Twitter Hack: 5 Ways to Automate Twitter | by Thomas Samph

http://socialmediatoday.com/

About Thomas Samph
Writer
Grovo Learning Inc.

When IFTTT launched in late 2011, tech publications lauded the startup as a haven for nerds. Almost a year later, the same may be true for IFTTT, a website that connects digital channels, from RSS feeds and social networks to cell phones and email clients, into an “If This Then That” formula. But these days, IFTTT is catching a lot more commercial success, in part due to its simple, powerful and easy-to-use interface, but mostly because it simplifies everything.

In celebration of simplifying social media, here are the top 5 ways that IFTTT Twitter automations can simplify your life:

1. Automatically greet a new Twitter follower
Instead of sending messages to new followers individually thanking them for following you, use this IFTTT recipe. First, connect the Twitter channel to IFTTT, then enable the recipe and customize the message that’s sent to new followers. In using IFTTT, you can turn recipes on and off as you like, so if the recipe isn’t working as you’d like it, just turn it off to edit it, then turn it back on when you’re ready.
Continuar leyendo «Twitter Hack: 5 Ways to Automate Twitter | by Thomas Samph»

The Simply Business Productivity Series

By Jasper Martens / Hannah Smith | simplybusiness.co.uk

A series of tools and resources to help you to increase productivity

Increasing productivity is a challenge – whether your primary objectives are to increase the profitability of your company, to grow and expand; or if you’re just trying to spend a little more time with the people you love and a little less time battling with your inbox!

A key part of the challenge is the sheer amount of information on productivity there is out there – blog posts, books, videos, tools and apps – who has the time to evaluate this stuff?

Well, help is at hand

We’ve put together a series of tools and resources to help you to increase productivity:

How to increase communication and collaboration between individuals and teams.

Collaboration

Click image to open interactive version (via Simply Business ). Continuar leyendo «The Simply Business Productivity Series»

5 Ways to Stay Productive When Working from Home

2. Allow for Breaks

When I first started working from home, I would avoid breaks at all costs. I thought that this would help me get more work done, when in reality, it caused me to burn out early.

Now I take the breaks that any employer would require in an eight to ten hour work day — coffee breaks, lunch breaks, stretch breaks. I consider all of these to be a necessity because it’s the time spent away from the computer that helps ideas generate organically. And, of course, it’s good for both your body and your mind.

3. Go with the Flow

Do you find that your mind isn’t fully functioning before 10 am? Does your body need a nap between 2 pm and 3 pm? Are you least productive after 6 pm?

One of the largest benefits of working from home (unless you are required to clock in and out at certain times) is the ability to create your own schedule.

Not everyone works best on a 9-5 schedule — some work better on a 10-6 or 4-12 schedule. Figure out the times that your mind is at its peak, and try to follow that. For you that might mean taking a two hour break in the middle of the day. That’s simply the beauty of this lifestyle.

Stay Productive When Working from Home

http://workawesome.com

As a freelance writer turned community manager, I’ve spent entire weeks working from my couch in my pajamas.

For many it sounds appealing — no commute time to wrestle with, no wardrobe requirements and no one standing over your shoulder requesting updates on your progress.

But I’ve also found that these are the same reasons why staying productive when working from home, sans a designated office, can be such a challenge. There’s not a pressing reason to leave the house or get dressed, and there is no one there keeping you from spending the afternoon eating junk food and watching trashy TV.

5 Ways to Boost Productivity When Working from Home

The work from home lifestyle is certainly not for everyone (especially those that thrive on day to day interactions with coworkers), but if you have a job where working remotely is an option, here are some tips for keeping you productive and happy.

1. Create a Routine… Continuar leyendo «5 Ways to Stay Productive When Working from Home»

Productivity Doesn’t Mean Doing More

Create Your Own Meaning

What counts as “productive” work for you?

Everyone’s definition is a bit different and it depends on your context. Perhaps your day job feels productive, along with your home improvement projects, but reading novels is just a way to relax. An English Literature student would feel differently!

