Getting My ACT Together

Errands at the End of the Day

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Another one of my biggest distractions from getting things done is running a quick errand at lunch time. Somehow that quick errand breaks my concentration for the day. Once I am out of the office (especially if it is a beautiful day), it is easy to rationalize how quickly I need to be back or decide to add other errands into my day. Even when I get back, it seems to take a much longer time to get back in to the zone for completing projects. Once I realized that about myself, I started grouping all of my errands and scheduling them at the end of my work day. (I hate to do them on weekends!) But I am wondering, do most people look at errands as a distraction from being productive or as a pleasant distraction from the days problems? ...

Basic Twitter Cheat Sheet

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:56:00 GMT

For my friends who are new to Twitter, I have created a quick-start survival guide to Twitter Syntax... or how to correctly enter a message in Twitter. (You know how I love cheat sheets... or reference guides as the corporate world likes to call them.) A "tweet" is a message sent from a Twitter user that is less than 140 characters. You can send your message from http://twitter.com/ or by sending a text message to 40404 from your text-message enabled phone. You can also send tweets from third-party web add-ons like Tweetdeck.com, TweetFunnel.com, etc. or from a pda add-on like TwitterBerry. Twitter Syntax (or How Do I Send Messages?)Once you've signed up for your Twitter account, you should send a message... even if you don't have any followers yet. I've outlined below the four types of messages you will be sending: Messages to everyone, messages to a specific user that everyone can see, a private message to one of your followers, and a message that you are forwarding on to all of your followers. So how do you type it in so that twitter knows which type you are sending?message = From any Twitter-enabled application (including your mobile device) just type the message and press Enter or click Send. This is a public tweet to all of your followers. If you want to reference an article or post on the web, you will probably need to use an application like http://tinyurl.com/ to shorten the actual URL… in order to stay under 140 characters. Example: The message below lets your followers know about a blog post and then gives the link to the post so that they can read it as well. Great post about Social Networking http://tinyurl.com/cayp4d @username + message = (Reply or @Reply or at reply) This is a public reply to a tweet from a specific person on Twitter (the person does not have to be following you). This is how conversations occur in Twitter. It can also be just a public message sent to a specific user. Your message must start with the @username...not be embedded in the message. Example: The message below is a response to susanbclark's question "Should I use Facebook or LinkedIn or Twitter for social networking?' @susanbclark You should check out this post on Social Networking http://tinyurl.com/cayp4d D username + message = (DM or direct message) This is a private message to a specific person on Twitter who follows you. Notice the space after the d and no @ sign. If your mobile device is enabled, DMs are always sent to you... even if they are not turned on for the specific follower. Example: The message below sends a private message to Susan to meet for drinks. d susanbclark Meet ...

Is Social Networking the Next Wave or Tsunami?

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

There is a lot of talk about the differing media used for Social Media and people occasionally ask me about the differences. Facebook has far more web traffic (statistically) and has the instant gratification of focusing on updates, viewing personal photos, etc. LinkedIn has a more professional focus and has the advantage of receiving weekly updates through e-mail on all of your connections (so you don't have to go online to keep up with your connections... unless you want them to know what you are up to). I know some who refuse business associates to their Facebook account and instead directed them to their LinkedIn account as they only use Facebook for very close friends and family. I think this is an interesting take on it, but not sure I am ready to go that way. A few months back, I posted the same question on both Facebook and LinkedIn which was “My son is interested in being an FBI field agent. I would love to find an agent for him to talk with to help him differentiate the TV world from the real world daily life of an agent.” Received 4 responses on LinkedIn (from people outside my network who were offering to help…and one from a guy that said he would help and he needed ACT! help). I received no responses from Facebook. I find Facebook easier to navigate and keep up to date, but from a business perspective, I think LinkedIn offers more potential… but on the other hand, seems like everyone who is active on LinkedIn is looking for work these days... but that could just be our current environment. Then there is Twitter. It has some great potential for a few markets. However I think it will mostly be limited to B2C (Business to Consumer) applications. There are some business uses, but I think they are more narrow. At this point, I find it mostly to be a shiny thing. While the articles that are linked to some of the Tweets are very interesting, I find that none of them are making me any money (they will for someone… just not for me). I will still try to use it for a while to play with it and I recommend that you do the same thing, so that you can make an informed decision about how you will market your brand. Social networking is the next wave… just not sure if its tsunami force won’t wipe out any productivity we have left… but then I think I remember saying (she says with great embarrassment) that this Windows thing would never last… DOS will reign forever. Sigh. ...

