in” and “out” boxes
• A large, standing document sorter with slots for envelopes, fax paper, letterhead, etc., that fits under your desk for easy access.

Computer and peripherals
• A computer with lots of RAM, a large hard drive, and a DVD burner
• External back-up system (like www.godaddy.com or an external drive)
• DSL or cable or satellite Internet connection (no dial-up)
• High-security remote access to your offsite office computer (like www.GoToMyPC.com)
• USB hub such as Linksys 2.0, which has seven easy access ports to plug in your keyboard, iPod, PDA docking station, digital camera, USB flash drive, etc.

Software
• Spam filter, such as www.mcaffe.com
• Internet security and virus protection, such as www.norton.com
• Integrated contact management, such as ACT (my favorite) or Goldmine
• Fax within the computer, such as WinFax Pro
• Postage, such as www.stamps.com, www.pitneyworks.com, or www.dhl.com
• Accounting, such as QuickBooks Pro for business or Quicken for home only
• Email software, such as Microsoft Outlook
• Calendar, such as Microsoft Outlook, or a paper planner, such as www.daytimer.com/laurastack

Other technology and equipment for people who work at home
• A separate business phone line and fax line if you conduct business from home so your clients don’t get voice mail saying, “You’ve reached the Smith residence.”
• Wireless headset (I use GN Netcom plus receiver lift)
• Cell phone and PDA, which can be separate, but optimally a SmartPhone, which includes PDA and email access
• Pager or text pager (only if you’re required to carry one)
• High-quality laser printer, copy machine, and scanner (separately or all-in-one)
• Telephone with voice mail

Who knows…setting up a clean, organized, productive office space at home might allow you to consider more work-at-home or other home-based business opportunities.

© 2008 Laura Stack.  All rights reserved.  Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier® with Maximum Results in Minimum Time®.  She is the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc., a time management training firm specializing in productivity improvement in high-stress organizations.  Since 1992, Laura has presented keynotes and seminars on improving output, lowering stress, and saving time in today’s workplaces.  She is the bestselling author of three works published by Broadway Books: The Exhaustion Cure (2008), Find More Time (2006) and Leave the Office Earlier (2004).  Laura is a spokesperson for Microsoft, 3M, and Day-Timers®, Inc and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, and the New York Times. Her clients include Cisco Systems, Sunoco, KPMG, Nationwide, and 3M.  To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401. 

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These days, most of us use handheld technology in all aspects of our daily lives, blurring the boundaries between work and home. Has this made you feel more overworked and less energized? If so, you need to learn how to break free from technology, turn it off regularly, stop letting it control you, and unplug in ways that boost your energy. Let’s chat about your electronic habits, and about how to regain control.

1. Plan your screen time and stick to it. It’s unnatural to focus on a computer or TV screen for hours on end instead of interacting with people. Yet this is precisely what most people do — and the subsequent feelings of social isolation and depression can be quite damaging to your energy level.

2. Put your life first. Don’t let technology eat up your free time; technology exists to simplify your life, not to complicate it. It’s up to you to keep it in check. A good start is to turn off all electronics an hour before bedtime.

3. Keep your electronic in-box empty. Slash through the electronic detritus to maximize your efficiency, and therefore your energy level. If you let your voicemail and email inboxes get overcrowded, important communications might fell through the cracks, straining a friend’s or client’s trust in you.

4. Get your computer organized. Too much computer clutter can drain your energy just by forcing you to hunt for things that should be easy to find. Delete old files, reorganize folders, and give files names that make their contents obvious at a glance.

5. Turn off your technology when you’re on personal time. You can’t recharge your personal energies if you’re always working. Once the workday is over, make yourself electronically scarce.

6. Avoid Obsessive Compulsive Technology Disorder. You don’t need to check your email constantly. Doing so is forces your brain to start/stop/start/stop constantly, which requires a huge amount of mental energy. Instead, turn off the technological distractions so you can get work done.

7. Just say no to instant messaging.  Instant messaging is a great way to stay in contact, but too much of it steals time and energy you need for other work. Don’t be afraid to turn on the “DO NOT DISTURB” feature when you want to focus on a task that requires your complete concentration.

8. Match the message to the medium. Use the right means of communication for a particular message. Sometimes email is the most efficient way to communicate with a particular person; sometimes it’s better to pick up the phone.

