Out of the Blog, Into the Light

Keep Your Attention Focused on the Right Activities

Forms are at the end.

Years back I taught Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”  And even though I knew the system well, I find I need to return regularly to his priority-setting evaluation method.

Fact is, most people who learned this theory found it great stuff to learn yet few ever really sat down and applied the exercise.

Today, I’d like to persuade you to open up some space, take however long is needed, and apply this exercise.  You will find the process rewarding and enlightening.  If you’ve previously completed this exercise, but haven’t in awhile, now is a good time to complete again.

If previous attempts to complete this exercise were unsuccessful, then there is a good chance your inner critic swept it under the carpet with the message “too trivial.”  This message covers a common fear.  As you continue through this process you will learn the answer to your fear.

Enough analyzing for now.  First, I’m going to discuss the exercise.  This could be a review for you.  Next, it’s your turn to apply the exercise to your life, projects, or business now.  Whether you begin with your personal priorities, career or business priorities, it doesn’t matter.  If you are learning this exercise for the first time, allow me to suggest to practice with your personal priorities first.  And since I know how important this is, and how difficult this could be, I’m also attaching a few forms to help you complete the process.

Imprint Onto Your Brain

First, draw a square and divide it into equal quadrants.  Outside the box draw a vertical axis labeled “Importance” and a horizontal axis labeled “Urgency.”  Yes, you’ve seen this before. 

Here’s a visual of what you will be drawing.  It’s important to complete this in your own hand.  This imprints your brain and is a visual learning process.  Just thinking about it will not imprint memory.  Drawing, especially with colored markers, will. 

If your brain’s message chimes in with “this is too easy” or something similar, ask it to step aside and do it anyway.

This next step is one I created that has helped hundreds of others improve the visual imprinting process…

Step 1: Place a number inside a circle in each box.  For instance, the top right, the “More important. More urgent.” box would have a “1” with a circle around it.

The “2” with a circle would be the top left.  The “3” with a circle for the bottom right.  And the “4” with a a circle for the bottom left or “Less important. Less urgent.” box.

After using this circle method several times, your mind will begin seeing the circled number when reviewing a task list not created in this process.  (See #1 below on how to apply this.)

Applying To Your Priorities

Now it’s time to find out if you have been prioritizing well or you need to correct your process.  And you can do this several ways.  Here are the choices:

1.  Print your current computerized task list.  On the printout, one task at a time, place the appropriate circled number next to the task.

2.  There are two attachments.  One is a PDF file and the other a MS Word file.  If you prefer to work on this exercise in writing, print out the PDF file.  If you prefer to type the list, use the MS Word file.

Whichever form you use, continue by placing each task in the box you think it needs to be in.  If your inner critic is chatting away during this process, take a deep breath in between each one to allow it to pass.  Your inner critic has been getting away with convincing you, you didn’t need to do this for so long, it wants to continue having its way.  Take this slow, easy, and love through the chatter.

Here’s where the new awareness may come in…

What If

If everything or the majority of your priorities fall into the top right-hand quadrant, it’s time to get more realistic with what type of priorities you have.  To solve, divide the “More important. More urgent.” category into four quarters and re-plot.  If you’re using the written method, you may want to start with a clean diagram.  If you’re using the Word method, cut and paste and move them to the “get real” box.

If your priority management isn’t great, you will want to complete as many as five or six processes.  Each session will overwrite beliefs and memory just a little more.  Be gentle with yourself during this process.  You’re reprogramming your brain.  This always takes longer than expected.  This is why implementation didn’t fully complete in the past.

If you find you are completing items in “3” box (lower left, “Less important. Less urgent.”) more often, this means you are more concerned with checking-off items as completed rather than focusing on the truly important activities that will progress you forward.  You think you are accomplishing a lot; however, the outcome isn’t working in your favor.

Pay attention to where you’re paying attention.

Clarity in life determines your outcome.  And gaining clarity in life is what “Out of the Blog, Into the Light” is all about.

