Stepcase Lifehack

How to Be On Time Every Time

2008-05-16T14:32:27Z

In my last post, I talked about why being punctual matters. The short version: people who are habitually late (or are late even once, when it counts) project incompetence, self-centeredness, and even a lack of integrity.

In the comments, lapka asked if there were any tricks for people who have a hard time showing up on time, and through a little bit of research and a little bit of self-examination, I think I have some answers.

First of all, though, it’s important to see being on time as part of your whole attitude towards time. You’re never going to be on time, every time — whether for appointments, meeting big deadlines, or even to catch a movie — if you haven’t put into practice a set of good time management techniques.

That means, for example, having a central place where your time commitments are recorded, whether that’s an online calendar, Outlook, a smartphone, a dayplanner, or just an index card with your schedule on it. It seems obvious that to be on time you have to know where you have to be and when, but it’s a step a lot of people try to skip — they want to hold everything in their heads.

Secondly, being punctual requires a bit of an attitude adjustment. A lot of the time we let ourselves show up late because the event we’re showing up to isn’t all that important to us. Try this: don’t schedule events that aren’t that important to you. Use that time for things that are important to you. I know, there are a lot of things in your life that feel obligatory, like the weekly status report meeting at work, or dinner at your spouse’s or partner’s parents; either make those things important to you, or figure out how to cut them from your calendar.

Ok, with general principles out of the way, let’s move on to the tricks.

10 ways to make yourself more punctual

Don’t check your email or voicemail right before you leave. That “last quick check” will almost always take more time than you think — which is, after all, what you’re hoping for. If you thought there’d be nothing important in your email, you wouldn’t bother checking.
Plan for trouble. Always add 25% to your time estimate to get anywhere or do any task. If you think it takes 30 minutes to get to work, give yourself 40 (technically, 37 1/2, but let’s not be ridiculous here!). If you need 12 working hours to finish a proposal, give yourself 15. The worst thing that could happen is that you get a nice “Scotty effect” going, where you’re always ahead of schedule and everyone thinks you’re a miracle worker.
Set up the night before. If you are, like me, someone who has a hard time getting going in the morning, make sure you set up the night before. Lay out your clothes, put your keys, wallet, etc. in tomorrow’s pants pockets or your purse, load up your bag with whatever material you’ll need in the morning, put your lunch together, and so on. In the morning, wake up, get dressed, grab your stuff, and go.
Set your clocks ahead a few minutes each — by different amounts. My alarm clock is 5 minutes fast, my watch only 1, my car clock 3. I think. Since I can’t be sure, I have to take each clock at face value. You might have a look at the Procrastinator’s Clock which is some random amount of time ahead, up to 15 minutes. It’s available for Mac and PC — I wonder if there’s a bedside version?
Learn to better estimate how much time things take. Use a time tracker app like RescueTime to learn how long typical tasks take you to complete. Record these times, and refer to your record when estimating the time needed for similar tasks.
Schedule events 10 minutes early. Put your 1:00 appointment into your schedule at 12:50, for example. But always have 10 minutes of work with you to fill the slack time, in case you surprise yourself by showing up “on time” 10 minutes early!
Set reminders. Use your calendar program’s built-in reminder function, or use a service like Sandy to send you text reminders at set intervals before each appointment. I like a reminder at least an hour beforehand, so I can plan, and another 15 minutes prior so I know where I stand.
Schedule events for “off-peak” times. Last year, I had a weekly meeting at 8 am. A trip that takes me 30 minutes any time after 9:00 am took me 1 1/2 hours due to rush hour traffic. Guess how many times I was late? Learn the times that traffic or other factors might make you late, and avoid scheduling during those times. For instance, give yourself at least an hour to get settled in every morning before your first meeting (so if you’re late to work, you won’t also be late for a meeting), don’t schedule meetings immediately after lunch (in case you get held up), avoid before-working-hours events (due to rush hour traffic), etc.
Fill your gas tank when it reaches 1/4 tank. Don’t let an empty gas tank make you late for anything. Fill up whenever you reach 1/4 and you’ll never have to make an emergency stop at a gas station during your commute. (Plus, I’m told it’s better for your engine — whether that’s true or not, I don’t know.)
Use a countdown timer. Grab a cheap digital timer, and use it to create a sense of urgency, and to help you keep on track at each step you need to complete to make it wherever you’re supposed to be on time. Break your preparation down into 10 minutes parts, set the timer, and GO!

