Get the Most out of Your Internet Browser – Tips & Tricks

Posted on 07/09/202007/09/2020 by GetReorganized.com

An overlooked method of productivity is at your fingertips every day. How well do you know your Internet browser and all the features created to help you become more efficient and productive? Let’s focus on Google Chrome and show you how to use this browser’s many features as a means of bolstering your productivity in this digital environment.

Tips and Tricks for Google Chrome:

Start Up Pages

If you find that you are opening the same website, or number of websites, each time you pull up your browser, look into making them Start Up Pages. By setting your own start up pages, you control what you see first when you sit down to use the Internet.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks are not new. They exist to help you track all the websites you want to revisit later. To manage your saved sites, go to Bookmarks and then Bookmarks Manager in the toolbar. If you want to add a bookmark quickly, use Command + D or Crtl + D.

Extensions

There are hundreds of extensions available to Chrome users to enhance and customize their browser. From ad blocker extensions to password managers to making it easy to add items from any website to your Amazon wish list, there are extensions for everything. Check out the available extensions at the Chrome Web Store.

Autofill Settings

You can manage your autofill settings or let them manage you. Google Chrome will automatically store information that it thinks you will use often, such as your address, phone number, email, etc. This can be extremely useful in filling out online forms and profiles or it can be frustrating when the information is inaccurate. You can manage your autofill settings instead, giving you more control over your browsing experience.

Syncing Across Devices

If you want the same browsing experience on your phone, your tablet, and your computer, you can set up Chrome to sync your bookmarks, passwords, history, and other settings across all your devices.

Desktop Shortcuts

Love the convenience of desktop shortcuts? They aren’t limited to just apps. You can easily set any website as a desktop shortcut if you find that you use it often and the shortcut would be helpful to you.

Download Location

Did you know that you can set your download location so it doesn’t have to automatically store downloaded files in the Downloads folder? If you are working on a big project and you need the downloads to go straight to a specific folder, change your Download Location temporarily to save yourself those extra steps of moving the files later.

Cast Your Screen

Want to use your internet on your TV? Chrome is perfectly set up for casting your device screen onto your television.

History Settings

Sometimes you’ll want to go back and access websites you’ve recently visited. The History section stores all the activity of your browser so you can refer back at any time. Google Chrome will even save several tabs at once in case your computer unexpectedly shuts down, which makes the History section pretty handy.

If you don’t want the computer you are on to save and track the sites you visit, simply use Incognito Mode instead. If you share a computer, this can be a good way to achieve a bit of privacy.

Adding Profiles

If you share a computer with family or co-workers, you can create multiple profiles on Chrome to keep your settings, history, and preferences separate. Get a step-by-step guide to setting up browser profiles here.

Guest Browser

If you have a temporary user situation, Chrome has an option to set up a guest browser to separate your settings and allow them to have a user experience of their own (that isn’t customized by your browsing usage). This could also be used in situations where there is a public computer accessible to guests.

It’s amazing just how much work Internet browser companies put into making your user experience as customizable and personalized as possible. By taking charge of your browsing experience, you’ll find yourself more productive and efficient while working online.

This is just some of the value you can get when partnering with GetReorganized.com™. If you’d like more tips, advice or suggestions on how to be more productive and organized, book a 15-minute productivity assessment.

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Should You Purchase a Standing Desk for Your Office?

Posted on 11/12/201911/12/2019 by GetReorganized.com

Standing desks have been popular for years now. People love them as much for their ability to cut into sitting time at work as they do for their purported health benefits.

They’re not just good for your resting heart rate, though. Using a sit-stand desk can also drastically improve your level of productivity.

A 2015 study from Texas A&M University found that employees who used stand-capable desks were 46% more productive than those at traditional desks. That’s the kind of result you just can’t ignore. I mean, who wouldn’t want to increase their productivity by almost 50%?

Keep reading for some helpful tips on how sit-stand desks can up your productivity game, as well as how to choose the best one. Here’s what you need to know:

How do standing desks increase productivity?

It sounds a little unbelievable, right? Who would think that just standing up could so drastically increase productivity? But the numbers don’t lie–it really works. Using a standing desk:

Improves focus: Think about sitting at your desk at work all day. You might take a lunch break, but otherwise, you’re in the same exact spot for roughly eight hours straight. It gets boring. Standing up improves circulation and leads to better focus. In fact, 71% of employees who reduced their sitting time by just one hour a day reported increased mental clarity.
Increases energy: Standing and moving throughout the day can help you break through that brain fog that comes with being sedentary for long periods of time. Why? Because being on your feet helps increases alertness, which leads to more momentum and greater productivity. 87% of employees who use standing desks report feeling more energetic during the workday.
Reduces pain and discomfort: For many individuals, sitting at a desk all day can cause back or neck pain, headaches, and more. Coping with this discomfort naturally decreases concentration and focus, leading to lowered productivity. Standing, even if only for a short time, can help alleviate much of the problem.

