Strategies to Utilize

Technology for Maximum

Performance

Emily BenningtonCoauthor, Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job

I wasn’t asked to speak to you today because I’m a

tech-junkie.

I’ve never camped out when Apple launched a new product.

I’m here because I manage to do a lot of things at once.

Author

Speaker

Employee

Entrepreneur

Mom

What’s impacting our ability to Get Things Done?

Focus.

DISORGANIZATION!

We’re so busy with the demands of everyday life, that we don’t keep up with

our big ideas very well.

Big idea!

Sill no traction

Opportunity lost

You want to beat this economy?

Find ways to turn IDEAS into ACTION!

Starting with a systematic way to get

organized so we can get productive!

It All Starts with Time Management

1.) Don’t just react to the incoming, e.g. emails, people, phone calls, etc.

2. ) BEFORE YOU TURN ON YOUR COMPUTER, list your 5x5, i.e. the 5 things you want to get done by 5pm.

3.) Find your “Alone Zone” and/or “Power Hour.” (Note: You MUST schedule this as a reoccurring appointment on your calendar everyday.)

P.S. Turn off email notifications during your

power hour!

And keep in mind…

Success is in the ACT, not

the APP!

That said, there are still killer apps to increase organization

and productivity.

Let’s start with the 800 pound gorilla, shall we?

Sign in or create a Google Account.

(Note: You don’t have to use a Gmail address for this.)

Google has a TON of useful tools, but we’re going to dive

into one…

Google Reader

What is Google Reader?

- Allows you to read all of your favorite blogs and websites IN ONE PLACE.

- Lets you share items of interest with those in your network – and see what they’re reading too.

Benefits of Reader vs. “Hunting Around” Online

- You don’t waste time because the news comes to you.

- You are always “in the know” on matters that affect your business /

industry.

- You can stay ahead of the competition by being the first to spot trends or

receive important information.

- You can send prospects articles of interest and use it as an excuse to contact

them…again.

- You can access Reader from your phone. (Makes waiting in line easier.)

- You can quickly update your team on what you’re reading.

Google Reader is like a daily newspaper – edited by YOU – with only the information

you want to receive.

You can even add notes to shared items.

Explore tab gives you a list of feeds you may like based

on your current subscriptions.

To add feeds to your

Reader, visit important sites (e.g.

clients, prospects,

professional development,

news, etc.) and look for

the RSS icon.

(It will look like one of these.)

When you click on the RSS icon, it will open up a page that looks like this. Choose

the Google button.

You will then have a choice between adding the feed to your

Google homepage or Google Reader. Select Reader.

The feed will appear directly in your Reader.

Now, you no longer need to visit the site for the

latest updates – they will come straight to you.

(Google Homepage sample if you’re

curious.)

Alternatively, you can go straight to the site,

grab the URL…

…and paste it directly.

Bold items are unread.

Unbold items have been read or marked “read” by you.

To customize your Reader, click on “Manage

Subscriptions” in the lower left corner of the screen.

You can delete, file, or rename your feeds from

this page.

Also, by clicking on the “Preferences” tab, you can

set your Reader home (a.k.a Start) page to any

feed you choose.

You have complete control over what you choose to

share in your Reader…and what you don’t.

Your turn.

Voilà

That’s great, Emily. I’m now a Google Power

User, but how do I organize projects?

I wrote my first book the old-fashioned way.

For my next book I’m using….

Evernote

What is Evernote?

- Your “external brain.”

- Allows you to keep text, voice, photo, and web notes in one place and grouped by

subject. (Hooray!)

The problem with thinking you can keep track of everything in

your head…

…is that it eventually gets fuzzy.

Best case = you have a decrease in overall

productivity.

Worst case, you lose a great idea completely.

Practical Ways to Use Evernote

Project organization. (Notes, photos, and web clips all in one place.)

Share notes with your team / family.

Meeting preparation / follow-up.

REPLACE THE SCRIBBLES!

Manage your goals and to-do list.

Keep track of your children’s projects and deadlines.

Save favorite recipes.

Take photos of wine bottles, restaurants, hotels, business cards, etc. you want to remember later.

To get started, visit

Evernote.com

Create an account.

Download the site to your computer.

Pick up the app so you can use

it on your phone.

You also want to download

the web clipper extension…

…so you can have one of these cool

elephants on your tool bar.

Click on the elephant, and you can save

web articles to Evernote.

Voilà

If you don’t need the whole article, you can highlight

text and right-click…

This will save only what you’ve

highlighted into Evernote.

You can even select the folder where you want the note to go.

And add text if you like.

Voilà

This is how I used to keep track of my idea files.

This is how I do it now. All online. No more folders.

(Not that I could put this in a folder anyway…)

Note from a recent meeting. I needed info from this page, but the

binder wasn’t mine. Solution?

You can even use Evernote to capture tweets.

Just go to Settings > Twitter

Next, follow @myen and you’ll receive a

direct message. Click on the link and

you’re all set!

Example

You can share entire folders with family,

friends and colleagues.

In other words… ACT!

ProfessionalStudio365.com

Twitter.com/EmilyBennington

Facebook.com/EmilyBenningtonCollegetoCareer

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/emilybennington

Email: ebennington@msn.com

Email me for

a link to this

presentation!