Productivity @ Home

Social Media Do's & Don'ts for College Students

Over at UniversityParent.com, there is a terrific article entitled Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for College Students.  The facts and ideas presented in this column are important to review with your children of any age who may be using Social Media.  Around our house, my kids are constantly reminded that their Facebook pages are their "online resumes" -- future college choices, employers, and even their own parents will be closely watching their online activities and judging their characters as a result.

The information in this article is also pertinent to adults of any age who are active online.  Think twice before you type, post a photo or video, or hit "send". 

Getting Things Done with New Google “Tasks” Feature

I’ve been a fan of Google’s Calendar feature for a few years, as well as a user of Gmail for all of my email needs since before it came out of beta testing.  Google recently answered one of my personal productivity “wish list” items with its launch of a new “Tasks” management system. 

The Tasks, available from Google Labs, enables you to add items to a virtual “to do” list, assign due dates, and document details in notes.  The feature even gives “type A” personalities like me the satisfaction of checking a box when you’ve completed a task and seeing it crossed off your list.

I have been using Google Tasks with both my Google Calendar and with Gmail.  A wonderful feature of the application is the ability to quickly and easily create a task from an email in just a few clicks using keyboard shortcuts.  I tend to keep my email inbox stocked up with items that need my attention, so this new Task feature enables me to confidently add them to my “to do” list and then move them out of the inbox and into files without fearing that I will forget to complete the necessary action item if it’s not sitting in my inbox.

If you are already using Gmail, you will need to go to the “Settings”, click on the “Labs” tab, find “Tasks”, select “enable” and then scroll to the bottom of the page and save your changes.  Once you’ve done this, you can add a task either by keyboard shortcut or by selecting “Add to Tasks” from the “More Actions” menu directly above the email you are reading.

Because the task list resides online, you can access it anywhere you have internet access simply by signing into your Gmail account. If you are fortunate enough to own an iPhone, you can easily access your Google Tasks from your phone.

For a complete overview of the Tasks feature, complete with images and easy to follow directions, visit the Official Gmail Blog.  To integrate Google Tasks with your Google Calendar, visit this post.  The simple integration of these powerful tools and their ready access continues to please this Geek Gal.  I love having access to my data and to do list at any time.  It turns waiting situations into opportunities to cross tasks off of my list, which is always a good thing in my book!

Got My Mac On

Couldn't help but share!  With a fourteen year old who's begging for a "hand me down" iPhone, I may be compelled to trade up.  How have I lived this long without a video phone and copy/paste?  Sadly, as an AT&T customer, tethering is not in my immediate future...

Have you gone iPhone yet? 

Bargain Alert! Flip Video Ultra for $49.99

One of my favorite gadgets, the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White) is on sale today at Amazon for less than $50. This is the camera I use regularly to film my boys and other exciting happenings in my life. It's small enough to tuck into your pocket, so you'll always have it with you when fun breaks out. Here are a few of the technical specs:

• Simple to use, pocket-sized camcorder with one-touch recording and digital zoom
• Holds 30 minutes of full VGA-quality video on 1GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards required
• Convenient USB arm plugs directly into your computer for easy viewing and sharing
• Built-in software lets you easily e-mail videos, upload to YouTube and AOL, and capture still photos from video
• Watch videos instantly on TV with included cable

If you're looking for a fun graduation present or something cooler than a tie for Father's Day, I'd recommend the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White) as a great gift idea! Here's a video my son took this weekend at a concert under low lighting conditions. The camera-work is a bit unsteady, but you can hear that the sound is terrific:

The Price of Productivity

On Thursdays, I share my thoughts on Finances.

Yesterday's USA Today article entitled AirTran's in-flight Wi-Fi service takes off with test flight caught my eye.  Who among us hasn't bemoaned the hours stuck on an airplane without a wireless connection as a complete "waste" of three, four, or even a dozen hours? 

I don't know why I would have expected airlines to be giving wireless connnectivity away, but for some reason the $12.95 price ($9.95 for flights less than 3 hours in duration) shocked me.  Is it worth $13 to be able to get online during a flight, check email, and perhaps get caught up on a few blog posts? 

