My Productivity System: My Email and Contacts Setup

My Productivity System: My Email and Contacts Setup

February 14, 2022
It’s hard to imagine that less than 40 years ago most people couldn’t even fathom having a need for an electronic mail account. Fast forward to today and most people have multiple email accounts to manage. Along with that comes the electronic address book for your contacts.

Today we are going to look at how my email management fits into my productivity system.
How To Avoid Rabbit Trails

How To Avoid Rabbit Trails

February 10, 2022
We've all been there: we spend hours working on things, only to look at our lists to find we didn't do anything on them. Busy, but not planned. I call these rabbit trails. I don't go down rabbit trails very often, but when I do, I can count on losing at least an hour of productive time. Today we will look at how to spot them and what to do when you're on one.
My Productivity System: My Notes Setup

My Productivity System: My Notes Setup

February 7, 2022
Have you ever noticed how many places it is possible to make notes these days? Besides all the options on your phone and computer there are sticky notes, notebooks, white boards and more. Today I will show you my notes setup, along with why I chose what I did and how it fits into the framework of choosing productivity system components.
How To Hunt Office Vampires

How To Hunt Office Vampires

February 3, 2022
Three types of office vampires have existed in every place I have worked, leaving trails of negativity behind them. And there are other types of vampires as well, more subtle in their approach to sucking out your energy and happiness. Can you spot and neutralize them?
My Productivity System: My Task Setup

My Productivity System: My Task Setup

January 24, 2022
One of the hardest things to do to get to peak productivity is to choose not just the tools, but how to set them up. Today I will show you my task setup, along with how I get things into my task system from various sources.

The main issue with choosing tools is that too many people pick the software before they know how it will be used. Previously I have talked about systems of record, the need for fluidity and the advantages and disadvantages of cloud-based systems. Today I will show you how I apply those concepts to my own task management system.
3 Questions To Consider Before Changing Your Productivity System

3 Questions To Consider Before Changing Your Productivity System

January 20, 2022
I used to be on the cutting edge of productivity software. If there was a new tool out there, I tried it. I would spend days wrestling all my tasks, dreams, lists and whatnot into the new software, learning all the ins and outs of the software, only to be disappointed in the results, and repeat the process the next time new software would come out.

It occurred to me about years ago that this behavior is just a way of playing at being productive. After all, I was busy, and even if I wasn't getting anything done, it was in the name of productivity, right?
My Productivity System: My Calendar Setup

My Productivity System: My Calendar Setup

January 17, 2022
One of the hardest things to do to get to peak productivity is to choose how to set up your tools. Today I will show you my calendar setup, along with instructions on how to add calendars from multiple places.

The main issue with choosing tools is that too many people pick the software before they know how it will be used. Previously I have talked about systems of record, the need for fluidity and the advantages and disadvantages of cloud-based system. Today I will show you how I apply those concepts to my own productivity system.
choosing productivity systems

Choosing My Productivity Systems

January 10, 2022
Last week I gave some guidelines about how to change up your productivity systems. It’s not just a matter of choosing the tools, but also a matter of determining what the system of record is for each type of information. The system of record is the one that you have determined has the truth, even if you access the information from multiple places.

Today we will talk about some things that I considered with my systems and why I chose cloud-based for most of them. I will follow it with articles on the specifics of my productivity systems.
Morning Tips for Non-Morning People

Morning Tips for Non-Morning People

January 6, 2022
I am not a morning person. In fact, I have great difficulty in waking up unless there is sufficient light. And since winter is a time of insufficient morning light, coupled with cold mornings, it is very difficult for me to get up and get things done. Yet getting those things done is what sets the tone for the whole day. Here are five ways that I get past the groggies:
Revamping Your Productivity System

Revamping Your Productivity System

January 3, 2022
Revamping your productivity system can be a daunting task. Digital? Paper? Hybrid? And what tools should be used for each part?

Sometimes the revamp is caused by an outside force, as is the case with one of the readers who emailed me recently. She is being required to use Google, but is used to Outlook and was having issues accessing Gmail through Outlook. Then add in the calendar and tasks, and things were getting confused.

Today we will look at how to revamp a productivity system by looking at systems of record.