A holistic approach to increasing your get-up and go, from the productivity expert whose previous books showed people how to Find More Time and Leave the Office Earlier. If you want to be productive but are just too tired all the time, you need to read this book! Laura Stack combines invaluable insights and practical advice in this guide to becoming more energetic and more productive in every area of life. Stack describes the factors that contribute to low energy (the "energy bandits") and explains how to reduce their effects and build up or renew sources of positive force (with "energy boosters").
Find More Time. You can't add more hours to the day, but Laura will help you make the most of the time you have and get things done. Available now from Amazon.com.
Leave the Office Earlier, Laura shows you how you CAN get more done than you ever thought possible and still get home to your real life sooner.Available now from Amazon.com.
NEW!
Streaming online learning library of Microsoft Outlook videos! Ten one-hour
modules available for 2003 or 2007—includes detailed workbook with screen shots
and step-by-step instructions!
Normally $39 each module. Special through September 2009: ALL TEN modules for
$319. Use code ALLTEN in coupon code. Pick Outlook 2003 or 2007.
NEW Monthly Poll
Answers to last month’s poll: What are
some “tricks” that you use to help you keep productive and focused at work and
at home?
1. Organize tasks and time frames for each; late in the workday - filing,
shredding, discarding, misc reading before planning for the next day; for
processes that have "wait times" (baking, laundry, etc.) I schedule other small
tasks not too far away.
2. Admit when I need to rest and do it! I'm much more focused and energized when
I allow myself time to stop when I need to. Take care of the dreaded things
first. When the sword is no longer dangling over my head, I can easily focus on
everything else.
3. Take an exercise break. It clears my head and makes me feel virtuous.
4. Write things down as they come into my head
5. At the beginning of each day, I pick the 5 most important things I need to
accomplish before days end.
6. Make a to-do list – (5 responses)
7. Let go of worrying about things over which I have no control.
8. Take fresh air breaks.
9. On my way to work, I plan out my days activities at work (other than
scheduled meetings). On my way home from work, I plan what I need to get done
that night at home.
10. Do one thing well and one thing at a time.
11. I do prepare lists on a piece of scrap paper. If I can arrange for a block
of uninterrupted time, I can get a lot done. Also, getting everyone out of the
house is also key.
12. Calendar reminders, pending folders, and a routine.
13. At home in the evening, if I want to watch a movie, I give myself a set time
to watch it and then see how much work (laundry, vacuuming, dusting, dishes,
etc.) I can get done before movie time. That keeps me moving and motivated.
14. Eating hard candy. Using a task list (large white board in the kitchen,
divided up into sections).
15. At home: turn off the noise box: the TV. At work: turn off the new mail
indicator so I keep focused on the work I am doing.
16. To keep focused, I plan in breaks every so often when I have time to do
something unrelated (like answer this survey) before going back to my work
tasks.
This month’s survey: Have you had some success in shaving off unexpected and
unwanted tasks as a result of a new habit or behavior?
Words of Wisdom
“Think like a publisher,
not a marketer.” - David Meerman Scott
“If content is king, then conversion is queen.” - John Munsell, CEO of Bizzuka
“By creating compelling content, you can become a celebrity.” - Paul Gillin
Where in the World
is Laura?
If you're interested in bringing Laura to your organization to present a training seminar for your employees on the day prior or the day after one of these engagements below, please contact John Stack for special "piggyback" pricing.
Precision Social Media: Efficiency Strategies and
Tactics
When it comes to time management, social media can be a
double-edged sword. On one hand, it can help you make connections and expand
your professional network faster than ever before. On the other hand, you can
dump countless hours into social networking sites and see little return on the
investment. Here are five things you can start doing right away to help you use
social media efficiently and productively:
1. Separate your business life from your personal life. Not only is this
a good idea in terms of maintaining professionalism and not boring your friends,
but it also has big implications for productivity. If you comingle your personal
social networking with professional social networking, you are basically
inviting your friends and family into your workday and your clients into your
personal life. That means that when you are at work and decide to focus, for
example, on marketing yourself, that you will almost certainly be distracted by
updates and messages from family and friends. Just glancing through those
personal posts is going to make your social media activities take a lot longer
than they need to.