I suspect it depends upon whose paying the bill.  For those corporate employees with expense accounts, it seems like a no brainer - get online, remain connected, and don't lose half of your workday.  But for those of us who work @ home, we need to ask ourselves the cost benefit ratio of plunking down that money and how productive we plan to be with that time. 

I have used recent flights to review books submitted to me, to edit my own manuscript, or even to watch a movie onboard and write a review of it for one of my websites.  The time offline doesn't have to be a time dump if you plan ahead and bring work with you that can be done without an internet connection.  I also wonder if Air Tran's pricetag includes wifi while at the gate, where one could frequently spend multiple hours waiting for take off.  In certain instances, if that were included in the price, I might -- on occasion -- invest in the price of on-board wifi.

Will you pay the price airlines are asking for a few added hours of productivity?  I'm not sold...yet.

Learn and Do Everything in Less Time

On Wednesdays, I share my thoughts on Learning and Professional Development.

A big thanks to Kelly from ClearViewEducation.com for calling to my attention their recent post entitled 100 Awesome Cheat Sheets to Learn and Do Everything in Less Time.  Since personal productivity is all about "Getting Things Done", this is the type of cheating that works for me!

The Cheat Sheet list includes a broad cross section of topics including hobbies, productivity and organizing, finances and home and garden.  The "Laundry 101" Cheat Sheet is going to get printed and posted in my laundry room alongside the "Cleaning Cheat Sheet" so that I can spend more time enjoying the "Wine and Food Pairings" Cheat Sheet!

Is compiling lists of things that will make life less complicated cheating?  I call it good time management and recommend you head over and check out 100 Awesome Cheat Sheets to Learn and Do Everything in Less Time today.

Have a post to share?  Email me any time at lisahendey@gmail.com if you have a tip on personal productivity that will help our readers!

Kindle 2 iPhone App - Can it Replace the Real Thing?

Amazon recently announced the availability of the new Kindle 2 App for the ubiquitous iPhone.  As an iPhone owner and someone who's been coveting the Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation) since its release, I hustled over to the iTunes app store to download the free application.

I've had Stanza on my iPhone for a few months and have been slowly working my way through my free download of Emma.   The truth is, I don't have a lot of time these days to curl up with fiction, so I've wondered how much I would truly use the Kindle 2.  I'm attracted by the thought of discontinuing my periodical subscriptions and going paperless via the Kindle.   As of now, the Kindle iPhone app will not allow access to periodicals.

Having downloaded the app, I've used it to get a few sample chapters of books that have caught my eye.  At this point, however, I likely wouldn't actually purchase a full Kindle book and read it on my iPhone.  For the brief amount of time I spend reading on the iPhone, I will likely stick with sample chapters or free downloads of classics via Stanza.

It's not surprising that a free app won't replace a $359 tech toy.  For a complete and extremely thorough look at this new iPhone app compliment to the Kindle 2, check out this awesome article by CNET's Nicole Lee, who owns the real thing! 

Equifax and BBB Identity Theft Alerts

From this month's Equifax member newsletter comes the frightening news of a recent trend in ID theft at airports via free Internet connections.  Be sure to click through the link at the bottom of this excerpt for advice on keeping yourself and your identity safe.

Travelers Beware: Free Wi-Fi Scam Strikes at Airports

In order to keep up in today’s world, travelers need to stay connected, even on the road. Many airports and other public spaces offer free wireless, or Wi-Fi, connections for the public to log onto the Internet from their laptop computers. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that hackers are now taking advantage of this convenience by setting up fake Wi-Fi connections designed to steal your personal information and files without you even knowing. Find out how it works and what you can do to safeguard yourself.

How it works
Although hackers can and have set up fake Wi-Fi connections in a number of venues, usually they will target consumers at airports. When searching for connections, consumers may see a network connection available that could be simply named "Free Wi-Fi." Thinking it’s the free connection offered by the establishment, they’ll log on. Unfortunately, the network may actually be an "ad-hoc" network, or a peer-to-peer connection. The user will be able to surf the Internet, but they’re doing it through the hacker’s computer. And the whole time, the hacker is stealing information like passwords, credit card and bank account numbers, and social security numbers. Beyond simply stealing keystroke information as the user enters various types of data, if the PC is set to share files, the hacker could even steal whole documents from the computer.

Read this entire article

Celebrating Labor @ Home

On Mondays, I share my thoughts on Working @ Home. 

