So, did you get your smart phones and tablets configured for productivity after last month's Timely Tips?  As a little bonus for you, I've actually converted last month's lead story on Smart Phone/Tablet configuration into a PDF file you can share with others (and possibly use in your or your company's/association's e-newsletter or other guides.)  

Here's the link -- enjoy!:  

I have been picked up as an occasional faculty member by Lorman Education Services, to lead programs on professional and personal productivity.  In mid-November, I'll be leading a new teleconference program on Managing Interruptions in the Workplace -- you can learn more about this program here:

 

Should be a fun day sharing several of my favorite "distraction-reducing" strategies.  Hope to see you on the call!

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I have been soooo busy the last several weeks, and it looks like October will continue the trend.  I will be speaking at a big conference event in Nevada and back here in Michigan next week, with events later in the month in Missouri and a slew of Michigan work (thankful for that -- no airplanes!), as well as several client webinar programs, and a big slate of work in Iowa in early November.  Whew!

I am also working on getting both of my recorded webinars from earlier this year -- Taming the E-mail Beast Using Outlook and Optimizing Your Outlook -- posted and available for sale individually and in combination.  Thus, you could have your own MS Outlook self-study course for e-mail, calendar, project/task, contacts, and notes-based productivity.  (And yes, I'll have a special deal for all of you Timely Tips readers when I announce this in the next week or so.)  

Hope you are staying equally busy (but having fun doing it!)  Hope to see many of you on the road, either here in Michigan or around the great United States.

Until next month, Stay Timely!

 

I've been using "Mindmapping" for about 20 years now to speed up my brainstorming process for all new books, presentations, articles, and products that I create, as well as when I am doing business or strategic planning.  It is a great tool that allows you to quickly turn ideas into plans and then actions, and is used by a "who's who" of business and product leaders.

My friend and occasional collaborator, Dr. Meggin McIntosh, The "PhD of Productivity" is leading this webinar on October 12 to show you how to use (or get better with) this great tool for brainstorming and productivity.  Use this link to access the program information & registration page. And, at $12.95 per registration, you can't beat the price!  Tell Meggin that Randy sent you!

Sometimes I have a little tip so useful and so simple, I just have to share.  Here's one I use nearly every day:

Many of us have to run errands, and David Allen always says you should, throughout the day, collect a list of all of the errands you have to run, so when you actually leave to run those errands, you can do several of them at once and thus consolidate your time and travel.

I've been doing this for years.  And here is my simple little tip if you happen to have a smart phone (any model will do).  When you build this list of multiple errands, put it into the text of a single e-mail, and then send it to yourself right before you leave on the errands.  That way, you can just pull up your new e-mail on your smart phone to get your errand list while out and about.

Now, yes, of course, there are other ways of doing this, including creating an "Errands" note on Evernote (six of one, half-dozen of the other ...), but I just like how easy it is for me to send myself an e-mail right as I'm leaving to get these errands done, and then delete the e-mail once all errands are completed -- piece of (quick) cake!  ;-)