I use Twitter (www.twitter.com/laurastack)
and LinkedIn for my business network (clients, prospects, vendors) (www.linkedin.com/in/laurastack).
I use Facebook for my personal network (actual friends, family, speaker
buddies). I do have a Productivity Pro® tip of the day that gets posted to both,
but the rest is separate. I announce business seminars, news, and updates on
LinkedIn. I put personal updates on Facebook and don’t want to wonder what a
client might think. Instead of “friending” my clients, I invite them to become a
Fan at my Laura Stack Fan Page instead (www.facebook.com/ProductivityPro),
so I can choose what business items to post separate from my wall. I only visit
Facebook when I’m on personal time, rather than thinking of it as a marketing
activity.
2. Get into a regular social media routine. Keeping current on social
networks really doesn’t take that much time – provided you are approaching the
task efficiently. It’s easy to spend the better part of an afternoon reading
blog posts and checking status updates, but generally speaking, that’s not what
you’re there for. In fact, the things that eat up the most time for social media
users are typically not things that add value at all; they are just another form
of procrastination, like lingering at a coworker’s desk or surfing the web.
The best way to approach building a social media routine is to establish
dedicated blocks of time to handle social media. This might be a single 15
minute session each morning or maybe a few quick sessions spread throughout the
day, whatever makes sense with your needs and situation. If you keep the time
period short you will be more likely to maintain focus and accomplish what you
logged on to do and less likely to fritter away time with idle chat or mindless
wandering.
Or do what I did: write a year’s worth of postings at one time. Yes, I wrote 365
daily Productivity Pro® tips over the course of a couple focused days, so I
don’t have to think of something new to say each day. I currently have over 1500
people following on Twitter, doing nothing more than posting once each day. And
I don’t post them manually…read on.
3. Embrace third-party applications to automate manual processes. If
you’ve determined that it makes good business sense for you to participate on
several social media platforms, it probably won’t be long before you realize
just how big a time commitment it takes to keep current on each one. It was hard
enough back when we just had to keep our blogs up-to-date. These days, that’s
just the beginning. Chances are, at some point, you’re going to need a little
help.
That’s where third-party applications come in. Rather than posting to multiple
places, sites like Ping.fm allow you to go to one place to
make updates to all of your social networking sites. That will save you the
trouble of jumping from site to site and generally streamline the experience
across the board.
To get even fancier, load your future postings into hootsuite, and have that
update Ping, which updates Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, delicious, typepad, aim,
gtalk, myspace, etc. That means that while you are sitting in a meeting, it can
keep your account looking alive. Obviously you don’t want to be disingenuous
with such a tool, but it is perfect for reminding followers of special events,
sharing professional wisdom, or anything else more strategic than a simple
status update.
I also like www.SocialOomph.com
(formerly TweetLater) to help manage multiple accounts. It also provides a
number of business tools to help you leverage social media effectively. For
example, it automatically follows back anyone who follows you on Twitter with a
custom message. I also get a digest every day of key words I’m searching for on
Twitter.
Last, blip.tv is a video uploading site that posts
to YouTube, TubeMogul, iTunes, your blog, etc. automatically. I definitely
recommend at least checking out Ping.fm, HootSuite, SocialOomph, and Blip.tv.
Your specific needs and personal tastes will influence which platforms makes
sense for you, but the best way to learn about them is to give it a try.
4. Decide what you’re really trying to do with SM. The biggest reason
that otherwise productive, well-intentioned people end up wasting a ton of time
on social networks is that they never sat down and figured out what they were
trying to accomplish with social media. It isn’t just about how many
friends/followers/readers you have. It’s about what your business has to gain.
That might mean interacting with existing clients, reaching out to new
prospects, or simply building your online reputation. Whatever makes sense for
you, be sure to have a goal in mind whenever you commit yourself to another
online profile. Otherwise, you could spend 40 hours a week bouncing from thing
to thing without ever adding real value to your business. Meaningful goals might
be based on sales (establish one new lead per week), generating awareness (post
industry-related content once per day), or even something more subjective, such
as establishing a reputation as a valuable online resource for customers and
prospects. The bottom line is that you need to know what you are trying to
accomplish. After all, if your goal is simply to create an account and make some
noise, that’s probably all you’ll do.
