Tag: time management

Paper: Why You Should Never Use It Again And Why Your Business Will Accelerate As A Result

June 8, 2010 • 37 Comments

It's 2010, do you really still write on scraps of paper?  Do you still use post-its, index cards, and notebooks?  Why?

Here is something really interesting.  Even in the early 90's, I met someone who hated paper.  I was in grade school at detention in the principal's office, and a woman who worked in that office did not use paper, and hated paper.  Keep in mind that this was before the internet was available anywhere. This was just when Windows 3.1 was coming out, and "easy" networking was almost unheard of.  To transfer files she must have been limited to a slow modem fax machine.  But even with all the limitations of the 1990's, she made sure not to use paper.

Now going paperless doesn't seem silly at all.  I am telling you right now, as soon as you stop using paper, you will instantly become more productive.  But how can you give paper up?

Network Shares

Because networking and file sharing has been built in to all modern operating systems for at least the past 10 years.  You can easily share a folder on your desktop computer and access it from your laptop.

I don't have everything on my computer shared over my network.  But I do know that anything I am currently working on such as a word document, a mind-map, or a PowerPoint presentation, I will have on my desktop.  I have my desktop shared through the whole network so that when I am downstairs on the couch, or in my front yard or backyard, I can easily get to whatever document I am currently working on.

Having shared folders over a network also makes file copying easier. When I record a webinar on my laptop, I don't have to use a USB Stick to transfer the file, I just copy it right over the network.  Think about all the steps you save

You save having to put the USB stick in, wait for the computer to recognize it, open up the folder on the USB Stick, open up the folder on your desktop, drag the file over, wait for it to copy, close out the windows, unplug the USB stick from the laptop, plug the stick back into your desktop, open up both windows and copy it over.

Instead, you open up the destination you want to copy your file to on your laptop, find the file you want to copy, drag it over, and it magically happens.

EverNote

Speaking of things happening magically, my favorite iPhone app is a program called Evernote.  Evernote allows you to write notes, in other words text documents.  What makes it magical is that they have versions for the iPhone, iPad and Windows.  They actually have a web-based version, a MacIntosh version, a Droid version, and a Blackberry version, but I don't use them.

The idea is that I have this program called Evernote installed on my laptop, desktop, iPad, and iPhone. Whenever I make a change to any of the notes or documents in Evernote, it will sync them up to the cloud and any other devices I have, and will download the new versions.

This means I can type a note on my computer and get to it on my phone.  I can edit on my phone and read it instantly on my iPad.  I can change it on my iPad, and then open up my laptop and read it or write to it there.  In other words, I have many devices editing the same document at the same time.

Accountability Blog

Speaking of storing my notes in the cloud, the number one source of wasted paper I used to have was my to-do list or my task list.  Not anymore.  Now I store my full daily tasks on a private membership site that only myself and Lance have access to.

Because my laptop, desktop, iPad, and iPhone all have internet access, I can get to that task list any time I want. Because I have XML-RPC enabled on that blog I can use the blog press app on my phone to easily post new to-do list items without having to even use the browser.

The great thing about storing my daily task list on my blog is I can easily edit it.  I can store away the old version.  But if I need to get something, I can type something in the search box and figure out exactly when I was working on what tasks.
Speaking of depending on searches.

Gmail And Google Calendar

If you are still stuck on an email program like Outlook, you are missing out on the advantages of Gmail.  Gmail is a totally web-based email client. What set it apart at first from other email clients is it has almost a desktop-like interface. You use keyboard shortcuts, you can drag and drop, and most importantly it's fast.

Instead of using the folder system like Outlook, Gmail allows you to tag your messages with labels.  If someone emails me asking for a download link for a specific product, I can label that message both with the name of the product and the tag download link.  That means, if I ever want to view all the requests for download links, I can click on one button and find it.

If I get a confirmation email about a hotel or flight reservation, I tag it as "Travel" and then I can see the email in the list of all my messages, or just click on the "Travel" label and see everything I need.

Also, the search feature is extremely fast. If I am going to Austin for example, I can search the word Austin in the search box, and get a list of all the email messages that contain the word Austin.  If I want to look up all the correspondence between myself and a particular person, I will type the persons name and find all the results.

