In this age of constant digital distraction, organizing and focusing on tasks is not always the easiest exercise to accomplish. I, for example, will probably check my Facebook, e-mail and Twitter at least a couple of times before I finish writing this article. Or at least, I would have, were I not using the incredibly useful and productive tools listed below.

Intended to help you organize, remember and execute your tasks as quickly and effectively as possible, these simple tools will serve you well in the battle against procrastination and help you to increase your productivity in the future.

Remember the Milk – http://www.rememberthemilk.com
As the name suggests, Remember the Milk is an online application designed to help you organize the little tasks that you would usually write on post-it notes or scraps of paper, such as remembering that ever-evasive milk.

Offering a minimal and easy-to-use interface, you can categorize tasks by type – such as ‘home’ and ‘work’ – and set individual details such as due date, repeat date and time estimate. Additionally, you can tag each task, a feature which becomes incredibly useful if you need to search through a vast back catalog of already completed assignments.

There is also hope for the forgetful among us and you can easily you can set-up reminders which notify you of your task via mobile phone, instant messaging service or e-mail.

Focus Booster – http://www.focusboosterapp.com

Employing the famous Pomodoro time management technique which breaks down periods of work into 25 minute intervals, Focus Booster is an application which is essentially times these stretches of work. The thinking behind it is that if you work solidly for 25 minutes, have a short break and then continue to work for another 25 minutes, you will get more done than if you just solidly worked through a long period of time. This is because frequent breaks supposedly improve mental agility.

If you can get on board with the Pomodoro theory, Focus Booster is available to download, or if you don’t fancy that, you can use a simple online version right in your browser.

LeechBlock – https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/leechblock

A Firefox extension which allows you to block time-wasting websites, LeechBlock is the perfect tool for preventing procrastination. Whether your online vice is Facebook, Reddit or simply aimless browsing, you can set LeechBlock to impede your attempts to visit designated websites within a number of versatile time parameters.

At this point, cynics would no doubt hasten to point out the fact that you can disable Firefox extensions at any time and with no-one else to stop you from returning to your time-wasting ways, the tool is largely pointless. In order to combat this, LeechBlock allows you to password protect the application, so if you get a friend or colleague to set the password, then you should be sufficiently deterred from making the effort to disable it.

WriteRoom – http://www.hogbaysoftware.com/products/writeroom

A full screen word processing application, the purpose of WriteRoom is to eliminate the distracting environment of your cluttered desktop and ensconce you in a world where writing is your one and only focus.

Instead of responding to your e-mails and constantly checking to see if your followers have retweeted your latest musings, you can fully concentrate on the task in hand and immerse yourself in the huge, whiteboard sized canvas. Described by Virginia Heffernan of the New York Times as the “ultimate spartan writing utopia”, it takes minimal to a whole new level and will have the same elevation effect for your productivity too.

Buffer App – http://www.bufferapp.com

Rather than swamp your Twitter and Facebook feeds with article and website suggestions during your morning blog check or manually enter posts at regular intervals, BufferApp allows you to automatically update your account periodically throughout the day.

By adding pages to a Buffer queue, you can set them to post at regular time intervals, giving the impression of activity throughout the day and not concentrating updates too heavily in one period, a practice that could certainly lose you followers.

Another useful aspect of BufferApp is its ability to records statistics. In the case of Twitter, for example, you can see how many people your tweets reached, how many clicks it received and how many times it was retweeted. Statistics such as these can help you figure out which time of day is the most effective time to post your updates.

Suggestions?

If you have any suggestions of more tools that will aid your productivity and stave off the woes of procrastination, please let us know in the forum.

Turning your home into your workspace isn’t as daunting of a task as it sounds. Whether you need the space for work or to tackle hobbies, you have many options. The key to making a space in your home an office is creativity and thinking outside of the box…or room.

Stake your claim:

The first step is to find your spot. This may be your hardest task in this process. Search high and low for a space in your home that isn’t being used to its full potential. Four common spaces are: a bedroom, corner of a room, dining room and a closet/pantry.