What other advice do our readers have for people who just can’t figure out how to be more punctual? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments.

Dustin M. Wax is a contributing editor and project manager at lifehack.org. He is also the creator of The Writer's Technology Companion, a site devoted to the tools of the writing trade. When he's not writing, he teaches anthropology and women's studies in Las Vegas, NV. His personal site can be found at dwax.org.

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Lifehack Digest for May 15

2008-05-16T07:00:04Z

Presdo | Make Time to…
“.. takes the hassle out of trying to find the best time to get together with people. Use Presdo to minimize the annoying ping pong of email, texting, and voicemail when organizing the next team lunch or trying to grab coffee with a friend.”
Tags: meeting schedule
TimeBridge - Free Scheduling Software
Free Meeting Scheduler with great timezone and calendar support
Tags: tool meeting scheduling

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When A Cuppa Will Do You Good: Brief Breaks & Productivity

2008-05-15T03:08:18Z

There are points when the only thing you can do — despite desperately wanting to be productive — is to step back for a few minutes. And while conventional productivity wisdom seems to dictate that you should use those few minutes to get a small task done or get a bit ahead on a future project, there are often situations when the best thing you can do is to sit down for a nice cup of tea (or the relaxing activity of your choice). I picked up the habit a while back and taking those little breaks have actually increased my productivity. Try stopping for a few minutes when…

…You’re Frustrated

If a given project is about to drive you over the edge, you need to step back. Try to get some distance or some insight. But switching over to a new task when you’re already wound up and frustrated just means that your irritation is going to be transferred to your new task. Sure, you may get that little bit of work done and out of the way, but you’re going to continue to be frustrated through that task and on to the next one. Taking even a few minutes can help you decide just why you’re frustrated and what you can do about it — you may even get a side order of inspiration with your cup of tea and think up a new approach to your problem.

…You’re Feeling Poorly

Trying to push on through your daily tasks when you’re feeling sick can be worth less than you think. If you over exert yourself when you are already tired or sick, you may just wind up needing to redo tasks, rather than getting ahead on what you need to do. If you’re like me, though, the idea of taking a day off or going back to bed just doesn’t seem like an option. But slowing down can make sure that I actually do get things done on a day when I feel pretty bad. Sure, I may not get some smaller tasks done while I’m sipping on my tea, but I can probably work through my most important tasks.

…You’ve Been At It Too Long

We all have different breaking points, but each of us have that point where, if we don’t go and do something different, we’ll go a bit nutty. I learned during the good old days in college that if I wanted to pull an all-nighter, I had to plan to get up and take a walk every hour or so, or I’d get so flat out bored and tired of my project that I would fall asleep on my keyboard. Getting up to make a cup of tea, get a drink or take a quick walk around the office not only gives your brain a chance to refresh itself; it also gives you a chance to stretch and maybe avoid that case of carpal tunnel you’ve been working towards.

…You Have A Short Wait

In any given project, odds are pretty good that you’ll have a short wait here and there: waiting for a graphic to render or an email to arrive or whatever. As a general rule, if I expect that wait to be under five minutes, I refuse to start anything new. Sure, I might need a short break away from the project, but I don’t necessarily want to derail my train of thought to the point that working on something entirely different would entail. Getting up to get a cuppa will keep me from getting overly distracted during those five minutes, but won’t cause me to lose the focus I need to keep working on a project.

…You Reach A Set Interval

After you’ve been working for long enough, you just have to get up and move around a bit. I actually set a timer to go off every twenty minutes to remind me to just stretch. While I don’t think that getting up every twenty minutes just for a cup of tea — or getting up at all that often — is ideal, getting up out of your chair on a regular basis is a good idea. You might set a timer for once every few hours or so. Of course, this sort of break is easy to ignore when you hit your stride. I often work through my timer when I’m on a roll. But after working through that timer a time or two, I find that I absolutely have to get up and move. It’s up to you to find an interval that works, as well as a reason to get up — after all, there are only so many cups of tea a person can drink in a given day. But there are plenty of options: exercise, snacks, even set activities like walking down to pick up your mail can be enough to provide you with a short break.

…You’re Thirsty

Even if you’re almost done with a project, it can be worth it to take care of those nagging bodily needs. You may think you can ignore it just a little bit longer, but any distraction can be enough to decrease the quality of work. It’s rare that you’re so close to done and so close to deadline that you can’t afford a few minutes to get a drink or whatever else needs doing. While I’m all for suffering for one’s art, I don’t think being thirsty quite qualifies.