Today in the United States, we pause to celebrate Labor Day.  While for many this is a nominal holiday marked mostly by sleeping in and shopping, I like to pause on Labor Day each year and give thanks for my current employment situation. 

According the the US Department of Labor:

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

In 1882 at the first celebration of Labor Day, its proponents could probably never have imagined a world in which employment situations could become so flexible and amenable to family life and personal fulfillment.  Even when I had my eldest son in 1991, my options were relatively few - remain in a job that was full time (plus some!) and required frequent travel or give up my chosen profession to remain home with my child.  No one counseled me back then on the many alternatives that we have today - telecommuting, consulting, freelance work, or starting my own business from home.

I'm thrilled to have come to the point in my life where I have a career that enables me to help support my family while working from home.  Through the wonders of technology, my work keeps in touch with people around the globe with like minded ambitions and interests, yet enables me to make my own decisions about working hours, schedules, and long and short term strategic goals. 

So today, I pause to pay tribute to all of those who went before us, paving the way for fair, safe, and well compensated employment.  I also pay tribute to each person who works at home, compensated or not, to make life wonderful for his or her family.  Whether it's taking out the trash, changing diapers, building websites, selling scrapbook supplies, or caring for an elderly family member - we all labor at home every day.  And that is something to recognize and celebrate!

On the Bookshelf:
Will Work from Home: Earn the Cash--Without the Commute

Related Resources:

Back to School and GTD Go Hand in Hand

Back to School doesn't only mean a return to the classroom these days.  It also means a return to the "madness" of the schedule - soccer practices, scout meetings, dance recitals, music lessons and don't forget the homework!  I have often joked to friends that my "real" work day begins in the school parking lot when I pick my kids up at 2:50.

That being said, with the commencement of school it's more important than ever that we, as families, get organized.  If you're someone who's primarily responsible for getting everyone where they need to be, you know that the after school hours can be a frustrating cycle of drop offs, pick ups, and hours spent next to a field, court or studio.

But the good news of GTD, Getting Things Done, is that the system gives us a "smarter way to live and work".  By defining, capturing and organizing all of the items on our to do list into concrete "next actions", you and I can make the most of those little ten and fifteen minute blocks of time that seem to populate our busy afternoons.  By having a good list of Next Actions that ultimate contribute toward the list of projects we currently have underway, we automatically know what to do with the time spent waiting in the school parking lot when Johnny is kept after for ten extra minutes. 

If you haven't already read David Allen's great book  Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, now is the time to put it on your "must read" list.  If you're too busy to read it, you can easily download it from iTunes or listen to the audio version - I actually keep my audio copy on my iPod for a refresher whenever life's feeling particularly chaotic.

I thought I'd also share the following tips and tricks for making the most of the time we have during the busy weekday afternoons:

• Have a system and the tools you need to GTD.  Whether you choose David Allen's method, Franklin Covey Day planner, an online service like Remember the Milk or Jott, or an old fashion paper and pencil "to do" list, have a plan.  Carry your list with you and keep it full of small items that can be easily accomplished in five to ten minutes (call the bank, send Aunt Louise a birthday letter, review an article, etc).  When you find yourself in a waiting situation, automatically turn to your list and get busy crossing something off of it!
• Have "to go" work.  I carry a bag with ongoing projects, articles and paper and supplies needed to take my show on the road.  I keep it with me for busy afternoons so that I can make the most of the time I spend shuttling my sons to their activities.
• Socialize.  If Social Networking is an essential component of your business plan, go mobile.  Use your iPhone, BlackBerry or PDA to keep in touch with your contacts on Facebook, Twitter or Plurk.  I find waiting time to be a terrific time to check up on these utilities. When I'm at my desk working, they can be a distraction, but catching up on them on the go is a fun and useful way to pass time.
• Think outside the box.  Use this time for other, non-work related items that may populate the list of things you'd like to accomplish.  During your son's soccer one hour soccer practice you could take a 3 mile walk, read a significant portion of a good book, take time to pray/meditate, have a long conversation with a family member who lives far away, or do volunteer work by offering to help coach the soccer team!

Enjoy the fresh opportunities offered by a new school year to get a new outlook on Getting Things Done and before you know it, it will be time for summer vacation again!