| Technology is a beautiful thing. Use it | | | | it that all good ideas come when you're doing |
| wisely! Here are a few tips to getting your | | | | 60 mph on the highway?), record an important |
| technology to work for your optimum success. | | | | conversation, create product by interviewing |
| | | | experts or being interviewed (for phone |
| Get a backup, get a backup, get a backup. | | | | recordings, you'll need a $10 doo-dad from |
| Need I say more? If you put out a lot of | | | | RadioShack that lets you plug the recorder to |
| content set it up back up every day, if not | | | | your phone. For this you need at least 1 |
| once a week should be fine. And don't rely on | | | | corded phone) or create a recording every |
| your memory to do it either... look for a zip | | | | time you speak in public (the big gurus make |
| drive that has software that automatically | | | | gazillions with this one use of the digital |
| does it for you. I like the IOmega drives | | | | recorder alone). Not bad for a gadget that |
| (their 80 gig drive is perfect for most | | | | runs you less than $200. Olympus, the |
| systems and at $99.95 is affordable) You can | | | | industry leader, has several new models that |
| find it here | | | | not only act as a digital recorder but as an |
| | | | mp3 player as well. Check out the WS-310M |
| Label your peripherals wires. Sure, you know | | | | here. |
| what it's for now, but after a while your | | | | |
| digital recorder wire, digital camera wire, | | | | Keep your computer "clean." I set up a |
| webcam wire and all of those other ones start | | | | monthly recurring appointment to clean out |
| to look an awful lot alike. | | | | any programs I don't use that might be taking |
| | | | up memory unnecessarily, plus to archive or |
| Get a nice big Ziploc bag and stuff it full | | | | delete old documents I no longer regularly |
| of all your software, then put it in a safe | | | | use. Keeping your computer "lean" makes it go |
| place. You know that disk that came with your | | | | faster and makes finding things easier... |
| computer when you bought it and you've never | | | | saving you days, weeks or even months of your |
| used? Well, wait til the day you can't | | | | life that you would otherwise spend slogging |
| download something from your digital recorder | | | | through tons of information you don't need. |
| without it (this has happened to me!). All of | | | | |
| a sudden it is your lifeline. | | | | Create a Parking Lot. Do you get a lot of |
| | | | ideas? Do they end up on scraps of paper or |
| Keep an extra AC adapter for your laptop. | | | | strangely named documents you later can't |
| When my wire frayed and I contacted my | | | | understand at all (if you can find them?) |
| computer's manufacturer, they advised me that | | | | Your ideas are valuable and if you're |
| they don't carry them for the "old" models. | | | | managing your time wisely, you know you can't |
| How old? Just over 18 months. | | | | work on them all know. Create a "Parking Lot" |
| | | | file and keep 2 sub-files in it: "Ideas" and |
| Keep a folder with all your manuals and call | | | | "To Complete," (fragments of articles, |
| it "Electronics Manuals." If you're figuring | | | | programs, etc.). In a third "Inspiration" |
| you won't need that manual you won't... until | | | | folder you can also keep articles, blog |
| you have an important presentation in 3 hours | | | | entries and e-mails that give you an idea for |
| and your printer is spitting magenta ink at | | | | something you could be doing. Technology can |
| you. Keep it. You'll read it some day and | | | | be tremendously useful in keeping you |
| chances are when you need it you'll need it | | | | productive and on track. |
| in a hurry. Make it easy to find. | | | | |
| | | | Be diligent about keeping your contacts in |
| Your phone will be your best friend. If your | | | | order. Set up a time each day, or at the |
| business is running like you want it to, | | | | least, each week to input the scraps of paper |
| you'll be on the phone many hours of the day. | | | | you collect into your information database. |
| Splurge for one that sounds great and has a | | | | Phone numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, |
| good battery life. A headset can save you | | | | business cards, etc., should be all in one |
| lots of neck pain. You can't go wrong with | | | | place where you can search them |
| almost anything from Plantronics. I like my | | | | electronically. I use Outlook and find it |
| Plantronics MX500 with my Panasonic cordless | | | | just fine for my purposes. Some people prefer |
| phones. The Plantronics stays with me and | | | | ACT! Software. Find it here: |
| there are 3 Panasonics (I use a Panasonic | | | | |
| Triple Talk) so it is virtually impossible to | | | | And finally... step away from the computer, |
| be without at least 1 charged phone. Find the | | | | the phone and the recorder and go get some |
| headset here. | | | | fresh air! Technology is a beautiful thing |
| | | | but it is just a tool that doesn't replace |
| Invest in a good digital recorder. They are | | | | real, personal communication and freedom. Let |
| versatile and easy to use. You can use them | | | | it work for you and it can create magic. |
| to capture ideas as they come to you (why is | | | | |