The spare bedroom down the hall that has become your storage closet for things you ‘may need later’. Face it; it’s just going to sit there another six months. If you want that room for a guest as well, consider a nice pull out sofa or a day bed that can act as a lounge sofa.

Do you have an empty corner in your kitchen or living room? Instead of dust bunnies collecting in the corner, visit stores like IKEA or Home Depot and find/build a desk to fit the ‘L’ shape corner. You will have enough space to work and be out of the way of the hustle and bustle of these rooms.

The dining room is that room most families use twice a year for holiday dinners. Dining rooms are something your mothers and grandmothers needed but this day in age, consider moving your family dinners to the kitchen area.

Even the smallest spaces like a closet or a pantry can be used for home offices. Remove the doors and instant space! With proper lighting and some paint you will forget you are working in your old food pantry.

Organize and assess your needs:

Keep in mind that your new work space is limited and you don’t want it to become the kids’ toy box or the post office. Make it clutter free with bookshelves, rolling file cabinets, wall mounts and drawers. Places like The Container Store and Target have great options. Now get your necessities that best suit your needs: a phone, computer, printer, desk and chair.

Remove all distractions and add privacy:

Screaming kids, day time television and whining pets can take you away from an important moment. Prevent interruptions by adding curtains, wall partitioners or consider creating ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs. If children are a problem make a friendly sign to hang, for example: “Dad is trying to bring home the bacon…please tip toe and whisper”.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post from Laura Backes, she enjoys writing about all kinds of subjects and also topics related to internet service in my area. You can reach her at: laurabackes8 @ gmail.com.

Social Media Literacy

Social Media is the future of communication and will soon become a required skill at home and in the workplace. So many of my clients and business-people that I meet at networking events simply do not know how to use the tools of Social Media in an effective way to promote and expand their business.

We are creating a resource to help anyone who needs it to learn about what Social Media is and how to best take advantage of these new tools and communities. In this economy you cannot afford to ignore marketing opportunities that you do not understand.

Social Media Literacy for Small Business

Please visit the Social Media Literacy Project home page to register for email updates. The resource site will go live in early 2012 (in Beta).

New videos, podcasts, and interviews will be coming online soon.

The team looks forward to any feedback that you may have. Please send an e-mail.

Business cards can be incredibly easy to create. Just stick your information on a shiny card and you’re good to go, right? Well, that’s one way to do it, but you’d be missing out on numerous growth and revenue opportunities that having standout business cards can offer you. Here are four tips you can use to get the absolute most out of business cards:

1)Keep it Simple
A potential client that looks at your business card should immediately know your name, title, and business while simultaneously getting a taste of your personality. Put the name you want to be called on your cards, whether it is your given name or a nickname. A work phone number and email address are essential. Avoid using your home phone number or that hilarious personal email address you got in college—it’s best to use the standard firstname.lastname@business.com formula for business contacts. Provide your cell phone number or office line, whichever is the easiest and best way to reach you.

Social media contacts like your website, Facebook and Twitter profiles, or blog URL are increasingly important parts of your business image, so definitely consider including this information. The downside of doing so is that it can make the card look a bit cluttered, so be sure to only include the information that provides the best communication channels and resources that are emblematic of your business. Even if you decide include it all, make it look as legible as possible with good spacing, contrasting colors or bold fonts. Your clients are going to want to research your name and business online so make it easy for them to do so!

2)Don’t Be Shy, Get Noticed
Don’t be afraid to choose a non-traditional card type. Slick folding business cards, vertical layouts, embossed type, shiny graphics and even photography can make the exact first impression you need to land a business deal. If your business has a flashy logo, stick it on one side of the business card all on its own. You’ll be remembered for taking chances and letting your personality and business attitude shine through, so let it fly.

Another way to get noticed is to include a picture of you. A photo will make the business card much more personal. It doesn’t need to look like a senior class portrait, though. Some wardrobe tips: If you’re in a conservative field, wearing a suit is a good idea. If your business highlights a more fun, creative or youthful service, you can dress more casually. As long as the photo is professional, appropriate and good photo quality it should be fine—just showing a friendly face can go a long way.