Thursday Bram is a freelance journalist of over five years experience. She studied Communications at the University of Tulsa and is currently working on her MA in Communication Design. Her work has focused primarily on entrepreneurial topics. More information about Thursday is available at thursdaybram.com.

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29 Ways to Carry Out Random Acts of Kindness Every Day

2008-05-12T01:07:23Z

The time has come when we cannot just rely on others to make the world a better place – each one of us has to do our bit.

It is therefore time for people to be more and more aware about their Personal Social Responsibility (PSR).

PSR is all about doing to others what you would like others do to you. It is about recognizing how your behaviour affects others, and holding yourself accountable for your actions. For example, contrast someone being well mannered and kind, with someone being rude.

And this brings me nicely to the theme of this post - being kind to others.

Kindness is contagious - and as part of Personal Socially Responsibility you might want to consider carrying out random acts of kindness on a daily basis.

It is truly a win/win/win situation. The person you are being kind to benefits through your help. You feel good for having helped someone. And the world is a better place through your kindness.

Never underestimate the impact of a single act of kindness. I still remember, after many years, the time someone stopped and helped me after my car had broken down down. Since then, I have stopped on the road myself and helped stranded motorists a number of times. All because of that single act of kindness by a stranger.

Also, it is important to carry out your acts of kindness without expecting anything back.

So where do you begin?

To get you started, I have listed 29 ideas below. And why the number 29? Because it is as good a number as any - and also because I couldn’t think of idea number 30!

Put them into practice and also create your own:-

Send someone a hand written note of thanks.
Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason.
Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter.
Buy a coffee for the man on the high street selling The Big Issue magazine.
Cut your neighbour’s hedge.
Walk your friend’s dog.
Give a compliment about your waiter / waitress to his / her manager.
Send someone a small gift anonymously.
Stop and help someone replace their flat tyre.
Let someone jump the queue at the bank.
Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café.
Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.
Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.
Hold the train door open for someone rushing to get in.
Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.
Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.
Talk to a homeless person and have a “normal” conversation.
Pick up some rubbish in the road which would otherwise be lying around.
Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.
Recommend a competitor to a potential client.
Give another driver your parking spot.
Give a piece of fruit to a delivery person.
Help an elderly neighbour carry the rubbish out.
Tell all your family members how much your appreciate them.
Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train / bus.
Buy an inspirational book for a friend.
Send a thank you note to a person who has helped you in the past.
Smile a lot.

What goes around is sure to come around - happy helping

Please apply these ideas in your life from today - and share your own ideas and how you get on with spreading kindness in the world in the comments. That way I won’t have to think up idea number 30 myself!

Arvind Devalia is a performance coach, professional speaker and author of best selling book, Get the Life you Love and Live it. Committed to making a difference to people in their lives and in their companies, Arvind has a powerful phrase for everyone he meets – "Make Things Happen!" His forthcoming book is called Personal Social Responsibility. Find Arvind at ArvindDevalia.com.

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Lifehack Digest for May 14

2008-05-15T07:00:03Z

How to Pack Everything You Own in One Bag
The Art and Science of Traveling Light
Tags: travel packing
The Art of Saving
Spending money is easy, but saving is tough. This article provides you 12 tips on learning the art of saving.
Tags: money finance saving
20 Types of Freelance Work Identified and Explained
“Where does the job you’re (supposed to be) working on now fit in? Have you done each of these kinds of jobs before? My guess is that most experienced freelancers will have encountered quite a few!”
Tags: freelance
The Gradspot.com Guide to Life After College (FREE E-Book) | Gradspot.com
“Packed with indispensable tips, candid advice, and humorous dispatches from early adulthood, this easy to use book has everything you need to know but didn’t learn in college!”
Tags: money college ebook

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Punctuality Counts

2008-05-13T16:27:52Z

For years, I could be counted on to be late. Got a lunch meeting at 11:30 am? Dustin will be there at 11:40. Got a class at 9:00am? Dustin will be there at 9:20. Is there a meeting at 6:00 pm? Dustin’s there by 6:30. Work hours are 8:30 am to 5 pm? I’m in by 9:00.

People joked about it. It was my “thing” — I was on “Dustin time”. It was all very funny — until I realized that the same people that joked about it showed, time and again, that they didn’t trust me to get things done — that, indeed, they saw me as an incompetent person who couldn’t even get it together enough to be on time.