Electronic devices are supposed to make your life easier, not more stressful. If they’ve begun to dominate your life — including your time off — step back and decide whether all that stress is worth the reward. It may be time to shed some of that technology, or at least to put it back in its place.

© 2008 Laura Stack.  Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier® with Maximum Results in Minimum Time™. She is the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc., a time management training firm specializing in productivity improvement in high-stress organizations.  Since 1992, Laura has presented keynotes and seminars on improving output, lowering stress, and saving time in today’s workplaces.  She is the bestselling author of three works published by Broadway Books: The Exhaustion Cure (2008), Find More Time (2006) and Leave the Office Earlier (2004).  Laura is a spokesperson for Microsoft, 3M, and Day-Timers®, Inc and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, and the New York Times. Her clients include Cisco Systems, Sunoco, KPMG, Nationwide, and 3M.  To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401.  Visit www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.

No matter how technologically savvy we become, we can’t seem to eliminate paper. In fact, studies estimate that we generate up to ten times more paper than we did before the advent of the computer! How much of that paper is sitting in stacks on multiple surfaces all over your home and office?  To tame those mountains of paper, try throwing these ideas at them.

1. Consistently purge your files without fear. Before you embark on an overhaul of your filing systems, purge all the old junk first. Why spend time dealing with paper you’re just going to toss anyway?

2. Create and maintain a filing system that allows you to find papers easily. If you can’t find a particular piece of paperwork when you need it, it might as well not exist. Pick a logical filing scheme and follow it religiously.

3. Follow a daily processing system for staying on top of mail and paperwork. Keep track of your incoming mail and other paperwork every day, and use the 6-D system to deal with it: discard, do, delegate, date, drawer, or deter.

4. Handle bills in a timely fashion and keep up with bookkeeping. Limit the number of credit cards and checking accounts you have, and learn to file everything effectively so you know when bills are due. Online payments can help.

5. Know where you put every piece of paper you receive. Keep different types of paperwork in separate files, and think before you put something into a file: is it really worth my time and effort? For example, most store coupons aren’t.

6. Handle phone calls and voice mail productively. Avoid phone tag, which does little but add to your daily paper deluge. Answering the phone when it rings can be much more effective. Also, start a phone log to keep track of who you’ve called and who’s called you.

7. Use technology to reduce paper and complete tasks quickly. Utilize computers and related devices to automate what would ordinarily be paper-based tasks: e.g., holiday lists, contact management, word processing, and mass-mailings.

8. Keep important papers up to date and easy to locate. It’s especially important to keep track of insurance, medical documents, and wills, and to keep them current at all times. Make a list of all your passwords and bank account numbers too, and make sure your loved ones know where to find that list.

9. Use a calendar system to track family members’ schedules. Use ONE calendar that contains ALL your personal, family, and work commitments, so you can track and sync other people’s schedules with your own.

10. Organize and keep up with my reading. If you’ve got too little time to keep up with your reading, cut back on your commitments, and try listening to audio books. Even better, ditch the stuff that’s so dull it puts you to sleep.

It pays to spend a little time every day making your bill paying, filing, reading, tracking, and scheduling more manageable. If you don’t get control of the paper monster, it’ll get control of you. If that happens, you’re likely to find yourself drowning in a sea of paper — not exactly the most dignified way to go!

© 2008 Laura Stack.  Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, professional speaker, and author who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier® with Maximum Results in Minimum Time™. She is the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc., a time management training company in Denver, Colorado, that caters to high-stress industries. Laura’s newest productivity book, The Exhaustion Cure (Broadway Books), hits bookstores in May 2008.  Laura is a spokesperson for Microsoft, 3M, and Day-Timers®, Inc and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, and the New York Times. Her clients include Cisco, Sunoco, KPMG, Nationwide, and MolsonCoors.  Contact her at www.TheProductivityPro.com. 

Not everyone has the natural ability to live out of a suitcase or do business from a laptop bag. However, with a little practice, you can learn how to make the most of your travel time. It’s amazing what you can get done when you put some miles between yourself and the usual distractions of everyday life.

So how do you make the most of your time away? Here are some tips that work for me. I hope a few of them will help you become as efficient when you’re away from the office as you are when you’re there.