5. Connect, listen, and contribute. This is the easiest one to forget.
You’ve already decided that you are going to invest time and energy into social
networking, don’t forget that you aren’t there to simply broadcast your sales
pitch to anyone who will listen. Just like you make time to Tweet, update
Facebook, or post on LinkedIn, you need to set aside a few minutes just to see
what other people are saying. This will give you great insights into the needs
of the community and help you better focus your message when you do have
something to say. Even just carving out five minutes twice a day to pop in and
see what others are saying can add tremendous value to your social networking
activities.
Just as an example, Twitter provides plenty of great opportunities to listen,
but realistically, this social media network that is famous for broadcasting
what millions of users are eating for lunch does come with its fair share of
background noise and low-value information. A third party application like
TweetDeck and Twhirl can help you scan, sort, and filter the conversations
taking place on Twitter and help you hone in on things that matter without
wasting time on things that don’t. If I were to just scan the tweets of everyone
I am following , I would be overwhelmed by mundane updates (“eating lunch”),
annoying promotions (“retweet to win XYZ”), and complete nonsense (“which Harry
Potter character are you?”). TweetDeck allows me to focus on the handful of
people that I know well and even keep an eye on important topics through search
terms like “productive” or “Outlook.” That saves time and keeps me focused. And
make sure YOU don’t post ridiculous updates.
Hopefully I’ve given you a thing or two to think about as you pursue whatever
social media endeavors make sense for you and your business. I also hope you’ll
drop me a line out there in the social media sphere. See below for my social
networks of choice.
Make it a productive day!(TM)
(C) Copyright 2009 Laura Stack. All rights reserved.
Ask the
Expert
Hi Laura,
I am feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. Actually the truth would be I am
extremely overwhelmed. I just came across your web site, and I think that the
advice you have given (if I follow or put wheels on my intentions, so to speak)
will definitely help me with my dilemma.
I am a very detail-oriented person, even though you would totally disagree if
you could see my home office right now. I am going to attempt to enlighten you
as briefly and hopefully without boring you or taking up too much of our time.
Laura, I have been married for 32 years and have had public job for many of
those years, with the exception of time in between jobs where I have been home
after the birth of my 3 children and taking care of my parents before they
passed away (my parents were older when I was born, mother 44 and father 52). I
guess my purpose for telling you this is that even though I am (or used to be) a
detail person and a perfectionist, all of the things that have happened have
kinda gotten to me, and I can't even focus to complete a task.
Anyway I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis about seven years ago and I am
currently taking the orencia treatments monthly (which do contain a small dose
of chemo). I haven't been feeling so well, and I guess my paperwork has just
gotten out of hand. I am feeling little better now and that's why I want to try
and get this work done ASAP (before my next treatment).
My husband is bi-vocational. He has worked for (X) for 23 years and pastors a
church near our home for about eight years now. I also try to do his parents’
paperwork (they are elderly and don't understand or are unable to do their
work).
I also do the books for the church and so with my paperwork and the church I am
definitely feeling overwhelmed at this point. I really can't begin to catch up
on my paperwork until I file and organize my office. I have so many papers where
I have just jotted down notes and all kinds of other papers similar to that with
notes. I would like to just open up a program and start with each paper and
enter these notes into the computer. However, I'm not sure which program would
be best to put this is and to organize it.
As I told you I do the books for the church, and we are a very small church
(small budget too, of course) and I wanted to ask if you know of a good church
software to use that is reliable and maybe even free. I did purchase software
about five years ago and my computer crashed, and I lost all info. The software
I purchased was for churches but it had a lot of problems. that I didn't even
realize until I had been using it for a while. (Data didn't pull over for
month-end reports correctly among other problems.) This was a program that my
husband and I bought and paid out of our pocket for $99.00.
I hope this gives you some ideas as to where I am with everything and that you
can give me an idea where to start. At this point when I come up to my office I
just want to turn around and leave. So, please help me if you can!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Sorry if I was too long
winded or boring. I just would like to get my work accomplished ASAP and I know
that this will help my feelings tremendously.
Again, thank you,
Kay P.