Are You Also Distracted By Shiny Things?

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I have to admit I am easily distracted by the shiny things. You know what "shiny things" are... they are the interesting or unusual ideas that would be fun to know more about or play with. Sometimes they are amazing insights that can propel your life to the next level. However, more often, they suck up your time and keep you away from more productive or planned projects.I try to keep a list of the top 5 (or 10) projects/ideas I am working on always at the top of my To-Do List or on a card prominently placed on my desk. So, I use my top 5 list to help me stay on track. I ask myself, "Is what I am doing right now contributing to something on my top 5 list or alternately will it make me any money?" If not, I remind myself to focus. Then I either add the "shiny thing" to my ideas list for later or brutally purge it (unless the shiny thing is jewelry...I have no self-control there.) ...

Whittling Away Your Inbox

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I have been on a mission to clean up my Inbox to see if I couldn't gain a better sense of being in control (if that is possible) and making sure that requests are not falling thru the cracks. I have finally reduced the number of remaining e-mails to under 20. Yes... you heard me... under 20.It was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. AND it has been pretty easy to maintain. Generally my e-mails fall into 4 categories. Requests for appointments Requests for information I may need to research Information from a client on how a project is to be implemented E-newsletters and advertising I want to read (and afterward delete) So how did I whittle that list down to its bare minimum? If you use ACT! and Outlook, I hope you are taking advantage of the special icons on the Outlook toolbar. So for the first group, I either reply with a suggested time or just call them to set it up. When we've agreed on a date and time, I select their e-mail in the Inbox and click the Create ACT! Activitiy icon (2009 versions only). to schedule a meeting in my calendar. ACT! uses the e-mail address to locate the exact contact in my database and displays the Schedule dialog. A bonus is that the contents of the e-mail are copied to the Details tab of the activity. So now I can delete the e-mail.In dealing with the second group, I just reply with the necessary information and ensure that I have selected the Record History option to keep track of the client exchange in their History tab. Then I delete the e-mail (since I handled the request).When I receive information from a client that contains specific information about how to handle a project, I attach the email to the contact in ACT. Since I have the 2009 version, I click QuickAttach... so with a single click I have saved a copy of the clients instructions with their contact record. If you have an older version, you can click the "Attach to Contact" icon. Once attached, I delete the e-mail from my Inbox.The last group is the easiest. I set aside time to read and then delete.If I want to remember the info I either drag the e-mail into a special folder or attach it to a relevant contact in ACT! (as in the previous step).Voila... a clean Inbox. ...

How Paying Bills is Like Drip Marketing

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

I am horrible about doing some things on a set schedule. For example, all of my bills are set to autopay so that no matter whether I am traveling or writing one of our QuickStudy guides, or working with a client on a project rollout, I can focus on the task and not worry whether I am staying on schedule with repetitive (but very important) tasks.Paying bills every month is not much different from deciding to send something to clients and prospects on a regular basis. Sometimes it can be boring or tedious to do, but if you don't do it, the recipients are probably going to take their business elsewhere (your clients may be more forgiving that your utilities company).So, just like check writing, you can prepare some of your messages ahead of time and either remember to send them out every other Thursday or you can automate the process and post-date the delivery time. Just like the companies that offer to automatically debit your account for bill paying, there is on-line software to help you schedule your client and prospect communications into a nice steady drip of marketing information on a planned schedule. (And if you know me, you know I am always using Swiftpage.)This automated method is how I distribute our ACT! by Sage tips newsletters now. When you sign up for my bi-monthly newsletter, you are added to an automated list that will send you a tip every 2 weeks, regardless of what I am doing. You understand, it's not that I don't love you and live to set aside time every two weeks to write and deliver the ACT Tips to your Inbox. It's just that I am easily distracted by the shiny things and my tips newsletter gets delayed. So just like my bill paying, I have automated my ACT! Tips E-newsletter delivery. The former keeps my credit rating up, while I hope the latter is raising my stock with you as well. ...