One particular area where people struggle is bringing up small children – it might feel like your “real” work isn’t getting done. I love Charlie Gilkey’s take on this:

If you’re ever trying to balance being productive with hanging out with your kids, it’s time to reevaluate how you’ve framed ‘productivity’. Being a good parent is one of the most meaningfully productive things you can do.

(Charlie Gilkey, Being A Good Parent *Is* Being Productive, Productive Flourishing)

Utlimately, no-one but you can say what’s productive. And often, a truly relaxing break, or some quiet space to think and plan, is much more productive than simply knocking another chore off your to-do list.

Try this: Look at one area of your life which feels like a waste of time. Is it really? Or is it just something which society doesn’t value enough? You can decide that it’s meaningful.

How could you do less and start being more productive today?

Written by Ali Luke
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/productivity-doesnt-mean-doing-more/

Ever tell yourself “I should be more productive?”

When you think that, you’re probably imagining doing more. Working more hours, getting through more work during those hours, clearing your inbox, cleaning out the garage … just thinking about it is enough to make you feel exhausted already.

The truth about productivity, though, is that we don’t necessarily become more productive – producing more worthwhile results in our lives – by constantly doing more and more. Real productivity might actually come from doing less.

Less Really Is More

I expect you’re familiar with the Pareto principle – that 80% of results are derived from 20% of effort. (For instance 80% of your profit is from 20% of your clients.)

While this doesn’t hold true for every single situation, it’s a good principle to keep in mind. There are probably some areas in your life where you’re expending a lot of effort for negligible results.

By doing less – cutting back in the areas which don’t really matter – you’ll have more energy, focus and enthusiasm for those things which do make a difference. Continuar leyendo «Productivity Doesn’t Mean Doing More»

How Analog Rituals Can Amp Your Productivity

As a society, we are engaged in a constant pursuit to be more productive. For the most part, this is a good thing. We want to work smarter. We crave efficiency. Time is our most precious commodity, and productivity tools help us spend it more wisely. Over the past few years, I have observed all sorts of methods for productivity. One consistent surprise is the role of monotonous rituals and what could be described as «analog drudgery» among the especially productive. For such accomplished people, I am shocked by the apparent lack of efficiency in their daily routines.

At one point during my research for Making Ideas Happen, I interviewed Bob Greenberg, the legendary CEO of the digital agency R/GA. With high-flying clients like Nike and other household names, Greenberg is overseeing a tremendous number of heavyweight projects at any point in time. He’s a busy guy and he’s been leading his industry for decades.

One consistent surprise is the role of monotonous rituals and what could be described as ‘analog drudgery’ among the especially productive.

Despite his digital interests, Greenberg’s productivity tools are entirely analog. He uses a paper agenda with a series of lists written at the top that he writes every single day. In the morning, Greenberg will manually bump uncompleted tasks from the previous day to the current day. He also re-writes the names of key clients and other areas of focus; often transcribing the same names again and again, daily, for weeks if not months or years.

by Scott Belsky | http://the99percent.com/tips/6915/how-analog-rituals-can-amp-your-productivity

At one point during my research for Making Ideas Happen, I interviewed Bob Greenberg, the legendary CEO of the digital agency R/GA. With high-flying clients like Nike and other household names, Greenberg is overseeing a tremendous number of heavyweight projects at any point in time. He’s a busy guy and he’s been leading his industry for decades.

One consistent surprise is the role of monotonous rituals and what could be described as ‘analog drudgery’ among the especially productive.

8 Steps to Free Up More Free Time

We are always looking for ways to make more productive use of our time. Do you always seem to be playing catch up? Do you end your day with a longer to-do list than you started? Are you stressed over how you spend your time? Here are eight steps you can take right now to help regain control of your clock.

Eliminate time wasters. At the top of the list is television. The average American watches 5 hours of TV a day. That equals an incredible 6 full days in front of the tube each month. What could you do with an extra 6 days this month? Turn off the television and find out.