Dear Kay,
You are not necessarily disorganized; you have proven you have the ability in
the past. You have a capacity issue. You are doing your husband’s parents’
paperwork, your own paperwork, your church’s paperwork, etc., while being sick
and dealing with chemo. The symptoms of disorganization and/or laziness often
mimic the symptoms of exhaustion. Yes, you could purchase QuickBooks Pro for
accounting software and Microsoft OneNote to enter information and notes, but
simply having the right tools aren’t necessarily going to help you, if you don’t
have the energy to accomplish these tasks. I would concern yourself more with
staying on top of paying bills and keeping up with current issues rather than
filing. Plan to spend 30 minutes a day shredding, filing, and organizing. Stop
when you’re tired. Or hire a bookkeeper to help with the church, parent’s, or
personal paperwork.
Have Laura speak to your company, conference or organization. How do you know if Laura would be perfect for your next event, meeting, or training? View the "Laura Stack Is Perfect For This Group" fact sheet.
Letters to the Editor
Hi Laura,
I DID use some info I learned from the seminar last Tuesday -- I saw a trade
show article I liked and posted it to my Linked In page, then signed up for
Twitter, shortened the article URL on tinyurl.com and posted the article with a
Twitter comment. All worked like a charm! Thanks for the great seminar and tips.
Book your airfare now and attend our ADVANCED Microsoft Outlook public seminar
in Denver to discover little-known tips and tricks for managing your workflow.
Are you buried by hundreds (or thousands!) of email messages? Do you spend hours
every day in your inbox? If you have a hard time keeping up with your email,
attend this critical half day of training with Laura Stack, The Productivity
Pro®, a Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) in Outlook. She will
demonstrate ADVANCED Outlook methods with her actual Outlook software and an LCD
projector. This is not simple computer training—it is workflow processing—where
you’ll learn to use Outlook to get more work done and increase your performance.
Even Outlook “power users” will be amazed by how much they learn. To reduce
frustration for all, please do NOT attend if you don’t consider yourself an
intermediate/advanced user. Laura moves quickly; you might be seriously lost if
you’re a beginner. We will not learn to create folders, schedule meetings,
create email, or do any task that is considered a beginner-level skill.Click here for
more information or to register.
Or if you don’t live in Denver, you can attend Laura’s one-hour virtual webinar
with on SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 on organizing your office. You may work hard. But if
you’re disorganized, every step is a struggle. In this age of downsizing and a
do-more-with-less mentality, efficiency is more important than ever before. Only
$29 per person! (You can still buy the discounted package of all ten: you’ll get
a link to the recording of those that have past.
Click here for
more information and to register.
You don't need text messaging, or a cell phone
for that matter, to send text messages to someone. Virtually every mobile phone
and carrier around these days offers Short Message Service protocol, or phone
messaging. It's a simple method of sending messages between the mobile phone and
another device. Usually, you enter your message into your phone, and then enter
the number to which you wish to send the note. However, most people don't
realize that you can send a short message from a computer to the phone, since
your email client doesn't accept telephone numbers only, as a telephone does.
The secret is the carrier.
Each mobile phone carrier maintains a mail server that allows them to handle
short messaging between their phones and other devices--even across
carriers---find out what yours is. And that means each mobile phone has to have
its own email address. For instance, if your mobile phone number is
303-111-5555, you can instant message your phone by simply entering the phone
number and then a domain specific to that carrier, which in Sprint’s case is @messaging.sprintpcs.com.
Therefore, to send you a text message to your phone, someone would enter
3031115555 @messaging.sprintpcs.com in the TO field in Outlook, and then simply
continue with your email as normal. You'll also need to keep your message short,
since SMS only transfers the first 110-160 characters of your message (thus the
Short in Short Message Service).
To be featured in this section of our newsletter
and get a free eBook with our thanks, send your productivity tip or trick to
[email protected]
with “Tips and Tricks contribution” in the subject line.
All Articles (C) 1999-2008
Laura Stack. All rights reserved. This information may not be distributed, sold,
publicly presented, or used in any other manner, except as described below.
Permission to reprint all or part of this article in your magazine, e-zine,
website, blog, or organization newsletter is hereby GRANTED, provided:
1. The ENTIRE credit line below is present,
2. The website link to www.TheProductivityPro.com is clickable (LIVE), and
3. You send a copy, PDF, link, tearsheet, etc. of the work in which the article
is used when published.
This credit line MUST be reprinted in its entirety to use any articles from
Laura Stack:
