I had to recently switch from paper to electronic notes for work due to the need to do fast searches. Searching through five notebooks that were haphazardly backlinked was almost impossible. I made the switch to OneNote, and have worked hard to get a simple but workable system. This is a tour of how I use OneNote for work.
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I've never been a fan of leaving house keys hidden in the yard. But I've come to realize that having backup keys around are a good idea. Our next door neighbor has a key to the house, as does our former nanny. I thought this was good enough to prevent me being locked out. Turns out I was wrong.
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It's no secret that I like to plan. It's isn't just about the end result which is working on the best activities (when I stick to the plan). I also enjoy the planning itself. Most of my life is driven by plans and lists. And it works for me - for the most part. But new years is more about direction for me.
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Do you know how to use a task list to its fullest potential? Do you ever find yourself forgetting things, because they weren't on your list? Or realizing that you forgot to check your list and missed doing something important? Or turned away from it because it was overwhelming? These are all signs of a flabby task list. Just as getting in physical shape requires a little effort and perseverance, so does getting your task list in shape. Here are five ways to shape it up:
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I love bright and shiny as much as the next person. Besides having all the new tools, and the untarnished promises that a new system brings, it also feels productive because I am working on my productivity system. But shifting systems is a big deal because there is a lot of switching time between. Today we’ll talk about how and why in Episode 72 called Switching Systems.
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There comes a time in every examined life where you have to stop and say "What am I trying to do?" Here are some questions to help you answer that.
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I've talked about the 80/20 principle before. Formally known as the Pareto principle, it says that 80% of the results will come from 20% of your effort. Today I want to apply this rule to housecleaning.
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Productivity systems leak. And like plumbing, sometimes the only evidence is after the fact. Today we talk about how leaks develop, how to spot them, and what to do about them.
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If you were to come to me and tell me you weren't as productive as you wished, and your life was complicated, I would tell you five things you probably do that contribute to this state of life.
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I've had a rough couple of months, and my productivity has taken a hit. It reminded me of a week years ago. Read on for the description, and what I did: It was the week from hell: a situation with a family member threatened to sever a relationship, I was recovering from a vertigo-inducing double ear infection, and my daughter picked up a virus that caused her to vomit for 9 hours. Then work went to you-know-where in a handbasket, and we went on vacation. I spent the next two weeks trying to catch up, unsuccessfully.
