Synergy – http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/
If you have multiple machines, or even just multiple monitors on 1 machine this app is an absolute godsend. With multiple machines you can use 1 keyboard/mouse on a host machine to quickly and easily use or just maintain all of your boxes.

If you have multiple monitors you can set it up so your mouse wraps around your screens. I ❤ it 😀

I use Email Autoresponders to inform people of several things… Mostly that I will only read emails at certain times of day(830, 11, 2.30, 5)… and I also link to FAQ pages. It cuts down massively on traffic… and helps streamline processes.

I use Elance to outsource all non essential repatative tasks which I could do, but where it would be more profitable for me to do other things..

http://www.Elance.com (other VA sites are available).

Take photographs of everything you own and stick them on Flickr or similar – set them to only privately visible if that’s your preference. If you’re ever burgled you’ll greatly appreciate knowing exactly what DVDs you owned, and being in possession of proof of your particular models of TV, DVD recorder and so on for the insurance company. In years gone by the advice was to use up the end of holiday rolls of film by taking these pictures but in the digital age it’s cheaper and easier. Even if you’re not actually insured it can be useful to have a list for the police.

If you have made a mistake then try to find a way so that mistake will never happen again. Don’t let any problem that happened in the past disturb your present feelings.

Keep it up guys, these are brilliant 🙂

Get a whiteboard and write out a calender with all the stuff you’re planning to do. When you’ve got deadlines, it helps to be able to cross things out with big gigantic X. Gives you much more incentive to finish stuff. Plus I love being able to just draw out and scribble within an overview of the next three weeks, which you just can’t achieve in digital version.

Try to be as productive as possible during “working hours” so that your mind will allow you to switch off in down times. If you steam roll 100% of the time, you just feel burnt out which affects your overall productivity.

Also, avoid buying a new HDTV and Sky+ HD with the movies subscription – Affects productivity terribly.

I still use an noline task manager… reorganising helps me me see a clear path occasionally… but when push comes to shove… I have THE LIST… IN MY POCKET

I fold a piece of A4 into 1/4 of its size and write down the three major tasks I need to achieve for the day(and occasionally 2 minor)onto 1 quadrant.

Anymore, and it becomes unmaanageble, and it doesnt fit on the paper.

Its always with me, and has material value… and so subconciously holds more importance… And I make sure its reallt is with me all the time. Simple, quick, and a really good way to break down tasks into managemble chunks.

Someone always has to put up a dull one – and today, it’s going to be me.

We all know it’s important to take breaks, but there multiple reasons why. Several of them are physiological. That’s right – body stuff, not about the brain at all.

Take your hands. They’re not really designed for typing, or using a mouse. (What other activity can you even think of that involves sustained, co-ordinated poking at something with multiple fingers simultaneously? And stop giggling, it’s a serious question.) Using your hands to type uses muscles in a crazy way, but it doesn’t damage them. What WILL damage them, though, is doing it incessantly.

Imagine your arm/hand muscles & tendons like a thick rubber band. For every minute you type, imagine that rubber band getting stretched a little bit more taught. The band is fine for the first little while, but at some point, the rubber is going to start to tear. The first tears are invisible, you don’t even notice them. The next few can just be seen. Then – SNAP!

Your wrist is never going to snap off. BUT once you’ve banjaxed those muscles, that’s basically it – you’ve got yourself the Yuppie Hand Flu, aka RSI, and from here on, you’re Managing Your Condition. I should know – I’ve done it myself.

So you don’t want to pull the rubber band too tight. You want it to relax back into it’s natural shape now and then, so you can start stretching it from fresh. This can be achieved by TAKING YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF THE KEYBOARD.

And while you’re at it, move your eyes. Look at a window or something, reset your focal distance. Maybe fend of glasses for another couple of years.

I use a free little program called work break timer to remind me when to rest my hands: http://bit.ly/elF4v. You can set the times to whatever you like, but I keep it set to the classic ratio: 10 mins work, 2 mins not-work, on a cycle of 5 (making up an hour) (http://bit.ly/2JJ5SK). You’d be amazed at how productive this work pattern is just by itself! But if you can stand NOT updating your facebook page in the not-work period, you’ll get the double-benefit of not destroying the part of your body that does the most productive work.

Work break timer is great for day-to-day productivity, which I love, but resting your hands is about staying productive long-term. Your 60-year-old future self will thank you.

Ooh. And while I’m on a flow.(i’d been writing an article on this a while ago… (I’ll spare you the details and the blog link!)

http://Su.Pr

I use this to update twitter and facebook. It allows really good tracking of Stubmleupon, twitter and FB clicks, works out the best times of day for you to tweet and get the best response…it even tracks re-tweets and lets you schedule tweets for later in the day when they will be more effective!

Once upon a time when designing websites… I used to use postits too…

If you are working with a client who is dead fussy about positioning, text, and images all working together and they keep changing thier mind, there a solution tohelp them make up their mind!

I used to have an ‘outline’ of a webpage on a4 or a3 and sketch or print(like labels) out individual elements on white post-its. I’d put them where I though things should sit… and we would work though it over a cup of coffee…

It’s ace. It gives the client the sense of involvement and ownership whilst allowing you explain why hings work best!

A clear desk, comfortable seating, good lighting and a place for everything is key to getting stuff done efficiently and more speedily.

1) Turn off email. Even if it’s only for half an hour. You can’t concentrate with the constant distractions of it. Especially if you have a notifier.

2) Get out of the house, occasionally you just need to go for a walk to let your head clear and let the creative juices flow. This is especially important if you’re stuck on a problem. Don’t sit and bang your head against the wall, go for a walk and the answer will come.