Cut back on possessions. Bigger living spaces and more stuff come with a double price: the cost to purchase them and the time to maintain them. A simpler lifestyle frees up time previously spent on vacuuming, fixing, and replacing. If taken far enough, you may be able to work less because you are buying less stuff.

Written by Bob Lowry | http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/8-steps-to-free-up-more-free-time/

Eliminate time wasters. At the top of the list is television. The average American watches 5 hours of TV a day. That equals an incredible 6 full days in front of the tube each month. What could you do with an extra 6 days this month? Turn off the television and find out.

Cut back on possessions. Bigger living spaces and more stuff come with a double price: the cost to purchase them and the time to maintain them. A simpler lifestyle frees up time previously spent on vacuuming, fixing, and replacing. If taken far enough, you may be able to work less because you are buying less stuff. Continuar leyendo «8 Steps to Free Up More Free Time»

How to Get More Done and Have More Fun

Have you ever thought that by simply rearranging your daily tasks you could increase your productivity, get more done and enjoy yourself more? The biggest asset of freelancers worldwide is that they usually do what they love, and love what they do. But, what happens when you get stressed with deadlines, long working hours and lots of clients and you don’t have any more time for yourself, your family or your personal projects?

Most of you are probably organized to some extent. Most of you probably have a to-do list where you add tasks that need to be done and tick them off once they’re completed. However, have you ever thought that by simply rearranging that to-do list you can rediscover that working is fun, pleasant and enjoyable? By simply rearranging to-dos you can give yourself daily boosts.

How? You may ask. In this post, I’ll answer that question and show you how to get more from your work and more time for yourself.

//freelancefolder.com | Bogdan Pop

How? You may ask. In this post, I’ll answer that question and show you how to get more from your work and more time for yourself.

Continuar leyendo «How to Get More Done and Have More Fun»

Six Ways to Supercharge Your Productivity

Add to all that the digital demands of the world we now inhabit. Armed with ever more ways to connect with each other, and to stay current in every moment, we often aren’t sure where to put our focus. We find it harder to give all of our attention to anything — or anyone — for very long.

The consequence is that we’re undertaking more and more tasks every day, but they often add up to less and less real value.

Just think about how many emails you now receive and respond to each day? There are 1307 sitting in my inbox right now. I suspect that two dozen at most genuinely merit my attention. But how to focus on those, and invest minimal time on the rest?

by Tony Schwartz

It’s Labor Day in the U.S. as I write this post. To my own amazement, I’ve spent most of the past month truly relaxing — reading lots of books, playing tennis, running, hanging out with my family and eating food I mostly shouldn’t — scones and donuts for breakfast, BLTs and burgers for lunch. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Now it’s time to return to work. I feel lucky to have a job, and especially one I love, but the fall ahead is intense, daunting, and demanding, as I suspect it is for you. I’m anxious about the economy. I’m wondering when the next shoe is going to drop. I’m concerned about how my company will hold up if things do get worse.

9 Productivity Techniques for Freelancers

Few freelancers work according to the standard eight-hour daily schedule. With remote working opportunities available to almost every designer and home-based offices now a common occurrence, it’s even more difficult to find a designer working to the traditional work schedule than it is to find one enjoying a work style that’s based on nothing more than their own preferences.

Experts call it the blurring of work and life, claiming that technology is responsible for integrating work so firmly in our time.

I think it’s more than that — the result of work schedules that aren’t built around output, but hours spent in the office and projects that simply follow us everywhere. As much as a flexible schedule can be a blessing, it’s an absolute curse when it interferes with our free time.

These nine strategies won’t bring you closer to your work; they won’t allow you to check your email from the top of a mountain, and they’re even less likely to help you manage the office from another country. They’ll help you do the opposite: enjoy your time not spent working, create a schedule that doesn’t stick you with endless freelance projects, and design a workweek that puts you in control of your freelance design efforts.

by Mathew Carpenter

Experts call it the blurring of work and life, claiming that technology is responsible for integrating work so firmly in our time.