Being punctual matters, at least in today’s Western societies. Being on time, every time, conveys far more than just a good sense of timing. It tells people that you’re on top of things, that you’re organized, that you can be counted on, that you value them, and, ultimately, that you value yourself.

Punctuality shows mastery

Being on time consistently shows everyone around you that you are the master of your life. It demonstrates foresight — the ability to predict possible hang-ups — and adaptability — the ability to change your plans to accommodate those hang-ups.

On the other hand, being late all the time shows that you are a victim of the winds of fate, that you’re incapable of anticipating possible problems and either dealing with them or altering your course to avoid them. It sends the message that you’re harassed by time, not in control of it.

Punctuality shows competence

Someone who shows, over and over, that they are the master of their time is someone who will be taken seriously in areas far removed from time management. That foresight and adaptability that gets you where you need to be, when you need to be there, tells the people around you that you can handle whatever is thrown at you.

Conversely, people assume that if the chronically late person can’t even consider the possibility of a little extra traffic, s/he won’t be able to consider other obstacles that might stand in the way of getting a project or task done.

Punctuality shows integrity

Punctuality is also a trust issue. When you make an appointment, you are making a commitment to be where you said you’d be when you said you’d be there. The only way you build up other people’s trust in you is by consistently meeting your commitments — and that starts with being punctual. The person who is always on time is someone others can trust to be as good as their word.

In contrast, the person who is perpetually late is, plain and simple, someone who lies to you repeatedly. You said you’d be here at 9 o’clock, but you’re not here; if your word isn’t good enough about something as trivial as showing up on time, how can your word be any good about anything more important?

Punctuality shows you value people

People are busy — too busy to be waiting on you while their other work goes unfinished. Being punctual shows, clearly and truly, that you value their time and, by extension, that you value them as a person. It says, “Let’s make this time we’ve arranged as productive as possible so we can both get on with all our other important stuff.”

Compare that with the attitude of the chronically late person who, when confronted, says, “But I’m always on time for the things that are important.” The message this sends is that, when I’m late, it’s because I really don’t feel that whatever I’m late for is all that important — if it were a date with a cute woman or man I met at the Starbucks, I’d have been on time; if it were a Moby concert, I’d have been on time; but since it’s just a meeting about the status of the big project I’m working on, I feel I can be late.

There’s another kind of always-late person: the person who makes a “big entrance”, using their lack of punctuality to show their status. Let’s face it — showing off your importance by having other people sit and wait on you clearly says “you’re not important to me.” And everyone knows the solution — don’t show up, or wait until the moment’s just right, and stab that high-and-mighty loser in the back. If you like to make the grand entrance, don’t worry — someday soon you’ll make a grand entrance to an empty room.

Punctuality shows you value yourself

Finally, being on time shows you value your time — and yourself. First of all, being repeatedly late is a self-destructive behavior — why else would you risk not landing the big client, losing your job, or insulting those around you? And everyone knows that most self-destructive behavior follows from low self-esteem. Even if it’s not true, that’s the perception you’re allowing others.

Second of all, punctuality shows that your time is too valuable to waste stuck in traffic, on the phone dealing with trivial matters, or otherwise occupied in anything other than the business at hand. Being late demonstrates, plainly and clearly, that you’re interruptible, that your work is never as high a priority as whatever trivial thing comes along, and that you’re unwilling to set priorities in your own life. If that’s the case, why should anyone else care about your time? Why shouldn’t they interrupt you whenever they feel like it, dump meaningless busy-work on you, or dismiss you entirely?

It took me a while to figure all this out (late to the party, as usual) but once I did, I made a concerted effort to be on time — or, usually, early — for every appointment. With few exceptions, I am on time, too — and every exception is an opportunity for me to learn how better to manage the same circumstances next time.

If you’re perpetually late, it’s time to stop — right now, not 10 minutes from now. Consider the message you’re sending to those around you, and consider the message you’d like to be sending, and act immediately to match those two up.

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Saving Time on Routine Tasks: Optimized Reading

2008-05-14T13:28:14Z

If I were to attempt to project the demographics that make up a typical lifehackista, according to the comments I see here and the roots of the phrase life hacks, I’d say that the average specimen spends a heck of a lot of time reading and writing, online and off, pretty much every single day.

It surely doesn’t apply to everyone who loves lifehacks, but then again, you’re reading this now. You may have typed a URL or search query to get here. In the quest to save time on routine tasks, there are plenty of ways we can optimize these core practices of everyday life.