3) Have a defined work space so you can leave it at the end of the day, and don’t, I repeat *dont* go back in there until it’s work hours again.

4) If you can’t concentrate because of distractions, client etc. Go to a local coffee shop and find somewhere quiet you can work. One without internet access is preferable.

5) Check out http://www.mentallion.com/ they have some interesting sounds that help me concentrate and focus the mind on the task at hand.

6) Remember, work is supposed to be fun, if it ain’t… find a new job!

It’s a very simple, but often overlooked: drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning after getting up. Your body dehydrates significantly during the night and your brain especially so. The best way to prepare yourself for work or play is a clear head, and rehydrating your brain is key.

Coffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Oh, and while we’re at it, get an electricity consumption monitor. I got one three months ago and it makes you incredibly conscious of how much electricity (ie money) you use. I use the Owl CM119, at under £35 – info here: http://www.electricity-monitor.com/wireless-energy-monitors-c-37.html

In my case there is a little wireless box that clips on to the incoming power cable at the meter. That transmits data to a remote monitor that stays in the living room. It enables me to see how much electrical power the house is using, both minute by minute and cumulatively in kWh. It can also be configured to tell you how much you are spending minute by minute, which makes you even more conscious.

It’s been running for a few months and now I have a pretty good idea of what the “background” in the house (fridge and freezer mainly) is, and am alert if it’s higher than that. I can see when a laptop power supply has been left on and is charging an already-full battery. I can also see if lights in the kitchen or bathroom have been left on (everywhere else has low-energy bulbs which are harder to notice on the meter as they take so little energy).

If I’m downstairs and I’ve left one of the main computers on upstairs I can see that straight away and consider whether or not it really needs to be running.

I recently received the electricity bill and my provider (Ecotricity, also recommended) kindly gives me comparisons with the previous period and the same period last year. My expenditure is down significantly and at least part of that is simply the result of becoming more aware of energy usage.

Was just reading V’s post on home office productivity (http://www.thatcanadiangirl.co.uk/blog/2009/01/22/10-ways-to-improve-your-home-office-productivity/) which I thought was ace. It made me realise another hack I have taken to using recently.

Graze.com Time is precious, and about the only thing i cant get back (other than my modesty after the last big night out in Bristol – Blush)… and eating, despite my love of it, sometimes gets in the way.

I habitually pick up the post when it arrives to see if im pennies richer or poorer… and now I get a wholesome snack to sit close at hand.

Laziness. Maybe. Time Saver. 5-10 mins a day Time saving + lack of flow interuption.

Am sure other people other than graze do this kind of thing!

g

Long time reader, second time commenter (and the first time was on a competition too – it’s funny how competitions bring out the commenters, eh?).

I’ve been working at home for the last month, so what I’m going to talk about are the things that have helped me focus and get down to work. Obviously these may not be of use to everyone, but hopefully they’ll be handy to someone.

Since you’re going to be at your desk for a good portion of your day every day, it makes sense to buy something that’s going to be good for you and good for your back. The thing to look out for here (especially if you’re on the heavier side like me), is that the chair you buy conforms to BS 5459 Part 2 – basically what this means is that it’s been certified for 24 hour use for operators up to 150Kg in weight. Most chairs you’ll find on the consumer market only conform to BS EN 1335, which only covers 8 hours a day of use for operators up to 110Kg. Given the amount of time you’ll be using the chair, it’s best to go for the best you can find. Unfortunately, most online stores don’t specify which standards their chairs adhere to, leaving you needing to search for “24 hour chairs or similar”.

I’ve also made sure I have secondary “comfortable” seating in the office for those times when I want to get out of the office chair and read or watch a TV show. For me, this is a Sumo Gamer “beanbag”. I tend to spend some time in this each day, and it helps to break the monotony of sitting staring at a screen every day.

Speaking of the screen, since you’re going to be staring at this all day every day it makes sense to get the biggest and the best you can afford. I went for the Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP 24″, which has more connectors on the back than I could throw a stick at, and looks gorgeous. If I had the money for a second monitor (or Vero’s magical hat chooses me to win the LG she’s giving away) then I’d buy myself a Matrox DualHead2Go to allow my MacBook Pro to power multiple screens. Basically, the more screen real estate the better in my book.

On the computer itself, I love the idea of Virtual Desktops. On my Mac I have three set up – one for my browsers and virtual machines, one for writing code in, and one for communications. This helps me to stay focused on one task at a time, and not get distracted by people chatting on IRC or twitter, which is nice. I also have AntiRSI installed both as a way of making sure I don’t get RSI but also as a reward system to myself – if AntiRSI decides I’ve been typing enough that I deserve to take a break, then that’s great and makes me feel happy, and I take a break.

The final thing I have to have in the office I work in is some sort of Whiteboard. Currently, I’m using Magic Whiteboard (I’ve been using them since before they were on Dragons’ Den), which is great because it comes on a roll and uses static to attach to the wall, so I can easily put it up and take it down. Obviously, I’d prefer a proper permanent whiteboard, but living in a rented house precludes that, so I have to make do with what I have. Being able to swivel on my chair and make quick and easy notes with a marker pen is vital for me though – I really don’t know how I got on without it.

And that’s about all I have to say for now. If you’re really interested in my setup though you can view the video.

In the evening I always select and set out the clothes I’m going to wear the next day. If I know I’m going to be out, errr, socialising in the evening and not to be in state to do that later I do it as one of the steps of getting ready to go out.

I find that I often have to get up early, or have other things to do (breakfast), or have “difficulties” due to the aforementioned previous-night’s socialising. Not having to think about finding socks or underwear or the right shirt in that morning fug makes my start much smoother.