PDF priorities form Click to open

MS Word Form Need Word to Open

(c) Copyright 2009, Catherine Franz.  All rights reserved.

Technorati Tags: Stephen Covey,The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,setting priorities,article,blog post,time management,tips,techniques,priority setting,Catherine Franz,Out of the Blog,Into the Light blog

Tips On Publishing A Word Document To A Kindle Reader

I’ve proven this works with Word version 2007 and the latest Kindle. For any other version of MS Word or Kindle, I cannot say whether this would be successful.

You will need these guidelines before you transfer your Word document to the Kindle.

Eighteen Ways to Use Your Search Engine More Efficiently

We never think about the number of clicks we do on the computer every day, we just do them.  Going from the keyboard to the mouse to make a click does cause carpal tunnel problems.  You can reduce this and increase productivity, just by learning new ways to use your search engine functions.

Here are 18 ways you can reduce the number of clicks and increase your efficiency at the same time:

Windows XP Performance Enhancement Tips

I had always thought regularly defragging my hard drive beneficial to improving the speed on my computer, I was very surprised to discover it wasn’t. 

This was the highlighting conversation over dinner with a group of my geek friends this past week. 

During dinner they put their heads together and came up with a list of ways that they know really work on how to improve a computer’s performance.  I gathered them and place them into the attached PDF file just for my blog readers.

Some of these were too geeky for me . . . meaning too technical.  I did feel comfortable with three fast . . . numbers 6, 11 and 17.  So I implemented them.  My computer speed improved 27% immediately on my desktop and 41% on my laptop.  My laptop is 5 years old and is frustratingly slow.  I was so pleased with this improvement.

Well, anyway, here are 23 performance enhancing tips for Windows XP.

To open PDF file 23 Performance Enhancing Tips

Technorati Tags: Windows XP performance enhancing tips

The Little Red Phone Book That Could

In answer to a few inquires, I've been asked how do I keep track of all my passwords.

I've tried keeping in many different ways over the years, including on the computer. I finally gave up and have been using this offline for a number of years now.

I found this 4x6 telephone book about five years ago.  I liked it, especially the spiral feature. 

My previous book which was glue edge wore out fast and was much smaller and I had to write too tiny.

Back Up and Share Your Docs FREE

Accessing information and sharing information helps the world become even smaller.

Microsoft Live is helping make it so!

Up until recently I had limited choices to backing up my hard drive documents.  I didn’t have a backup drive any longer (did on the last computer) so all I did was make up create a DVD of the information once a week.  A CD no longer had enough room so I went to saving it to a DVD.  For those who don’t know, text files go on DVD’s too.

Then Windows Live appeared.  At first, I began using Windows Live Writer (WLW).  It cleaned up my blog posts when I copied and pasted them from MS Word.  Then I just began writing all my blog information in WLW.  For blogging Writer has been a God-send.  You can set it up so one message goes to multiple blogs and the list of add-ins are in the hundreds to help you make blogging quite automatic, including sending a Tweet out to multiple Twitter accounts.

After I learned more about Windows Live, I learned they also provided a free messenger service like Outlook where you can pick up all your emails online from any address.  For those of us who have a Hotmail, Gmail and other email address this helps when you’re away from your main computer.

Inside Windows Live is what they call “SkyDrive.”  SkyDrive offers 25GB of free online storage.  This may not be your whole MyDocs folder because music and photos can take up a big chunk, but it’s a lot of text space.  To have a SkyDrive account, you will need a Windows Live account.

SkyDive solved quite a few of my problems.  First, my OneNote notebooks are full of gold nuggets now and losing even one days of information would make me cry.  This was the first to save a copy of.  The second were the rest of my writing file.  Considering I have over 60,000 articles I’ve written over the years, I was so glad to be relieved to see those there too.

The next problem – I have a few clients around the world.  When I’m away, they are sleeping and the reverse.  Not only clients but a few support people as well.  Yes, it’s easy to email back and forth, however, sending large files was a challenge.  For the past few years I’ve saved them to a confidential area.  Now we just use SkyDrive.  You see, you can give permission to share one file, or a whole folder.  I can visit the each person’s folder to see what’s been done and how things are progressing.