The missing part of Gmail, that I only discovered within the last year or two is the Google calendar.  Google calendar allows you to store appointments and see everything you have to do today.  But what makes it unique is that you cannot only see it from anywhere, but you can share your calendar with other users.  Just like with Outlook.

I make sure to store my appointments and my meetings on there, and I synchronize it with my iPhone and iPad. That way I get alerts when something important is coming up. When I am traveling, I also store my travel itinerary directly in the calendar, that way I can be sure which flight I am on and when my flight leaves and arrives. The final paper killer I want to share with you today is.

Mindmaps

A mind-map is basically a network of thought nodes, you can have one node and many nodes coming out of that node, and other nodes coming out of those.  That way you can structure a thought into a tree.

Many people spend way too much time on mind-maps, and make them crazy, which is why I only use mind-maps as a temporary brain-storming tool. If I am going to be making a power point, I will plan out the structure in the mind-map.  That way I can drag notes around and arrange things, and then create the power point, then delete the mind-map.

I will also use mind-maps to plan out a series of articles I'm writing for the same reason.  Because I can drag ideas around before settling on the final structure, and once those articles are done, I will again delete the mind-map.

Those five elements of technology should completely remove any reason you have left of having paper.

Did I leave any out?  Do you still have an excuse for using paper? Please let me know in the comments below and I will tell you why I think you are wrong.

Time Management on Crack

February 24, 2009 • 13 Comments

$30K month is going very well, last night's launch of Time Management on Crack put me over the $26,000 mark. I've got two offers lined up for this week but I might only need one to push me over my goal.

This is what I've been doing the past week.  Product launch was just about automated, so I went on the "lecture circuit" to land a couple of joint ventures, have fun and add value.

Last night, Jeanette Cates interviewed me about time management... which was the perfect time to launch the time management report.  We shared a ton of tips with her subscribers and had fun.

You know what, a short time ago my sister sent me a job posting for a teaching position up in the mountains at a community college close to Yosemite National Park.  More money than I make at my current day job and less hours.  No master's degree or teaching credential required, just a bachelor's degree which I have.

Here's what I would have done if I was laid off from my current job and really needed that job: I'd implement stuff from Time Management on Crack!   It's not what you think: let me explain...

I would look at the exact job description and do a search for resumes plus some of those descriptions to see how people were customizing their resumes to fit that kind of job... measuring marketplace demand!

I'd use my copywriting skills, especially the A.N.S.W.E.R. formula explained in the time management report to draft one heck of a benefit-oriented cover letter that showed my personality, presented an irresistible offer and gave a clear call-to-action (call me up and tell me I'm hired).

Finally, and I wouldn't spend longer than an afternoon on this, I would take 30 minutes to find a handful of pain points based on the subject they wanted me to teach (I think it was PHP programming).  I'd find the things community college students have the toughest time learning about PHP.

Then I'd use my 5x10 video creation formula to solve those problems and make a DVD demonstrating PROOF that I know what I'm talking about, with the URL embedded in the three ways I explain to have a call-to-action in video.

I know a lot of places only accept online resumes these days, so I might have to settle for making it web video and adding the URL in the cover letter and resume.

I'd send that out, and if I ever felt like I had nothing to do while "waiting" for a response, I would put those videos on a blog at the same URL I provided in the resume, stick the videos on there, and use the R.A.T.G.U.M. blogging formula to whip out a bunch of blog posts in an hour... even more proof.

Worst case scenario, not hired.  Then I have to be willing to relocate a little bit.  I'd go to job sites like Monster.com and apply for similar positions and have a kickass web site to show that will stand out better than 95% of the other applicants.

Regardless if I was hired or not, how hard would it be to turn that proof into a product?  Surely I must have come across a few gotchas, do's and don'ts... I could turn my job posting process into a system, turn the cover letter and videos into templates and give a step-by-step of what I did EXACTLY.

How hard would it be to create a product like that, if you already DID anything in it? It would be tough to keep it under 20 pages... real tough.

Anyway, copywriter Karl Barndt is interviewing me tonight about e-mail marketing for his blog, that'll be a lot of fun.  In the meantime check out Time Management on Crack if you haven't already.

For you commenters, the question of the day is: if it was an emergency and you absolutely HAD to get a day job... what internet marketing skill would you use to make yourself irreplacable?  I need 10 comments to keep this party going... thanks.

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