How to Access Menus…from the Keyboard

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?

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:
Getting Away From Should

Getting Away From Should

I was listening to a friend assess the earlier part of the year the other day, and I felt obliged to stop her.

You see, her conversation was peppered with "I should".
The Cons of Batch Processing

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 Pros of Batch Processing

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.
Tips: Highlight Alternate Rows In Excel…By Formula

Tips: Highlight Alternate Rows In Excel…By Formula

I work in IT. As a function of my job, I know a lot of little tips and tricks for many programs. Excel is one of my go-to programs, but I rarely use it for numbers - I generate code and do a lot of data work with it instead.

I recently had a long list of information to print out as reference material. It contained several columns, and I wanted a quick way to follow the information across the printed row without having to use an external guide.
5 Things My Dog Taught Me About Weight Loss

5 Things My Dog Taught Me About Weight Loss

One of the aspects of deliberate living I have struggled with is getting healthier. For a long time I gave in to the negative habits I fall back on when stressed, namely stress eating and reading as a means of escape. The end result of this, after years of this behavior, is that I am packing extra poundage and I'm not as strong as I once was.

Deliberate living doesn't mean I get the easy choices. I am choosing instead to act in a way that will move me towards health, and that means weight loss. I've learned some lessons along the way, especially from our late dog.
line in the sand

The Line in the Sand: Why Work-Life Balance Is An Issue

I was wondering one afternoon why work-life balance has become such an issue in our modern lives. The answer is actually very simple: changes in the way work is done now blurs the lines between work and non-work time.

It's blurring even more as we put the pandemic in the past; but all of our work lives have changed, whether it is working from home or changing jobs due to the pandemic.