3)Double Check
The last thing you want is to have incorrect information on your business cards. Mistakes signal that you aren’t careful and not detail-oriented. What chance is there that a potential client will believe your product will be of the utmost quality if you don’t get your own name right? Aside from ensuring correct spelling and grammar, it’s important to check that your title, social networking profiles, and contact information will continue to be legitimate channels for communication for the foreseeable future.

One thing to note while you are double checking—if you are directing clients to these aspects of your online presence, then your website and social media pages need to look businesslike and any embarrassing or unprofessional content should be removed. Your business cards represent a “key” to unlock the “door” to your business profile and services. Don’t show potential clients anything you do not want them to see or doesn’t enhance your business reputation.

4)Get A Lot, Use A Lot
Ordering a large quantity of business cards is very useful when you first start a business or are recently promoted to a new title. This strategy helps ensure the longevity of the information on the card. After acquiring your box(s) of stylish business cards, it’s key to begin presenting them at every opportunity. For example, when you send out mailers or ship out products, enclose your card. If you’re at a restaurant, you can even leave a card with the bill or post one to their bulletin board if they have one.

Every person you meet should receive a card, even family and friends. The worst case scenario is that they throw it out (hopefully recycle) when they get home. However, the key is to practice getting your name and business out in the open for the world to find and use. If you are effective, you’ll be rewarded with better client retention and local (or even global) visibility. You never know when you are going to meet your next big client.

These four tips are a great start to help you on your way to creating and using the best business cards for your market. Find a business card seller that will allow you to customize your business cards and then go ahead and make them uniquely your own in every way.

Chad Liffmann is a Marketing Coordinator at Tiny Prints, a premier online stationery website that offers exclusive designs for business cards, party invitations, holiday cards and more.

Ever since the workplace was invented, companies have wrestled with questions caused by a large array of conflicting demands: Should workspaces emphasize openness or privacy? Is employee interaction more important than employee autonomy? Is ease of access among workers worth all the distractions it tends to bring along with it? These are questions that have been asked for years and they are still being asked, even though the business world today looks a whole lot different than it did 100, 50, or even 10 years ago. In recent years, the questions have been re-framed by the latest trend in office design emanating from the European market—open space office planning.

Open Space Design at our own NBF office

The benefits of open space offices are now widely recognized, not only in Europe but on this side of the Atlantic as well. And this recognition becomes crystal clear when you consider the extent to which more and more companies, large and small, are continually embracing the concept in some form or fashion. Yet experience is also showing that open office planning can be a double-edged sword and that there are some pitfalls that go along with the perks. Here are some of the most commonly acknowledged pros and cons of open office space design:

The good:

• More cost effective (studies have shown an average savings of more than 20% in overhead costs)
• Greater collaboration
• Produces an atmosphere that promotes creativity
• Easier access to team members
• Less opportunity for employees to slack off or engage in long aimless phone calls
• Environmentally friendly (heating and cooling is more efficient)
• Builds a strong sense of community within the office space
• More accommodating to modern day business practices (e.g., teleworking and office-sharing)
• Boosts performance (as described in studies like this one).

The bad:

• Lack of privacy
• Health concerns (as pointed out in studies such as this)
• More distractions
• Noise pollution
• Lack of employee wall/shelf space
• Greater potential for theft of proprietary or business-sensitive information
• Over-stimulation by excess sensory input

Firms are beginning to recognize that both the pros and the cons are very real. And while companies want to make the cons go away as much as possible, most of them are being careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The challenge is to somehow forge a win-win—in other words, find a way to retain the benefits that open space design brings, while at the same time mitigating the negative aspects. And some firms have made great strides in this area. Here are just a few examples of how companies have been dealing with common open office problems:

Noise: Probably the most commonly-cited drawback of an open office environment is the noise factor. And it’s not hard to understand why. Excess noise is often pinpointed as a primary cause of low productivity. Many studies have acknowledged that noise (even at fairly low levels) is a strong contributor to stress and some of its ancillary effects such as high blood pressure, headaches, and digestive problems. And it doesn’t take a sophisticated study to point out that noise is distracting. So it’s not surprising that noise mitigation is high on everyone’s problem-solving list. Many companies have taken measures to install simple or elaborate sound masking systems. Others have equipped employees with noise dampening earbuds capable of piping in a wide array of natural “white noises” such as oceans, rivers, storms, etc. A recent article by Earl Vickers describes some other solutions companies have adopted to mitigate excess noise.