How to choose a standing desk

With so many options on the market, how do you know which brand or style is best for you?

Check for height: Most standing desks on the market today allow for a wide range of heights. Those who are very short or very tall, however, might have issues. Check the manufacturer’s specifications and make sure the desk can accommodate your frame.
Choose an easy-to-assemble option: Unless you’re going to hire someone to put together your new desk for you, look for an option that is easy to assemble. Some options, such as standing desk converters, are relatively small, light, and don’t require a lot of labor to put together.
Special features: Some standing desks come with a variety of add-on options such as trays that hold wires or a tabletop you can write on. Think about what features might be helpful for you or might help increase productivity before making a purchase.

Start standing!

Once you’ve purchased your new desk, make the adjustment slowly. Many experts suggest starting with 30- to 60- minute intervals, switching between sitting and standing. Try to do too much at once and you may end up exhausted at the end of the day!

______________________________________________________________________
Be Well. Be Organized.
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The Eyes of An Organizer: Two Things I See My Clients Do (That They Really Shouldn’t)

Posted on 06/03/201905/29/2019 by GetReorganized.com

As a professional organizer, there are two common organizing mistakes that make it difficult to maintain order. These two actions are often the root cause of a messy office. No office (at home or otherwise) is perfect, but if you have one of these two habits, the process may be more difficult than it needs to be.

#1 – Setting things aside ‘temporarily’: Almost everyone has a pile of stuff. You know exactly what pile I mean. It’s the random paperwork that’s been sitting on top of your desk for six months, or maybe the file folder that you haphazardly throw everything into.

More often than not, a ‘To Do Later’ pile means that you simply don’t have a home for things or a system for managing your stuff. By setting those items aside rather than creating a system, however, you create clutter that distracts from your daily tasks and impedes productivity.

Photo by Jesus Hilario H. on Unsplash

#2 – Delaying decisions: Just like setting aside a pile of stuff ‘temporarily,’ many people postpone making decisions or stop just short of drawing an answer. It hurts our brains to stop and identify a specific scenario in which we’re going to use something. Often, that’s because we know, realistically, that we’ll never use it, but we just don’t want to give it up.

Photo by Xu Haiwei on Unsplash

When working with clients to declutter an office I use Barbara Hemphill’s Art of Wastebasketry questions to help determine what to keep (and more importantly, what NOT to keep) and lead them toward making a decision rather than promoting the habit of ‘I’ll set this aside to think about later.’ You too can use these questions to help guide your decision making.

Does this require any action on my part? Is there a physical action you need to take (email, call, add to calendar, give to my spouse, etc.) to get the ball rolling? If the answer is ‘no’ – then you need to ask more questions. If the answer is ‘yes’ – how do we get closer to actually performing that action?
Does this information exist elsewhere? Do you already have this information stored on your computer, or can you find it on the internet? If so, you may want to think about if keeping a physical copy is necessary.
Can I identify a specific use for this? SPECIFIC being the key word here! Really think about when your future self is actually going to use this information. So many of us keep ‘good information’ that we never actually put to good use. If you can’t identify a specific circumstance when you’ll refer to something, you’re likely going to toss it into your ‘miscellaneous’ file and never look at it again. That just creates clutter. It will stay there until it becomes outdated or irrelevant.
Are there any tax or legal implications? Does your business have a retention policy for certain types of documents or forms? Is there a legal reason you may need this paperwork at a later date – for instance, is it a signed document from a client? If not, it may not be necessary to keep it.

Clutter and disorganization can creep up on us if we don’t stop it in it’s tracks. One day you have a clean desk and then six months later you’re apologizing for the mess and clearing a spot for someone to sit. Think about if these two habits are habits you’re in the habit of making – they could be the culprits.

______________________________________________________________________
Be Well. Be Organized.
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No More App Hunting – How to Organize Your Apps

Posted on 05/07/201905/07/2019 by GetReorganized.com

According to a 2017 study, the average smartphone user has more than 80 apps on their phone and uses more than 40 on a monthly basis. With thousands of apps available, they can quickly crowd our screens and become overwhelming. And if you’ve spent more than 30 seconds hunting for an app on your phone, you know how frustrating it can be.

Just like clutter in our home or office, clutter on our phone screen can cause stress and anxiety. But with a little organization, you can make things easier to find, save time, and reduce aggravation.

With just a few minutes out of your day, you can quickly solve this problem and create an organizational system that works for you. Note: on Apple devices, users can create folders to store their apps, while on Android devices, they can be sorted onto different screens–but the organizational methods I suggest will work either way.

