Until now!  I’m pretty sure the only easier way than this is chuck the papers in the trash and not bother at all.

And a big “thank you!” the nice folks at Shoeboxed, Evernote and Pixily for producing such awesome YouTube how-to’s.

Don’t know where to start or how to go about using Evernote in a way that fits your work?

ARoundTuit Organizing Virtual Services are available nation-wide to get you going!

Contact me today to find out why everyone is raving about Evernote!

Yes, even a productivity evangalist has her challenges. I dislike burocracy and paperwork as much as anyone else.  A small but growing pile taunted me at my desk. So I moved to another room.

Unfortunately, my conscience follows me everywhere. I know I have to fill out those forms.  And not just one page.  We’re talking projects.

This week, I decided to take the bull by the horns.  I used Toodledo to set goals and plan tasks related to a couple of projects that I’d been avoiding for months.

I also looked at my Vision Board and decided it was high time to put life and business goals in Toodledo, using the sub-goal and task capabilities to prioritize and organize my work ahead.

Let’s face it: with no destination and no map, we spend a lot of time wasting time.  I doubt there are very many accomplished people out there who got there without diligent planning.

Bottom line: I invested a little over one hour in planning, and it’s already paid off in spades.  I went from not knowing where to begin to having a plan, and taking daily steps towards my goals.

If you’ve not yet tried Toodledo, don’t worry.  You can start small  - with a goal as simple as “pay bills” or “follow-up with prospect ABC”.  Give me a call if you could use a hand making sense of that never-ending flurry of sticky-note to-do lists.  ARoundTuit Productivity Coaching is available nation wide.

Google Voice is the planned upgrade from www.grandcentral.com – Google’s one-stop-shop for Google technology on your mobile phone.  According to the Google Voice website, the app will be available shortly.  If you want to be notified of it’s arrival, just enter your e-mail address on the Google Voice Invite Page.

In the meantime, here’s the article You Have No New Messages – Ever by Slate.com’s Farhad Manjoo, where Manjoo talks about the declining usefulness of voicemail in a world of expanding communication options, at the same time as a desperate need of simplification.

And here’s some Google Voice ammo from the NY Times, “You’ve Got Voicemail, But Do You Care?” about how voice mail has lost it’s faithful following to e-mail, text messaging, and even social media sites like Facebook.

So my question is, with the new technology, and in the interest of increasing office productivity and simplifying communication, are we ready to do away with voice mail?

The jury is still out on that one, probably.  What do you think?  Please comment!

Whomever has had the burden of scheduling a meeting with several participants knows it’s like herding cats.  And then there came TimeBridge, the ultimate online scheduling assistant.  “So easy”, says Demogirl.com “it’s disgusting”.

Watch the TimeBridge screencast demo!  It’s only a few minutes long.

“TimeBridge has introduced the first Personal Scheduling Assistant designed to help busy people find a time to meet — fast. This innovative, new web application works across calendaring systems, companies and time zones.”

Yes, I am a big fan of not doing work that does not need to be done, or can be delegated to a computer (which will never resent it like a co-worker who actually had in mind to leave early that day).

Wishing you a meaningful and productive weekend,

Lauren

“Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere.” – The Evernote People.

Lauren Davidson says: Evernote is the open-source equivalent to Microsoft’s OneNote… minus the Microsoft monopoly bugs and glitches, and plus oodles of options and add-ons to expand it’s uses with your Mac, PC, iPhone or other mobile device. Evernote takes the place of note pads, scratch paper, sticky notes and “favorites files”.  En somme, wherever you used to save important ideas, only to lose them in a sea of paper or electronic files.

I use Evernote to jott down blog ideas, products I’d like to research and review, lists of clients to be in touch with, marketing ideas, resources and more.  In the past, I would have used a notebook or (heaven forbid) made a MS Word document for a list or brainstorming project!  Now that’s a guarantee I’ll never look at it again.

With Evernote, I just delete the note when I’m done with it.  A metaphorical crumbling of the sticky-note and tossing of it into the circular file.

Plus, Evernote is good looking. Take a quick tour and see if Evernote is for you!

If you’re already an iPhone user, you’re probably tech friendly enough to use this amazingly cool Evernote function.  Granted, this doesn’t have much to do with staying organized.  However, finding you car every time can sure go a long way towards staying SANE – and keeping avoidable stress at bay.

Stay tuned for more everyday applications for Evernote, your free, open-source virtual memory.

Easy as 1-2-Pixily!

I just got off a 30-minute live chat with a PIXILY rep to learn more why it’s worth telling you about. Remember, I don’t recommend anything here without fully researching, and many times trying it myself, first.

Here’s what impresses me about Pixily:

1. It’s as easy as you want.At the minimal level, all you have to do is accumulate papers for a month, stick them in the pre-paid USPS envelope or FedEx box, and ship them off to be scanned. If you choose not to name them or download the PDF’s, they will always be search-able from any device (including i-Phone!) online.

2. It’s as safe as you need:Everyone who works at Pixily has been through a thorough background check. Your information is stored on 2 servers, in two separate locations and on physical disks. Not only that, but in the click of a mouse, you can batch download your documents as PDF’s to an external hard-drive, and keep them in a fireproof safe in an armored truck, with guards – if you want. It’s really not necessary, though!

3. It’s perfect for people who want to keep saving records, but have run out of room. If you’re dying to go paperless, but don’t want to get involved in tedious scanning yourself, Pixily is the convenient, safe, low maintenance choice.

4. The customer service is extremely knowledgeable, patient and helpful.  In the course of our chat, I asked several questions about document security and ID fraud that are directly addressed on the Pixily website (which I obviously hadn’t fully explored before asking for help.  Hat’s off to great customer support!

5. It’s a great value, especially when you consider the cost of a new filing cabinet, off site storage, and not least of all, your own time and sanity.

6. It’s risk-free! If you decide Pixily is not for you for any reason, you can stop your subscription.  Pixily will send you a .zip file of all your online documents, which you have 10 days to download.  But, I think once you get started clearing out your paper clutter by sending it away, you won’t ever turn back!

PIXILY is an associate member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, and co-sponsored January’s Get Organized Month.  Frankly, I feel a little behind the times, because just look at the Google results to see all the newspapers, magazines and blogs raving about Pixily.

Leave a comment or question, and I’ll be glad to answer right here on the blog!

PS: I am waiting for the PIXILY envelopes to arrive, so I can start getting rid of my own papers.  I think I’ll start with the kids’ school records…

After your first session, our goals and Action Plan will be posted on the wiki, along with my notes and links to valuable resources.  Each time we speak or meet, the golden nuggets are posted on the wiki.  This means no more lost notes and forgotten goals. No more worrying about getting off-track in between live sessions.

The best thing about the wiki is its flexibility.  You can work with me when I’m with another client, when I’m travelling or sleeping.  Whether it’s a brief question,  a group discussion including a mentor or colleague, I’ll get your thoughts in full, and we’ll have the record to refer back to. 

Plus, unlike email or phone coaching, you have all your content all in one place - for as long as you want it there.

I hope you’ll join me for this fantastic, revolutionary way of getting things done.  And I know you’ll enjoy the results!