These nine strategies won’t bring you closer to your work; they won’t allow you to check your email from the top of a mountain, and they’re even less likely to help you manage the office from another country. They’ll help you do the opposite: enjoy your time not spent working, create a schedule that doesn’t stick you with endless freelance projects, and design a workweek that puts you in control of your freelance design efforts. Continuar leyendo «9 Productivity Techniques for Freelancers»

Tips for More Effective Business Meetings

Whether we like it or not, most of our professional lives are going to have their fair share of time spent in meetings. Be it with our coworkers or clients, a measurable fraction of our working lives will more than likely be taken up in an engaged discussion of tactics, projects, progress, etc.

Unfortunately, many of us in the professional world absolutely detest meetings, and abhor giving up any of our precious time to them as they usually end up being a complete waste of that time. As many professionals do not know how to effectively organize and operate a meeting for maximum results, or any at all for that matter.

It’s not necessarily our faults that our tend meetings tend to fall short of our expectations given that most of us have not had the best models to learn from. If you have ever sat through an hour plus long bickering banterfest where nothing was decided or no conclusions were every substantially reached, then you can identify with and feel our pain. So below are a few tips for helping get the most out of your meetings. Now given that our meetings tend to fall in one of two categories, either co-worker or client, and also considering that both of these types of meetings are completely different and require different handling, the post has been broken down into advice on both fronts.

Whether we like it or not, most of our professional lives are going to have their fair share of time spent in meetings. Be it with our coworkers or clients, a measurable fraction of our working lives will more than likely be taken up in an engaged discussion of tactics, projects, progress, etc.

Unfortunately, many of us in the professional world absolutely detest meetings, and abhor giving up any of our precious time to them as they usually end up being a complete waste of that time. As many professionals do not know how to effectively organize and operate a meeting for maximum results, or any at all for that matter.

Consider some of our previous articles

Getting Clients: Approaching The Company a post from the Smashing vaults about how to handle your initial client meetings.
8 Strategies For Successful Relations With Clients is another post from the Smashing archives with advice on dealing with clients. Continuar leyendo «Tips for More Effective Business Meetings»

The first rule of productivity one thing at a time

Time management, in and of itself, will not really help you be more productive.

I’m talking about time management in the classic sense of the word. Getting through your “to do” list faster. It’s a complete waste of time.

What you really need to do is to look at everything that you have on your list, and pick the single most important thing. Then work on it, uninterrupted, until it’s completed.

The uninterrupted part is the toughest, by far. It’s SO easy and tempting to check your email, answer the phone, respond to an instant message, or click over to a website.

Time management, in and of itself, will not really help you be more productive.

I’m talking about time management in the classic sense of the word. Getting through your “to do” list faster. It’s a complete waste of time.

What you really need to do is to look at everything that you have on your list, and pick the single most important thing. Then work on it, uninterrupted, until it’s completed.

The uninterrupted part is the toughest, by far. It’s SO easy and tempting to check your email, answer the phone, respond to an instant message, or click over to a website. Continuar leyendo «The first rule of productivity one thing at a time»

The Ups and Downs of Being a Perfectionist

Almost everyone out there knows someone who’s a perfectionist, if they aren’t one themselves.

Some people are perfectionists in only one aspect of their life (such as school or work) while others apply their perfectionist tendencies to every aspect of their lives.

Perfectionism is often looked at by those who don’t share the same obsession as a negative personality trait. In reality, perfectionism has both positive and negative impacts.

Learning to work within the constraints of being a perfectionist can lead to much higher productivity, but not working with those traits can lead to much lower productivity.//

www.newtekwebhosting.com/earnrevenue.aspx

What is Perfectionism?

Your average perfectionist believes that not only is perfection achievable, but that it should be achieved whenever possible. They always strive to make their work better, and often derive pleasure from investing time and effort into their projects. They enjoy paying attention to detail and are often hard to please.