In the next couple of articles, we look at making reading and writing quicker and easier. Let’s start with reading.

Saving Time on Reading

When you think of saving time on reading, the first thing that comes to mind is reading quicker - otherwise known across the Western world as speed reading.

There are a bunch of techniques popular amongst the personal development crowd that boost your reading rates in only a few minutes, with a bit of practice and attention. These techniques are derived and boiled down from plenty of different speed reading systems. If you read a lot of books, you might have seen some of these before.

1. Tracing with a Pen

A good idea is to take a pen or pencil (or a twig, if that’s what suits you) and use it as a pointing device while you read. Keep its tip under the word you are reading as you go, constantly moving, and your eye will follow. You can practice moving the pen faster as you get used to reading this way - as your eye starts to naturally follow along, you’ll be able to read faster just by moving the pen faster. Be steady and consistent. Speeding up and slowing down a lot isn’t recommended.

2. Learn to Capture Phrases

A common obstacle in increasing reading speed is your eye span, or the number of words you take in at a time. If you read each word individually, you’re crippling your speed. If you take in phrases in one glance, or fixation, instead of single words, you can boost your reading speed by an amazing amount. This takes a fair bit of practice, but there’s really nothing more to it than taking a mental “photograph” of a cluster of words at a time, instead of just one. Don’t overanalyze what you see in front of you. Some call it looking through the words instead of at them, but I think the best analogy would be taking a snapshot. Fake it until what you’re reading starts to make some sense!

3. Capture Quickly with Snapshots - Not Long Exposure!

When you’re taking in clusters of words instead of single words, work on reducing the amount of time the fixation takes. As you get started with this skill, you’ll be stopping and starting and reading in a fairly jerky fashion as you move from one cluster to another. This is because the fixation time takes longer. The solution is to smooth this out by taking faster snapshots.

Intuitively, one might think it’s best to practice speed reading until you naturally get faster. In fact, it’s better to learn this not by expecting it to come with time, but by forcing it; start running your eyes across each line without stopping in a smooth but rapid fashion, attempting to capture phrases and speed read as you go. You probably won’t have great comprehension at first, but your brain will be forced to keep up with the movement of your eyes and you’ll get it with repetition and dedication. Just remember not to stop the eye movement to take longer fixations, or you’ll get nowhere!

You will have to temporarily sacrifice comprehension until you are good at it, so don’t try this on important documents unless you intend to re-read them later.

Once you get this skill down, you’ll be able to read a line in the amount of time it takes to roll your eye across it.

It takes dedicated practice (like all things that are worthwhile), but eventually you’ll be able to capture not just phrases but entire lines at once (perhaps in two glances for really wide texts, ie one-column websites). At this point, you can practice making the process even faster by scanning down the page rapidly, instead of across.

Allow your eyes to run over each line without stopping. With practice, you’ll be reading each line in the time it takes to run your eyes over it.

You can practice your speed reading skills at Spreeder.

Remember that the most common reason for slow reading is fear (just like most obstacles in life); fear of missing an important word or line, of confusing the meaning of the text down the track, of having to go back to the top of the page and start again. Lose this fear and allow yourself to go with the flow, keep reading forward - never backward, unless you’ve truly missed something. This takes practice, because backtracking is an ingrained habit, ever since your first grade teacher told you to read slow and take your time, word-by-word. How inefficient!

One Book at a Time

Maybe one word at a time is a bad idea, but perhaps not so much when it comes to reading one book at a time!

Trying to read two fiction books and four non-fiction books at once is not doing you any favors. In fact, you’d be sabotaging yourself from every perspective; it would take more time, since it’s harder to pick up the book and keep reading where you left off if your attention is divided between more than one, and you’d have a much harder time absorbing the content. So, the multitasked books are not only taking more of your time, but there’s no reason to read them in the first place since you’re not learning anything. That’s a lifehackista’s nightmare!

It is wise to limit yourself to one fiction and one non-fiction book at all times. This is the perfect reading level, and not only do I suggest you not exceed it, but you should not be reading any less than this amount at a given time. Both are important for different reasons to our productivity and growth.

You can safely read a fiction and non-fiction book at the same time - your brain won’t confuse the two like it will confuse two stories or two textbooks.