Pack efficiently. It all starts with being organized and thinking ahead. Did you ever stay up half the night packing and spend an entire trip frustrated, exhausted, and wondering what it is you forgot? Don’t let it happen again. It’s pretty rare that a trip will pop up at the last minute, but they do have a way of sneaking up on you. Instead of getting packed the day before, start thinking about your trip the week before. Find an out of the way spot to leave an open suitcase and drop things in as you think of them. When it really is time to get ready to go, you’ll be practically done. I have a toiletries bag with duplicate items of everything, so I only have to pack outfits. I have a friend, Rebecca Morgan, who photographs her entire outfit at home—shoes, jewelry, purse, etc.—so she can quickly pull together what she needs at the hotel.

Don’t check your briefcase or laptop bag with the luggage. Stuff happens. Bags disappear—usually not permanently, but long enough to make you wish you had them. While there’s not a whole lot that you can do if it does happen, you can at least be confident that your computer and other work essentials are close at hand. Don’t be tempted to tuck that stack of folders in with your suitcase. If there’s a baggage mishap, you can probably handle business in yesterday’s clothes, but not without your files. I wear business causal attire when I travel, since I have presented in my travel clothes before, but audiences are very understanding.

Have a plan. You’ll usually have a pretty good idea of how much downtime you’ll have during your trip. Before you leave, set some goals. How long is the flight each way? How long will you be alone in your hotel room in the evening? Know what you want to accomplish during various parts of your trip. It isn’t set in stone, just a guide. When you sit down in that airplane seat, you should know exactly what to do next. Maybe there’s a report you want to read or a proposal you want to write. Whatever it is, be ready to dive right in.

Embrace the smart phone (in moderation). You don’t need to become a full-fledged Crackberry addict to enjoy the benefits of a smart phone. It shouldn’t hijack your life, but it can be a useful tool while you’re riding in a taxi or sitting at the gate. Use your downtime to keep up with e-mail. It is a good feeling to know that your e-mail isn’t piling up while you’re away. A smart phone can also help you stay on top of things back at the office without having to play phone tag and leave voicemails all over the place.

Use a jump drive, just in case. It’s tiny, inexpensive, and in a pinch, just might save your career. These little gadgets can go right on your keychain, or for the truly paranoid, around your neck for safekeeping. You can use it as an emergency backup for files essential to your trip. If you laptop is stolen, your battery is fried, or you come face to face with the blue screen of death, you’ll have a backup of your files; like that presentation you came so far to deliver. I had a computer refuse to start up once, but I was immediately able to upload my PowerPoint presentation to the client’s laptop and carry on.

Simplify with a docking station. Do you find yourself transferring files between a desktop computer and your laptop when you need to travel or bring work home? This was one of the biggest frustrations and wastes of time for me for many years. Unless your work requires some serious computer resources (I’m talking way beyond Microsoft Office here), you can probably stop using that desktop machine altogether (I use a Sony VAIO). A docking station means you’ll be able to keep your nice big monitor and full-size keyboard, but still be able to pop your computer out of the dock and slip it into your laptop bag and have all your files in one place. It really is the best of both worlds.

Access your computer by remote. If taking your computer with you isn’t an option, consider setting up remote access. Some companies provide this through a virtual network. Otherwise, similar technology is available through sites like www.gotomypc.com. As long as you have internet access, you’ll have access to the files and programs on your computer. Once you’re connected, you’ll be able to operate your PC just as if it were right in front of you.

Load up a phone card. Hotel telephone fees can be outrageous and cell phone service can leave you hanging when you least expect it. I’ve often not had reception from my hotel room, couldn’t get an internet connection (to use Skype), and had to use the land line. Get a prepaid phone card or calling card service so you can make calls from your room without racking up phone charges or wandering around the parking lot searching for a signal.

Pick up an extra set of chargers and connectors. Keep them in your laptop bag or briefcase. This way all of the cords for all of your gadgets are always packed and ready to go. This applies to your cell phone, PDA, Bluetooth, and laptop computer. When you arrive back to your office, you don’t have to unpack all your cords. My sets are permanently plugged in my office and stored in my briefcase.

Get EVDO. If you absolutely need to have internet access wherever you are, EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) provides high-speed internet access through certain wireless networks such as Sprint or Verizon. It’s like using WiFi without having to search for a hot spot. If you pay for connection charges a few times a month in a hotel, the convenience is worth the price tag.

Carry a pocket folder or portfolio. We’re not talking about running around the office where you can juggle fistfuls of papers until you get back to your desk. Conference papers, meeting notes, proposals, and sales receipts are all things that can end up crushed, mangled, or lost if you don’t have someplace to put them. Keep everything together and organized until you get back from your trip. I create an envelope for each client meeting and carry a seven-pocket Pendaflex folder for conferences, with the documents I need separated by day.