The Upside of Being a Perfectionist

Perfectionism has a lot going for it. For one, it’s common to have perfectionist clients, and that can be a huge headache if you’re not also a perfectionist. Working with someone who insists on getting every single detail the absolute best it can be is easier if you share the same outlook. But there are also other benefits.

Higher Personal Standards
With high personal standards, it’s easier to meet the expectations of others. If you have low standards, you’ll always have to push yourself to meet what others expect from you. If your standards are already high, you’ll likely have a much easier time meeting the standards of others. After all, a perfectionist almost always has nearly-impossible standards for themselves, much higher than what outside parties would generally impose.

A More Streamlined Work Process
Most perfectionists are also hyper-organized. They’ve perfected their work process along with everything else in their life. This means, in many cases, that your work is more efficient than that of many non-perfectionists. You have processes and patterns for handling virtually anything that comes your way, from email to new project and clients to bookkeeping. It can definitely add up to a more effective workday with less wasted time and effort.

A More Polished End Result
If you’re a perfectionist, it’s likely that by the time a project makes it to the client (or is made public), it’s as polished as it can get. Your designs are always pixel-perfect and your development projects always work flawlessly. Others often look at your work in awe, wondering where you find the time and patience to perfect your work in such a way. It’s a definite plus, as it can lead to more work and more respect.

Better Attention to Detail
In addition to an overall feeling of being polished, your work often has all those extra little details that set it apart from the crowd. You go the extra mile to add details to your work that others wouldn’t even think of. This applies both to design and to other aspects of your business. Things like making your clients and others you do business with feel appreciated and valued can go a long way toward improving your business, and are often overlooked by many. A perfectionist will often have systems in place to make sure things are done to improve client relations above and beyond expectations.

Fewer Fixes Are Necessary Later On
One of the biggest direct advantages of being a perfectionist is that there are generally fewer bugs in your finished projects. Because you’ve examined everything in minute detail and tested every possible scenario you could come up with to make sure everything looked and functioned flawlessly, it’s much less likely your clients will find anything you overlooked. This means not only do you have fewer bugs to deal with (which are often unbillable), but also that your clients and users will be happier. Continuar leyendo «The Ups and Downs of Being a Perfectionist»

Moving The Ball Forward

by Behance Research

Every action taken (or not taken) either pushes your idea forward or holds it back. Sometimes we ignore the intangible elements of productivity, namely self-awareness, discipline, and confidence. You must manage yourself as you manage ideas. If you stop and think about it, your ability to make ideas happen is dependent on you and…the ball.

Are you moving the ball forward?
With everything you say and do, you either move the ball forward or backwards. Excess chatter in meetings, repetitive questions, and inconsequential concerns only distract you and others from action – thus moving the ball backwards. Aspire to content-make rather than commentate. Moving the ball forward is adding value that enriches and expedites the outcome.

Is the ball even moving?
Insecurity and apathy can inhibit progress. In the process of pursuing ideas, you need to keep the ball in motion. Remember, idle balls sitting still on the floor are dangerous: you can trip on them. Catch yourself when the components of an active project are still. Dwelling over inactive projects can destroy motivation.

Is your eye on the ball?
Typical meetings are full of digressions and points made beyond the scope of the meeting. Sometimes interesting stuff takes the place of relevant stuff. If you can stay focused on the purpose and the points that gain traction, then you can help foster productive discussion.

Who has the ball?
The ball is either in your court or someone else’s. The problem is that, after many meetings, the ball is left in neutral territory. No-man’s land. Are you supposed to call the person to further discuss the problem or are they supposed to come back to you with possible solutions? Always know where the ball is, and never ever leave it in your court. If we all committed to never let the ball rest in our respective court, then the ball would ALWAYS be moving.

It is hard to manage the many forces required to push ideas forward. A ball is round, it rolls, and it is the key to productivity – so keep an eye out for it!

http://the99percent.com/