Space: Studies as far back as the 1980s have cited the importance of “spatial density” (the average space available to each person) to job performance and employee morale. And many companies have come to realize the added impact of this concept when applied in an open office environment. As pointed out in articles like this one, “people still each need their own space and teamwork will suffer if it’s not provided.” Even in an open setting, many companies are now careful to give each employee not only ample space but also highly personalized space. They recognize that workers need space for their pictures, plants, toys, and other things that help define the turf around them as their own. Many firms are also realizing that space can be “bought” through flexibility. And flexibility is largely achieved by creative choices in office furniture. This article talks about some of the solutions in this area forged by Digg.

Privacy: Smart employers are beginning to understand that employees need their privacy and that there are ways to give it to them even in an open setting. Some firms allow their staffers private spaces to make phone calls or conduct business of a sensitive nature. Others allow their employees to decorate their work spaces in such a fashion that it “caves” them off. This can be done creatively with things like tall potted plants, tables or drawers, or even a stand up coat rack with a coat hanging on it. Here is an article that talks about other creative solutions some modern companies have found to achieve employee privacy in an open office setting.

The concept of open office design is not going to go away, nor should it. Open planning is not only cost effective but in many ways conducive to top performance and enhanced worker collaboration. But companies are recognizing the downside too. And in today’s business climate, most of are not willing to simply accept the bad along with the good but instead are being proactive about coupling their open office designs with creative policy designs that address potential problems. And what often results is an open workplace that harbors a productive workforce.

Dean Stier is Vice President of National Business Furniture, a leading provider of office chairs, office desks, filing cabinets and other office furniture to businesses, government agencies and other institutions.

Mind Like Water

There is a section of Jonathan Fields’ new book, “Uncertainty“, that deals with the power of training your mind to pay attention and for using meditation practices to reduce stress and improve creativity.

On a conference call with Fields that I participated in he shared some amazing information on how to enhance your skills in these areas.

I have transcribed my notes in a new board on the forum here: Attentional Training, Meditation and Mindfulness

I would invite you to take a look, register, and participate in the conversation.

Do you take time to meditate each day?

What techniques and methods work for you?

What do you find most valuable about your meditation?

If you do not currently use some sort of meditation practice, why not? Or, what do you do in place of it?

Here is a sample:

A common complaint I hear from a lot of people is they don’t get to express their Creativity at work. Some cite being too busy, too confined or are just too afraid that they simply aren’t Creative with a capital-C. I am not on board with that.

With a little training and practice anyone can find the time and motivation to add some Creativity into their Work.

To get you started, here are five things I do to get the juices flowing and make something fun happen

Read the whole thing: 5 Ways to Kick-start Your Creativity at Work

Even the best writers face writer’s block. Worse, even the best writers get trapped by cliché and stale story lines. Fortunately, most writers have found many tricks to help overcome these hurdles and move past any blocks. The next time you find yourself struggling to think of unique story lines or engaging characters, try one of these creativity exercises to move past your block:

Write a Story in another Genre
It’s easy to become comfortable and to fall into patterns when you write the same kind of material over and over again. Writing in another genre can change the way you approach characters, story details, and plot. You may even find that you have a talent for another style of writing or that you enjoy it more!

Keep a Fictional Diary
Discover a new character by starting a fictional diary for him or her. Start with small details that envelop day-to-day activities and see where further exploration leads you. If you need new character ideas or if you’re having a hard time creating a fully-dimensional character, this exercise can help you discover deeper and more nuanced traits.