Ditch Yer Browser, Use RSS

One excellent way to read faster, when it comes web content, is to use RSS wherever it’s available. The process of switching from one website to another, and then going deeper into each website to read new content, takes a lot more time than reading the new content in one aggregated location. I’d say using an RSS reader can at least halve the time it takes to do your daily online reading. Take advantage of it.

Next time: optimize your writing process.

Offering a unique perspective and insight on productivity based on his experience as a blogger, writer, musician, family man and manager, Joel Falconer has been published online and off, and brings to Lifehack's readers critical news and practical advice you can use to make life more liveable.

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The Art of Finding Internet Access on the Road

2008-05-13T13:30:22Z

As I write this post, my internet access is intermittent at best. The wireless router that I’m supposed to have access to seems to work in spurts, and not very big ones. And as someone who depends on the internet to do my work, this is not a good thing. And because I’m on the road, my internet options are a bit more limited than they would otherwise be. But, after consulting the concierge and making a few phone calls of my own, I’ve got a whole list of internet options worth trying in a foreign city.

8 Internet Access Points On the Road

Starbucks, Borders, McDonald’s and other chain hotspots. Many big chain cafes and coffee shops offer wireless internet, with varying levels of price (both straight out and a requirement of purchase). I’ve gone so far as adding on the T-mobile plan that allows me to log on to their wireless hotspots at Starbucks and other locations. And while I know the same doesn’t hold true for many people, if I’m not in a town with a Starbucks, I may have other issues beyond a lack of internet access.
Local cafes. Many small coffee shops wireless internet, and usually it’s free. Internet seems to be one of the few arenas in which the locally-owned shops can compete with chains, and it allows you to get a bit more local color while traveling. If you’re staying at a hotel, you can probably get directions. If you’re couch-surfing, visiting relatives or using an alternate means of finding shelter, you may have to try following the hip-looking kids or asking around.
Internet cafes. I’ve only ever used an internet café when I was actually abroad, but I’ve started to notice a few in just about every city I visit. And internet cafes are often listed in the phonebook, which can make for a bit more convenience than going down the list of coffee shops trying to decide which ones offer wireless.
Hotel business centers. Most hotels come equipped with a room full of computers, printers and fax machines. If you’re a guest, you’re likely to be able to use the center for free, but you may be able to walk in off the street and use it for a fee similar to what you might pay at an internet café. Unfortunately, of those business centers that do charge fees to guests, the rates to use a computer are often surprisingly high. My personal policy has been to skip on those with high fees: if I’m going to have to shell out a few bucks for internet, I’d like to at least get a cup of coffee with it.
Public libraries. Public libraries often offer free internet access, but there are some hoops you may need to jump through: time restrictions, library cards, residency. In the past, I’ve been able to explain the situation to the librarian in charge and gotten a temporary waiver. I’ve had the best luck if I’m asking for such a favor during down times. One other less convenient aspect of using public libraries is closing time. Most libraries close right when I’m starting to really get into my work, making them useful but not the best option for me.
Tourism offices. I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of tourism offices as the greatest place to find internet access, personally. But I’ve found that many offices have internet kiosks of various types as a service to tourists. I even spotted the following sign as I was driving through Kansas yesterday at a combination rest stop / tourism office: “Maps. Internet Access. Free Coffee.”
College common areas. Many colleges have secured their wireless internet, but quite a few still have computers with internet access commonly available on campus. If those are also password-protected… well, I’d never suggest that anyone do anything wrong regarding another person’s password, but the average college student is very easy to make friends with.
Data cards. Data cards are generally not the least expensive option for getting your computer online, they are an option worth considering if you find yourself on the road on a regular basis. Same goes for using your cell phone to get your computer online. And while you might not generally consider buying a data card or activating a data plan on your cell phone a last minute method of getting internet access, desperate times have driven some people to slap down their credit cards at the nearest cell phone store.

While it’s perfectly possible to find internet access flying by the seat of your pants, if you know ahead of time that your internet access could be problematic, you may want to do some research. If you can locate a couple of internet access options in your destination — preferably close to where you’ll be staying and open at the hours you tend to work — you may be able to avoid a last minute rush around town, looking for a wireless hotspot just so you can upload some small, vital project after your hotel’s internet access quits working.

There are even directories of internet hotspots you can look at — although, since they are all online, you will need to check them out before you entirely lose internet access. Most providers of commercial hotspots, such as T-mobile, also have a list of locations where they provide internet access.