I hope these tips help you spend your time as a road warrior more productively, and more importantly, have less to do when you return home—so you can squander more time reuniting with your loved ones.

Make it a productive day! ™

Feeling overwhelmed?  Try this little experiment—turn off your computer volume. Your psyche is constantly bombarded with all the little clicks and dings your computer makes when it performs the smallest operation—simply decide you don’t need it!  You only need the volume turned up if you’re watching a file with sound, such as a video.  You will be completely amazed at how much more calmness you exude and how much peace of mind you feel if you try this!  Encourage your co-workers to turn off their computer volume as well, to minimize the overall background noise in your office.  This is especially helpful if you work in an open-space office with several cubicles.  To further reduce noise in your life, trying driving with your radio off.  You don’t have to be the receptor for all the bad news in the world.  That doesn’t mean you should be an uncaring person, but there’s nothing you can do about a murder that took place yesterday in a different state.  It’s important to keep abreast of news—but you’d be surprised at how little news you need to keep abreast.  Keep the radio on for only 10 minutes of your drive, or listen to it every other day.  Better yet, put in your favorite CD.  Or drive in silence and spend some time thinking some positive thoughts—like a recent vacation.  Remember the saying, “silence is golden.”

I enjoyed this post about how to be more productive with your Crackberry, I mean Blackberry.

Especially true is Nakagawa’s comment, "…the people who are the most productive don’t seem to have them." 

I’m sure you have your beefs about Blackberry usage in your organization (or by your spouse, for that matter).  If you were king or queen of the world, what "rules" would you create about Blackberry usage?  In addition to the 10 the author lists, I’ll add the following from personal experience:

1.  Do not pretend you are listening to someone by brainlessly mumbling "uh-huh" while you are answering an email on your Crackberry.

2.  Pay attention to the presenter during training sessions rather than using the time as your personal Crackberry play time.

3.  Use codes in the subject line when emailing, so Crackberry recipients can get your message without having to open it: "Do you know what the June budget figure is for professional services? END"  (AR = Action Required, END = End of message, LONG = read later etc.)

4.  Set your Crackberry to delete your email off the server when you delete it from your handheld (so you don’t have to do it twice).

5.  Turn your Crackberry off when you are standing in line for the Matterhorn at Disney World with your poor children tugging at your arm.

What are your rules?

I just read this quote by Lewis Eigen, uttered in 1961, which is even more profound today than it was then: "The workers and professionals of the world will soon be divided into two distinct groups. Those who will control computers and those who will be controlled by computers. It would be best for you to be in the former group."

A 2001 survey sponsored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and conducted by Harris Interactive shows that the increased use of technology such as cell phones, beepers, email, and computers has had a tremendous impact on the feelings of overwork in

America

. The four out of ten employees who use technology often or very often for their jobs during typical non-work hours more frequently feel overworked. About one-fifth of employees in the study said they often or very often have to be accessible to their employers during typical non-work hours and non-work days, while 30 percent said they never have to be accessible. Which are more stressed? Employees who are more accessible to their employers during non-work hours feel more overworked. 

Consequences of being available 24/7:

·        Loss of time for loved ones, reflection, relaxation, and spiritual growth

·        No “unavailable” time: intrusive

·        Can violate desire for privacy

·        Pleasurable activities (lunch with friends, a walk) quickly lose their pleasure when you’re “on call.”

·        Feel like you have no control over your time.

Keep your cell number private. Only five people have my cell phone number: my husband, mother, day care, best friend, and assistant. If you give it to everyone, you will never have private time. Unless your job requires it, give the number to as few people as possible, so you can turn it off and protect your privacy when you choose.

Turn off the computer and television. How much time do you spend surfing the Web each day? Playing video games? Watching television? The Bureau of Labor Statistics “Time-Use Survey” from September 14, 2004, states that on an average day in 2003, men spent about 2.7 hours watching television each day and women watched 2.4 hours each day. Holy cow! If you’re among that group and reduced your television time by only five hours a week, you’d gain almost 11 days a year. What could you do with 11 days a year? Spend more time with someone you love? Think carefully the next time you reach for the remote.