Scan the Headlines
The truth can be stranger than fiction – and it can also provide great fodder. Read newspapers or magazines for local events or human interest stories to see if you find any ideas for your next story. You may be inspired to write a piece of non-fiction – such as a biography or a piece of social analysis – or you may decide to use the details as a foundation for a piece of fiction.

Steal from the Greats
Wicked and Grendel were popular fictional stories written about fictional characters from other well-known works. If you have a favorite book, play, movie, or musical, consider writing a story about one of its characters or from another point of view. Of course, you have to be careful that the story you are creating is something entirely new.

Write Flash Fiction
Micro fiction or flash fiction is fiction that is less than 2,000 words in length. Some stories are as short as 100 words. Writing such fiction can present a challenge to distill elements of plot and character to their most essential. Writing in this genre will make you think about the truly important elements of your story.

Move Scenes Around
Or whole blocks of text. William Burroughs was famous for doing it successfully, and other writers have found success with the method. If the work seems flat, try moving around the order of events – or even words in a passage – to see if the new creation yields pleasing results or inspires a new direction.

Choose a New Point of View
Take an old piece of writing, or the piece you’re currently struggling with, and rewrite it from a new point of view. If it was written in the third person, choose a character and write it from the first person instead. A new perspective might shed new light on the characters or the plot.

Write Description
Choose a place you know or have visited, and write a 200-word description. Use all your sensory details, and try to describe it for someone who has never been there.

Describe Your Friends
Write short character descriptors for a list of five or 10 of your friends. Thinking of how to describe them in prose will make you think more critically about how your characters appear in print.

Free Write
The simplest way to get over writer’s block is to just write. Don’t think about what you’re writing or where you’re going. Don’t think about how much you’ve written or how much time you’ve spent writing. You may be surprised to find what comes out or what inspiration you discover.

Do you have another favorite creativity exercise that helps you get past your writer’s blocks? Share them in the forum!

Bio:
Leah Landly is the community manager for BluWiki, an informational Wiki service and free web publishing platform. She covers many topics and answers popular questions like, how to touch a girl and how to ask a girl out.

One of the tips for enhancing your creativity was to exercise your imagination and think about how someone else would do your job:

How would your parents have done what you do? Or a fresh-faced kid right out of college? Someone with a different political/religious/philosophical background?

You can use this principle to help create a realistic and lifelike character for your story. Here is this week’s exercise:

Putting Yourself Into the Head of Your Character

• Jot down a short list of the things that you do as part of your job. These can be the tasks and activities that you do daily or weekly or whatever.
• Jot down how you feel when you do each of these things. Do they make you proud or do you dread them?
• What is one of your long-term goals?
• Now imagine that you are going to be turning your job over to someone else: Write down the answers to the following:
  • Who are they?
  • What kind of experience do you think they have?
  • What do you think that their goals will be?
• Write down how well you think this person will be able to perform each of the tasks you listed at the beginning. How will these duties make the new person feel?

Share the results of your character-creation exercise in the forum, or do it on your own and let us know what you think.

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month’s time.

Who: You! We can’t do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let’s write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins 12:00:01 November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at 11:59:59. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!

How does it work? Create an account at the NaNoWriMo site and:

On November 1, begin writing your novel. Your goal is to write a 50,000-word novel by midnight, local time, on November 30th. You write on your own computer, using whatever software you prefer.

[...]

7) Starting November 1, you can update your word count in that box at the top of the site, and post excerpts of your work for others to read. Watch your word-count accumulate and story take shape. Feel a little giddy.

Write with other NaNoWriMo participants in your area. Write by yourself. Write. Write. Write.

9) If you write 50,000 words of fiction by midnight, local time, November 30th, you can upload your novel for official verification, and be added to our hallowed Winner’s Page and receive a handsome winner’s certificate and web badge.

Basic rules state that you can get started on an outline, character sketches and so on, but no writing until Nov 1st. If you are considering participating then head on over to the NaNoWriMo registration page and sign up. Then visit the NaNoWriMo post in the forum and share with the Community.

We can do it!