Wi-Fi-Freespot Directory — A list of free wireless access points in the US
WiFi411 — A searchable directory of wireless access locations that allows you to limit searches by network provider, cost and other variables
JiWire — A list of wireless hotspots

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The Productivity Family Tree

2008-05-12T00:46:29Z

Famous families are all around us, from the Clinton dynasty to Mylie and Billy Ray Cyrus. They evoke in us so many things because we can relate, on some small level, to them. Not that many of our daughters are famous pop singers or that many of our parents are presidents. Sometimes we hate the very mention of family and at other times the thought warms our heart.

The Criteria
With family in mind, I decided to have some fun and sort through the top productivity bloggers on the Internet. To “make the grade”, each had to fulfill certain criterion:

* Must have a full-fledged productivity website
* Must blog about productivity on a regular basis
* Must do work that relates that directly relates to or enhances productivity
* Must be known as an expert in her/his field

Right off the bat, this knocked several major contenders out of the park. David Allen is a genuine player, but is “too big” for our consideration. In addition, he blogs for Huffington Post (no small gig) but not for his own site. I wanted to create a family tree of folks who are on the front lines and may or may not have totally made big on their career goals. With this said, let me be clear in saying that there are plenty of folks who could arguably be on this list but for subjective reasons didn’t make the grade. As an example, I read 43 Folders regularly but find that there are occasionally posts that are too casual for my taste.

The Tree

The Responsible Mom: Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro
Laura has written three fantastic books on productivity, travels the world as a productivity expert and has made a name for herself as a specialist in productivity. Her blog posts have a nice lean towards her published work and her newsletter is of top quality.

The Brainiac Dad: Matthew Cornell, Matthew Cornell
Matthew is a work-flow consultant and has made “the leap” from corporate life to self employment. His blog posts tend to be highly thought-provoking and he writes as a clinician rather than a hobbyist. Matthew also puts in the time to post on many other blogs, gaining a reputation as a genuine practitioner of productivity.

The Go-Getter Daughter: Susan Sabo, Productivity Cafe
Susan has been featured on HGTV and is the Founder and President of Organizers Inc. Her e-book, Managing Email and Paper Mail is an excellent resource for those looking to streamline and get leaner when it comes to your productivity system.

The Up-and-Coming Son: Mark Shead, Productivity 501
Mark is the mastermind behind Productivity 501 and is excellent at meme-generation and community building within the productivity network. Productivity 501 is arguably the most stylish productivity website on the Internet and features a handy ’store’ feature of Mark’s favorite products for getting more done in less time.

The Fun Uncle: Leo Babauta, Zen Habits
Leo is perhaps the best example of what careful planning and creative writing can do — his Zen Habits blog climbed the Technorati top 100 list and currently sits at #43. With nearly 50,000 subscribers and his first book ready to hit bookstores, Zen Habits is a genuine source for practical advice on keeping lean and staying productive. He’s an avid runner, prolific writer and all around nice guy.

The Rich Uncle: Mark Sanborn, Sanborn & Associates
When Mark’s book The Fred Factor, hit the bookstores in 2005 it propelled Mark beyond other public speakers and married productivity with customer service. Mark is values-based and sets high standards for organizations and their interaction with customers.

There were two neighbors who live down the street from our productivity family. These are not full-time productivity ‘experts’ but nonetheless get some serious nods due to their budding prowess as effectiveness bloggers. These include Lisa Hendey of Productivity at Home and Stephen Smith of Productivity in Context. Both deserve some love and contribute to the productivity community in marvelous ways. I can picture Lisa hosting a neighborhood bar-b-cue and Stephen helping you move that heavy couch from one room to the next.

Whether you’re in the Productivity Family Tree or aspiring to make a name for yourself in the productivity world, all of us can learn a great deal from these fine professionals. From Laura Stack to Mark Sanborn, getting things done takes on new meaning for everyday life.

Mike St. Pierre is the creator of The Daily Saint, a productivity blog with a spiritual twist. Mike is a professional educator in New Jersey where he lives with his wife and three children.

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Lifehack Live for May 12, 2008: Author and Coach Arvind Devalia

2008-05-13T17:58:02Z

Releasing this a day late. Monday was a holiday in Hong Kong, where our head office is, so there was nobody around to upload the podcast file. My apologies!

This week I talked with Arvind Devalia, author of Get the Life You Love and Live It, about finding your life’s purpose and pursuing it. His new book, Personal Social Responsibility, is due out soon!

Thanks for listening.

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