GTD Insight #33: Maximizing Email Happiness

How often to you check your email?  If you work in a techcentric environment, this question may seem odd as email becomes akin to breathing, an unconscious act that continues throughout the day.  I'd like to suggest that there is a pleasure to email that overchecking can dullen.  Read on.



Email can be pleasurable when it's surprising, when it delivers an anticipated response or when it relaxes the reader.  Unfortunately, when we check email over and over again, our sense of email pleasure softens, making email another mundane task that takes up our time.



Today's GTD Insight is very simple- check email several times during the day but don't overcheck.  The GTD practitioner knows how to strike the balance between getting his work done and still enjoying the little things, like a piece of good news delivered via email.


How to Be Creative as a Podcaster

I generally take some time each afternoon to process phone messages and wrap up any emails that need attention before I head home.  If I need some background noise or am looking for some food for thought, I'll often listen to a podcast. 



Modern Worker has a creative way of doing podcasts- he chooses a series of news stories and then talks off the cuff, sharing his ideas and relating the story back to some workplace principle. 



D. Scott Miller has also created a fun series called "Inside the Youth Ministers Studio".  Scott asks a series of interesting questions and relates the conversation back to ministry.  Scott also interviewed yours truly when I was working in the Charm City.


GTD Cafe: New Gadgets to Help You Get Things Done

My first PDA was the original Palm Pilot, before the company was forced to drop the "pilot" from their name.  A greyscale screen and absolutely no curb appeal, that first PDA was like a diamond in my hand.  The year was 1998.



Since then I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I've owned probably ten or so PDA's.  I've dated HP's, Sony's, Handsprings and other Palm's and it's safe to say that I am now a connoisseur (translate: geek) of the personal digital assistant. Today, PDA's are making a comeback and reclaiming their rightful place in the productivity landscape.  Sure, smart phones are cool and very useful, but a muscle-bound hand-held still turns heads.



Here are three new PDA's, introduced in the past few weeks, that are sure to make a splash:



HP Ipaq 210: running Windows Mobile 6 Classic, the sweet-screen PDA has arrived with great reviews, although a hefty size and $450 price tag might scare some folks off.



Apple iPod Touch: for around $300, you can grab an iPhone without the phone.  Huh?  Apple introduced one of the very first PDA's back in the 80's called the Newton so they're not totally unfamiliar with the market.  The touch is feature-rich and of course has a very sweet interface.



HP Ipaq 110 Classic: slimmer than its older brother the 210, this $300 PDA should be popular with the mainstream crowd as it allows speedy web browsing via Wi-Fi.



Resources for the Road
Palm Centro is on the way: a $100 smart-phone?
iPod Touch guided tour
Cnet: Best 5 PDA's



Everything You Need to Know About Online Calendars

If you have several work locations (home office, work office, etc.) and are trying to keep your commitments and priorities in check, an online calendar might be for you. 



I've been experimenting with three of the best calendar systems out there, Airset, 30Boxes and the heavyweight, Google Calendar. 



First, my gear & wish list:



  • I need an online calendar that takes the best of aesthetics and syncs multiple pc's with my Palm Treo- simple as that.




What are the benefits?



  • A no-fear attitude in case your PC does crash


  • An ability to access information anywhere that an Internet connection can be found


  • A visual pleasantry that contributes to a spirit of getting things done


  • 7 Career and Family Online Schedulers


How long does it take to learn how to use an online calendar?





Which one has the cool factor?



  • I think that 30Boxes is the coolest; simplest interface, pleasing to the eye and absolutely easy to use; next up would be Google Calendar and then Airset


  • Honorable mention go to Kiko, Famundo, My Home Point


Which one has the biggest cult following?





Which has the WOW factor?





With all of this said, I'm into week two of my testing and evaluating of all three apps.  How are you using online calendaring to get organized and effective?


How Gmail Can Add to/Subtract to Simple Living

This week one of my many email addresses is (strangely) not working anymore.  It's caused me to rethink things like online security, simplicity and productivity.  Let's see, as of today, I have several websites and email accounts.  I'm not proud of this list and sadly, I'm probably "normal" when it comes to these sorts of things.  What does concern me is the fact that more is not better and this week, more is quite awful.



In an effort to "save" one lost email address, I've migrated over to Gmail.  I know that everyone and their neighbor loves Gmail but I never digged it as I hate looking at advertisements and found (still do) that Yahoo! email and calendar are more streamlined for my needs.



Is Gmail making a believer out of me?  I like it's simplicity but can't get over the fact that I've lost my "favorite" email address, seemingly plucked from the internet and out of my world of productivity. And then there are those ads...



For now I'll stay in a sort of email-purgatory, waiting to work out a solution and in the meantime dating Gmail.   Anyone have any advice?


Is BNET Worth Your Time?

I stumbled across BNET when they ran my LifeHack article 8 One Liners That Make a Difference.  Since then, I'm happy to say that 8 One Liners is still the top business hack by more than double the 2nd vote getting article. 



Some excellent features of BNET include:





What is especially welcome about BNET is it's creative use of top-line artwork.  BNET is not overcome with ads that assault your eyes but is a rewarding site worth more than a few clicks.