More Windows Shortcuts
I thought I would present a list of other shortcut keys that can make things easier.
How to Access Menus…from the Keyboard
I spend a lot of time at my computer. It involves a lot of navigation between and within programs, and it really slows me down to have to reach for a mouse to access menus. Here is a tip for accessing Windows menus from the keyboard:
Do Productivity Tools Really Work?
Most of us have a whole lot of techniques for ways to get things done. Roles, goals, next action lists, someday/maybe lists, closed lists, timers, distraction blockers and most-important-tasks are some examples of these. These techniques fill a toolbox, and often times people will bicker about which tool is best.
There are some basics points that should be considered:
There are some basics points that should be considered:
The Whys of Productivity: Processing
Gathering everything you need to give attention to is crucial to productivity; however, until you actually give it attention, your stuff won't be anything more than a pile crying out to you.
GTD addresses this during the weekly review and the clearing of the inboxes. Seven Habits doesn't address it, but the underlying assumption is that you are aware of what is going on in your life. Do It Tomorrow is all about putting things into your work for tomorrow, and keeping up with the inflow.
In this segment of "The Whys of Productivity", we will look at why productivity systems all want us to process all the things we have gathered.
GTD addresses this during the weekly review and the clearing of the inboxes. Seven Habits doesn't address it, but the underlying assumption is that you are aware of what is going on in your life. Do It Tomorrow is all about putting things into your work for tomorrow, and keeping up with the inflow.
In this segment of "The Whys of Productivity", we will look at why productivity systems all want us to process all the things we have gathered.
The Whys of Productivity: Writing Things Down
It doesn't matter which system you look at: Daytimer, Filofax, 7 Habits, GTD, Do It Tomorrow, Bullet Journal...every system insists that you write things down. Each system differs on how and where you should write them down, but they all want you to get it down on paper (or electrons).
The Whys of Productivity: Minimizing Capture Locations
Every system out there, particularly those that are dependent on a specific format and/or planner, advocate putting everything in one place. Some systems insist that the only place to put things is in their product; GTD advocates a more realistic approach: minimizing how many places you put stuff.
Looking at this from a practical standpoint, it makes sense that the fewer places you put things, the fewer places you have to keep track of.
Looking at this from a practical standpoint, it makes sense that the fewer places you put things, the fewer places you have to keep track of.
The Cons of Batch Processing
Recently I looked at the pros of batching, where you lump activities that require the same tools together to do at the same time. Today I will look at the disadvantages of batching.
The Whys of Productivity: Gathering
The secret to any organizational system is that like items should be stored together, be it by type or by purpose. But in order to see what needs to be organized, you have to know what you have.
Gathering is simply a fancy way of getting information into one place so it can be stored together.
Gathering is simply a fancy way of getting information into one place so it can be stored together.
The Pros of Batch Processing
One of the concepts that has shown up in quite a few productivity methods is to "batch" activities. This means that you do all like activities on your list at once.
There are pros and cons to this batching technique. In this article, I will present the pros.
There are pros and cons to this batching technique. In this article, I will present the pros.
The Whys Of Productivity
Throughout all the years that I have been writing about productivity and researching productivity, I see a lot of articles on the "how". But knowing how to do something isn't enough if you want to expand on it. As a math teacher, I know it isn't enough to have students memorize formulas. They have to be able to understand why a formula works if they are to be able to apply it.
As I was considering this, I decided to revamp and expand a series on the "Whys of Productivity". Over the next few weeks, I will look at the similar basics to several productivity systems and dig down into the "whys" behind each method.
As I was considering this, I decided to revamp and expand a series on the "Whys of Productivity". Over the next few weeks, I will look at the similar basics to several productivity systems and dig down into the "whys" behind each method.