Be fully present. Some people don’t feel productive when they’re not doing four things at once (such as driving, talking on the phone, drinking coffee, and putting on makeup). If this describes you, shift your focus. Avoid the tendency to multi-task at home. Be especially attentive with children for their safety. On weekends, turn off the technology completely. Resist the urge to sneak back into your office to check email “just one more time” while your family hangs out elsewhere in the house.

Draw the line somewhere. If you stayed connected to your email and cell phone all weekend, you will go to bed physically and mentally exhausted on Sunday night. Instead of starting the week recharged, alert, and efficient, you will be sluggish on Monday morning. Slow down and rest. Reinvest in yourself.

What are other ways you use to control your technology, rather than allowing it to control you?

A reporter asked an interesting question today: How do you know if you’re spending too much time surfing eBay?  While I’m all for saving time on Internet shopping and having things delivered, instead of driving around town to ten places trying to find the same item, you don’t want to cross the line into an addiction.  An addiction?  That’s right.  How many hours a day would you have to devote to something before it would be labeled an addiction?  Television watching?  Gambling?  Drinking?  eBay surfing?  As with anything, it can get out of hand.  So I told the reporter I’d have her readers ask themselves these questions:

·        Do you spend more time on the computer surfing eBay listings than you do with your significant other and children?

·        How would you feel if your spouse could see the listings you’re viewing?

·        Are you purchasing items in private or on a separate credit card, so no one knows what you’re buying?  Are buying things you are embarrassed to tell your spouse about or that are causing financial strain?

·        You don’t leave the house any more to go shopping, because you can find anything you need on eBay?

·        Can you spend an evening with your partner without thinking about whether someone has responded to your eBay seller inquiry?

·        Does your heart beat faster when you see a message waiting for you in your inbox from a certain eBay stores?

Tell your partner you’re sorry you’ve been so unavailable, and make steps to change. Don’t let the anonymity of technology let you cross boundaries you wouldn’t in person. Force yourself to buy things in cash, so your credit card purchases don’t become unmanageable.  Make a list of things you need to buy, and get out and about to meet real people in real situations.  The delivery costs can add up quickly, so only buy unique items you can’t find anywhere else, only when there is a legitimate occasion.

I am rid of spam!  YES, it’s true!  Just in the last few months, as many of you have experienced, the volume of spam I was receiving was increasing drastically.  I was getting 200+ spam email messages a day, and it was killing my productivity and frustrating me to no end.  Just scanning the subject lines and deleting was costing me precious time, and some spam messages were causing my Treo handheld to reset upon email retrieval.  I’ve tried several end-user anti-spam filters, and nothing was doing the trick.  Add to that multiple domains, email addresses, and aliases, and the problem was compounding daily. 

ENTER Mail Foundry.  My webmaster, Lance Gibb, installed the appliance on his server, routed my mail (all addresses, domains, aliases) through it, and TA-DA!  No more spam.  No kidding!  99% is gone.  At the end of each day, I receive a quarantine digest of all messages MailFoundry grabbed, and I have the option of releasing them back to my in-box and tagging them as not spam.  I have only had one or two messages with false positives.  I can also report messages I receive in error that are actually spam and should be grabbed next time. 

You could even do it yourself, if you own your own domain, have total control of your domain, and know all the technical details of how to route your mail.  But it’s just as easy to contact your webmaster and recommend MailFoundry. The best part yet?  It’s FREE!  I highly recommend it.

Merry Christmas!  No spam is my best business present to myself!

I’ve always used RSS Reader 2.0 as my news aggregator/feed reader, until it started acting buggy, and I explored other options.  After reading other blogs and postings on the subject, I decided to try NewsGator Inbox for Outlook…and I love it!  What a time saver!  It integrates right into my Outlook email client and acts just like an email.  It has its own folder, and I can delete, forward, store, and search blog postings just like email.  It adds a nifty "Subscribe in NewsGator" item to the Internet Explorer menu.  I also like the wizard that lets you search feeds by keyword.

It has some disadvantages: you can only use it with Outlook, although NewsGator has different software versions as well.  The only thing I don’t like is you can’t group RSS feeds.

There’s a free 30-day trial at the NewsGator InBox website; the software version is only $29.95, which is well worth the convenience of seeing everything in one place (if you’re an Outlook user).

Bottom line: If the average "Joe" had this tool when blogging first started, it wouldn’t have been near as confusing and more people would have taken the time to learn how to subscribe to RSS feeds.