Last year I finally got fed up with all the statements I was getting from various financial institutions. I had retirement accounts with 4 or 5 different companies and stock accounts with 2 or 3 others. It was very difficult to keep track of what was doing well and what was doing poorly. I finally settled on two institutions; one for retirement type accounts and one for my non-retirement savings, checking and investments. I contacted both institutions and gave them a list of what I wanted to move over. On the retirement side of things, the transition went very smoothly. They filled out all the paperwork, sent it to me for my signature and I FedExed it back to them. The … [Read more...] about Fewer Financial Institutions
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Networking in Large Companies
Nokia has an interesting culture for promoting informal mentoring. When someone new comes on staff, their manager sits down with them and makes a list of the people they need to meet. The manager helps give the new employee an idea of what they should discuss with each person on the list and explains why building that particular relationship is important. Nokia then supports this practice by giving the new employee time to visit with each person on the list--even when that means traveling to other company locations. The result is a very strong collaborative culture that gives new people a jump-start on building relationships that might take years to identify and build in a … [Read more...] about Networking in Large Companies
Links of Interest from LifeRemix
Thirteen Tips for Actually Getting Some Writing Done-The Happiness Project This post offers some practical advice for those that want to be organized about their writing schedule, as well as those that feel "burnt out" after writing. Make Your Yard Look Like Wrigley Field-The Art of Manliness Getting your yard to look decent can be a chore, and mowing isn't always everyone's favorite of the chores on the weekly "to-do" list. However, this article has some fun and interesting tips to help you make your yard look like it belongs in a stadium. Some Thoughts on Angel Food Ministries-The Simple Dollar Because of the recent economic downturn, this article might contain some useful … [Read more...] about Links of Interest from LifeRemix
The Have-Done List
A to-do list is what most people see as the pinnacle of personal productivity. You set a plan, work the plan, and the check items off the list. To-do lists can be a great. They help you focus on what is important instead of just what happens to be on your mind. However, there are times when creating a to-do list isn't the best thing. There are times when you need to be able to freely explore and do whatever comes to mind. Vacations are one example. If you create a to-do list (and I know some people who do) for your vacation, it might take away from some of what you need to get out of a vacation. I also find that there are times where I need to focus on a particular area, but … [Read more...] about The Have-Done List
Kindle DRM
It sounds like the digital rights management on the Kindle isn't as clear cut as it sounds. Worth reading if you are thinking about getting a Kindle. … [Read more...] about Kindle DRM
Your Locus of Control
Locus of control is something studied by psychologists to determine how people perceive their ability to change events. Someone with an internal locus of control believes that they have a strong ability to influence the events around them. Someone with an external locus of control believes that external forces (people, fate, luck, etc.) control events in their environment. There were some studies done in the 60s that showed locus of control to be a personality variable, not a situational variable. In other words, if you put two people in the exact same situation, their perception of their ability to control the situation can vary wildly. Their perception of how much influence they … [Read more...] about Your Locus of Control
Interview: Computer Setup
In the next part of our technology interview, we asked a number of people: Describe your computer system setup and tell what parts you feel are most important for your productivity. (679) I was surprised at how many Mac users we had. Obviously everyone's setup is based around their particular needs, but there are some great tips in here. OS X itself is great for my productivity. In the year and a half I've been using a Mac, I've had only a few trivial computer problems, all easily solved. The two programs that most add to my Mac productivity are Quicksilver and TextExpander. To my mind, Quicksilver's versatility alone is a good reason to use a Mac. TextExpander, like the … [Read more...] about Interview: Computer Setup
Twitter Milestone
Last week we hit something of a milestone when we reached our 10,000th Twitter follower. Thanks to everyone who is following Productivity501. … [Read more...] about Twitter Milestone
Quote from Robert Benchley
Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment. ~Robert Benchley … [Read more...] about Quote from Robert Benchley
11 Steps Toward Developing a Superior Mind
Great success in life is usually the result of taking advantage of rare opportunities. So success is most likely to come to those who are prepared to take advantage of opportunities. One of the most important aspects of being prepared for any opportunity is making an intentional effort to avoid becoming dumb. I know that sounds silly, but it is very easy to find people around you who haven't kept themselves in mental shape. When opportunities come their way, they miss out because they lacked the right knowledge, frame of mind, or mental stamina. Just like a muscle, your brain needs exercise. Far too many people get stuck in a rut of old habits and never really exercise their … [Read more...] about 11 Steps Toward Developing a Superior Mind