Automated message alerts in e-mail software and cell phones interrupt your concentration than you think.  Fortunately you have the ability to disable them. Earlier this week I promised to show you how to disable the message alert lights and alarms for several popular software tools and smart phones.  This by no means an exhaustive list but it’s a start. If you have any tricks of your own,  please post a comment or send me an e-mail...

I was planning to do a summary of productivity tips from around the blogosphere when I discovered a similar post written by blogger Marelisa.  She writes a blog called Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online which is well worth visiting. Marelisa did an excellent job pulling from some of my favorite resources and a few others new to me.   Rather than re-invent the wheel I thought I’d just point you to her post. The photo is very cool...

This is a picture of my in basket a few days ago. It’s a collection of random small things was my nemesis for a few weeks. It doesn’t look like much but it really bugged me. What are they? They’re the result of a recent wallet cleaning and attempt to corral loose pieces of floatsum laying around my workspace. The kind of things that are there so long you stop noticing them. Like a good processor I gathered these things...

It’s the weekend and time to take a few minutes to catch your breath and decide how you’re going to attack next week. This Cessna Citation is owned by a friend of mine. He wasn’t born rich. He’s from a working class family in a Midwestern suburb just like most of middle America. But he’s one of the most focused people I know. This jet and his ability to fly it are a testament to his ability to set clear goals...

Do you ever feel frustrated or just plain angry at yourself because you spend too much time looking for things (often on you desk)? Do you have the same problem wit your stored e-mail? If so you’re not alone. In fact it’s one of the major pains expressed by my clients. Although computers are very good at finding things, the sheer volume of stored e-mail can make it difficult to find something important quickly. This is further...

Does this look like one of your file drawers? How about your Outlook folders about the same? Because your Outlook folders are electronic it doesn’t mean they’re neat and tidy. Here’s the key. If you’re spending more than two or three minutes searching through your Outlook folders each time you need something, then it’s time to re-think how you’re using them. One of the biggest frustrations my clients...

E-mail anxiety is one of the major reasons companies and individuals hire me. It comes at us constantly at an ever increasing pace and is not going away.  E-mail should be no more  urgent than paper mail, but it’s turned into a continuous interruption for so many people. Don’t be like this guy suffering from e-mail overload.  Apply the principles below to take control of your Inbox: End every day with an empty Inbox...