Earlier I asked readers to share their favorite home office tip as a follow up to the previous interview. Here are the responses: Many of my clients struggle with organizing their offices (home or otherwise) because they try to fit a "square peg into a round hole." Meaning, they try to use systems and setup that works for others, but does not match the way that they think and function. Recognize are you an "innie" or an "outtie"? Innies are people that function better (are more creative, get more done, etc.) when their space is clear. They can frequently get distracted to other tasks if there are piles laying around. Tools good for innies are systems with drawers and cabinet doors. … [Read more...] about Productive Home Office
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Productivity and Finances
A lot of people tend to think of productivity in a vacuum. They want to get more done. However at the end of the day your work translates into money which translates into purchasing power. Sometimes instead of just concentrating on how to do more work, it is more efficient to concentrate on the conversion process--how the work turns into money and then turns into things you need. For example, if you currently work for $50 per hour and you are able to make a change that allows you to turn your work into money at a rate of $75 per hour, you've increased your productivity by 50%. On the other hand, if you can make your money go further you can also increase your productivity. For … [Read more...] about Productivity and Finances
Productivity501 Store
Productivity501 is launching a webstore with products specially selected to help make you more productive. In particular be sure to check out the paperless category. Here are some other items that might be of interest: Mozarts Brain and the Fighter Pilot - A great book about how the inner workings of the human mind. Hon Leather Chair - My personal favorite work chair that I've been using for over 5 years now. Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman - The biography of an incredibly gifted scientist. It is sure to challenge the way you see the world around you. Mindmapping - This is the book I purchased years ago before taking an intense college history course that had been condensed … [Read more...] about Productivity501 Store
Share Your Answer – Tips for a Home Office
Recently we did a group interview with a bunch of bloggers. Each one was asked for the single most important tip they could share for setting up a home office. The answers were great and I know I learned quite a bit by reading through them. Now is your chance to participate. If you have a tip on setting up a home office you'd like to share, please submit it here. If you have a blog or website be sure to fill in the appropriate blanks--if people like your answer they may want to checkout the other things you've written. We will only keep things open until Tuesday afternoon, so if you have something to share, please do it right away. I'm experimenting with some new technology for … [Read more...] about Share Your Answer – Tips for a Home Office
Reader Questions – Being Absent
I went through my site statistics and found some interesting questions that were typed into Google and led people to Productivity501. Over the next few fridays I'm going to attempt to answer some of these questions. Should you call your boss if you are going to be absent? Yes. I can't think of any reason you shouldn't call and let your boss know that you are going to be absent. It doesn't matter if you are sick or have some type of personal issue you need to tend to. Simply not showing up is one of the worst things you can do. Even if you don't feel your current job is where you want to work, you should still approach it professionally. Treat your boss with the same courtesy that you … [Read more...] about Reader Questions – Being Absent
Habit List Course
The Habit List Course is now live. You can signup below. If you are reading this in an email, you may not be able to see the form. Visit the site in order to sign up. Using the Habit List 30 Days - 10 lessons This course explains the Habit List–a method of tracking habits you want to develop that shouldn’t be on your regular to-do list. It explains the theory behind the list and includes the popular PDF allowing you to print your own Habit List. (In Testing: Signup Below for Beta) Name: Email: … [Read more...] about Habit List Course
Online Backup Options
I've been trying out several online backup tools. I plan to write in more detail about my experiences with each one later, but here is an overview. My wife and I travel quite a bit. While I can take an extra hard drive with us for backups, but this seems a bit pointless since the biggest threat to my equipment is probably theft. If someone breaks into my hotel room and steals my laptop, they probably aren't going to overlook an external hard drive. I need a solution that will give me quick access to all my information if my computer is stolen or damaged. Here are three services I've tried. If you have any suggestions of other services I should check out please post them in the … [Read more...] about Online Backup Options
Tuesdays Tip: Time for Reading
This might be a personal idiosyncrasy, but I bet I'm not the only one it applies to. When I don't spend some regular time reading, I start feeling drained of creative ideas. And I'm not talking about spending some time reading articles on the web, I'm talking about sitting down with an actual physical book and doing some good old fashioned reading. I suppose this makes sense. If you are constantly trying to produce using the creative part of your brain you need to be feeding it new stuff, but I suspect that the effect goes well beyond just having some new ideas to think about. Reading (at least for me) seems to trigger new ideas about totally different subjects. So spending some time … [Read more...] about Tuesdays Tip: Time for Reading
Understanding How Different Genders Think
One of my consulting clients has a company thats purpose is to help lower the divorce rate in America. One of their big goals is to teach people how to understand each other. Here is a short excerpts of one of their videos explaining the difference between the way men and women think. Obviously this is a generalization, but it is a useful reference point for planning discussions with people of the opposite sex--not just your spouse. For example, if you are a woman trying to negotiate a business agreement with a man you should be aware that he is less likely to see the holistic benefits of the arrangement. He is more likely to view the deal in isolation instead of seeing the advantages … [Read more...] about Understanding How Different Genders Think
Thinking For Yourself
This morning I read a news article that started out: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Some women in Springfield are regretting their decision last week to get a tattoo from a door-to-door tattoo salesman. link Um. I think I would have seen that one coming. One of the biggest differences I noticed in Mexico was the fact that people expect to rely on their own good judgment. In the US I find people tend to think: If it is legal it is right. If it is for sale, it must be safe. If I'm not physically prevented from doing something it must be ok. In the US if you are near a cliff there would be a rule that says you aren't allowed to go near the edge. There would probably be a fence or other … [Read more...] about Thinking For Yourself