I hope this mega solution I found can help you as well.

Resources:

Windows Live registration page   www.windowslive.com
After you register you can then find SkyDrive, writer, and other functions to support your success!

 

Technorati Tags: Windows Live,SkyDrive,Messenger,how to,free,free backup space,online

Sharing One of My Magic Wands -- OneNote

A few months ago I began using Microsoft’s OneNote.

I struggled for over a year trying to find a solution to most of my challenges with tracking and keeping information. I had papers scattered every where and MyDocs, even though it was well organized, was difficult to finding anything. 

The magic happened when I called Dell to order some computer stuff.  I couldn’t hold back my frustration.  Todd, the rep I use and I go back a few years and I just let loose.  He listened and in his cool quiet tone, he easily said, “OneNote” will do it all for you.

I think I remember hearing the name before but vaguely.  Todd said, “Don’t buy it yet, go ahead, download it’s 60-day trial.

The next day, I did just that and have been totally in love with it ever since.  It solved all my organizational challenges I wanted and many I didn't even dream about.  There were so many bonuses too wrapped up in this $100 application.

Months later and I’m still in love with OneNote. And I hear when other people discover its capabilities, they are too.  Within the first three days I tripled my productivity and it continues to climbs daily.

Now, I wish a magic wand could be waved to get all my years of back stuff in there. 

If you are suffering from information overload, or just want to be incredibly organized without much work, I recommend Microsoft’s OneNote.  Nothing to lose, try the trial.  It’s not hard to learn and there are lots of training videos on the Net, including what Microsoft offers, to get you up and running in less than 15 minutes. 

Afterwards, use your intuition and visit…

After a few days I found iheartonenote.com (click picture below to go to the site)looking for some additional training info.  This site is amazing and never stops teaching me new things I can do to be even more organized and info efficient.  You’ll love it too!

Marcus’ “I Love OneNote” Web site will give you all the info you need to decide for yourself.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft OneNote,testimonial,www.iheartonenote.com,organizing,organized,OneNote,notes,notebook,notepad,online journal,planners,iheartonenote,monthly,daily,organizer,download,microsoft,notebooks,share,sharing

Stop Others From Forwarding Your Emails!

Every day I like to learn something new about a software I’m using. 

In fact, I’ve been doing this for the last 15 years. 

Let’s say I do this 300 days a year (allowing 65 days when I just miss it, which is much higher than actually happens, but it’s a good round figure for this point), this means 300 x 15 years = 4500 things I’ve learned about my computer – hardware and software.  Of course, this type of learning is like an savings account earning interest.  I couldn’t even begin to calculate how much interest it’s earned for me over the years.

Well, anyway…

 

Have you ever had someone forward your email message without
your permission and it came back to haunt you?

Well I have.  It wasn’t a message bad mouthing anyone either.  The good that came out of this was my research into how to stop this from happening again.  Was there a way to set up a message so it couldn’t be forwarded or replied to all?

Upon researching Microsoft’s Outlook 2007 website, I found there was a way. 

There are a few limitations they mention, however, I had a beginning.

What I liked, it also gives me a choice on what emails to use it on.  In other words, I don’t need to use it on all emails (unless I want to).

Interested in learning more?  The direct link to the instruction page on Microsoft’s website is below.  By going there, you’ll not only find written directions but two videos that will walk you through how to set up custom forms (the method you would need to use), and then how to send out an email using this custom form.

And tomorrow, since today’s journey lead me to this topic, I’m going to learn more about setting up custom forms.

Here’s the direct link.

If you use Firefox, I’m sure they have a similar method – probably one that’s even better.

Since there are so many email clients out there, I can’t go into the details for all of them.  Just be curious and see if yours offers a similar know I believe this is a great feature to learn and worth learning.

 

Technorati Tags: how to,Outlook 2007,stop recipients from forwarding messages,stop replying to all

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