Writing Out of Thin Air

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:21:00 GMT

I don't know if you travel much, but there is something about being trapped on a plane for a couple of hours (with a depleted laptop battery) that seems to help me catch up on my writing. The droning of the jet engine serves as the white noise that blocks out most distractions. I can close my eyes and organize my thoughts like a chess game, seeing how each thought or action I am planning determines what comes next. And since I am literally strapped to my seat with no where to go and no phones or e-mail to answer, my mind is free to strategize and I am able to make outlines for projects, prepare blog entries (like this one), write thank-you notes, catch up on my writing, etc. It is very cathartic. ...

What are your distractions?

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:35:00 GMT

Lots of people have ideas... it's all about who is taking action.If you aren't making headway on implementing some of your ideas, you should be looking at the reasons why. Since the first of the year, I have been compiling my "List of Distractions" to help me identify things that tend to pull me off track. It has been a lot more helpful than I would have thought to have that list beside me as I work.One of my top distractions is my E-mail Inbox. (I already told you about my first step-"Disconnecting From the Digital Deluge".)However, I was still feeling overwhelmed each time I looked at it! So I made a decision to whittle my Inbox to less than 20 emails (how I did that is a subject for a later blog) so that I am not constantly searching my Inbox to be sure I haven't forgotten something. Everything is on my To-do list (David Allen would be proud). The feeling of overwhelm is mostly gone (however, while my Inbox is clean, I now get twinges when I view my ACT! Task List). But at least I know when I can schedule time to take action on those ideas I have roaming around in my head, and I am not only scheduling it... I am doing it.What are some of your distractions that keep you from taking action? ...

Choosing What You Will Do Today

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:22:00 GMT

I realize there will be lots of references to Ground Hog Day today, but it always makes me think of the movie with Bill Murray where he continues to re-live the same day. It makes me pause to think about what I have learned from my "yesterdays." What have I changed to try and do/be better. We don't really know how exits the loop, but on the last rerun of February 2nd he has spent the day helping others... making their lives better in some way. If I could do this day over... would I choose to do something different? ...

Disconnecting the Digital Deluge

clark@cornerstonesolutions.com (Susan Clark) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:27:00 GMT

My productivity has been severely stressed over the past year by constant interruptions from the digital world. From the fade-in-and-out messages that Outlook displays when a new e-mail arrives, to the nudges on my Instant Message accounts, and of course the inevitable web surfing, cell phone notices from my Facebook account or Twitter, etc, I can hardly get anything done during the day at my desk. Studies show that these constant interruptions take a huge toll on our productivity and even our creativity because of the time it takes people to recover from an interruption and get back to work. So I find myself disconnecting more often from these automatic notices, especially the one where Outlook briefly displays a semi-transparent message window showing the From and Subject of an incoming e-mail. This message distracts my attention from whatever I am working on every 5 minutes. Yikes. I thought you might like to know how to disable this interruption... In Outlook, click...Tools, OptionsOn the Preferences tab, click the E-mail Options... buttonClick the Advanced E-mail Options... buttonChange the options in the "When new items arrive in my Inbox" section.I disable the "Display a New Mail Desktop Alert" (the 7-second, transparent window)Click OK, OK, OK. You can always look at your Inbox when you are ready to handle your incoming messages... it's just that now that annoying alert doesn't interrupt your concentration. ...