Here are my favorite ways to easily organize your apps for a more orderly mobile device:

Organize by functionality – This is the best, most popular (and most logical) option. Categories could be: Finance (bank apps, stock market apps, Venmo, Paypal, Square, Apple Wallet, etc.), Music (Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, etc.), Shopping (Amazon, Etsy, Target, Poshmark, etc.), Social (Facebook, Pinterest, Hootsuite, Mailchimp, etc.), Travel (Air B&B, Lyft/Uber, Southwest Airlines, etc.), Home (Alexa, Simplisafe, etc.)
Organize alphabetically – As long as you always know the name of the app you’re searching for, you can easily find it in a list arranged by name. If you have folders of apps, you can arrange the folders alphabetically. If you’re like me, however, sometimes you’re just looking for ‘that app that edits photos,’ and in that case, this probably isn’t the greatest method (refer to “organize by functionality” tip above).

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Position apps based on color – Maybe your brain remembers visuals rather than words, and you know that you need ‘the app with the green icon’ or ‘the one with the red square.’ If this is the case, arranging apps based on color can be a winning solution. Warning: Apps update their icons and this can really mess you up if you are accustom to visually locating an app.

Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash

Organize by frequency – Whether you have an iPhone or an Android, you can put your most frequently used apps on your home screen and lesser-used apps on subsequent pages. It’s best to limit your pages to no more than three, or it can become overwhelming. If necessary, you can organize apps on the second and third pages into folders, using the methods listed above.
Don’t be afraid to eliminate! – For some reason, people seem to collect apps and hold onto them forever (we also do this with digital files, paper, emails…) – whether they use them or not. All of those unnecessary icons on your screen can lead to time lost and poor productivity. Take a quick look through your apps and eliminate anything that you haven’t used in the last 90 days. If it’s been more than three months, it’s likely you don’t need it anyway!

At the end of the day, organizing your apps is great, but despite the best classification of information, we can still forget where we put something – no matter how logical it seemed at the time. Learn to use the keyword search functionality on your phone – this is the best and easiest way to find what you’re looking for on your mobile device. If you don’t know how to do this, you can check out one of these tutorials for iPhone or Android users to teach yourself how.

Photo by Tinh Khuong on Unsplash

Have you used any of these methods to organize your apps? Perhaps a different system? How did it work out for you?

______________________________________________________________________
Be Well. Be Organized.
Make sure you are following GetReorganized.com™ so you don’t miss out on fresh organizing tips, ideas, and inspiration!
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Learn more about Professional Organizing and Productivity Coaching at www.GetReorganized.com
Stop the procrastination and BOOK A FREE PHONE CONSULTATION

Organizing Your Business Cards for Busy Professionals

Posted on 04/12/201905/07/2019 by GetReorganized.com

Networking events are crucial to the success of your business: you meet great people, make useful acquaintances, and have the opportunity to pass business with other professionals.

Let’s be honest, though: once you leave, you totally forget about all of those business cards you received. They get tossed into your briefcase or handbag and fall into a seemingly bottomless hole, only to be found months later.

At that point, it’s too late to reach out, and all you can do is mourn the lost connections.

But it doesn’t have to be that way!!

These days, there are dozens of fun and useful ways you can store those cards so they don’t get lost. Here are a few of my favorite tips:

Determine What To Keep

Before you invest in any sort of storage solution, first think about what you really want to keep.

My favorite piece of advice? Don’t even bother taking cards from the people you’re not interested in reaching out to.

Photo by Bogomil Mihaylov on Unsplash

Most of my clients have stacks of business cards that they have never contacted – WHY did they take the card in the first place? Be intentional!

Ask yourself these questions:

Why would I want to contact this person (get to know them, need their service, indicated they might be interested in working with you, etc.)?
What’s the next Action I need to take (call them, schedule a coffee date, set-up a sales call)?

Then, write on the business card a note about where you received it and immediately follow-up (within three days).

How To Get Organized

There are countless ways to organize business cards nowadays, from electronic solutions to the ‘bucket method.’ These are the ones I’ve found to be most effective:

CRM: If you use a CRM as part of your business, check to see if it includes an app that allows you to scan and upload business cards from your phone. Most software will now allow you to capture and store any business card with just a quick snap of your device’s camera. Once it’s updated, you can edit the contact’s information directly in your CRM.
Business card binder: Some companies make three-ring binders designed specifically for holding business cards. This is a solution I often recommend to my own clients – it’s easy to grab and take with you to events and you can just add cards as you receive them.
Rolodex: Before you laugh, remember: Rolodex has been around for many years for a reason. It’s a super easy solution – just staple the business card to a Rolodex card and place it in alphabetical order. Bonus: some Rolodexes even have slits cut just for placing a business card.
Index cardholder: This is the perfect solution for someone who wants to keep all of the business cards they receive but doesn’t necessarily want to put them in any type of order. Putting them in an index cardholder keeps them all in one place so they’re easily found if they’re needed at a later time. Tip: Purchase index card dividers to sort and organizer business cards by category (where you met them, industry, etc).

What should you NOT do with business cards? Stack them on your desk.

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash