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Time to Your Life - Reduce, reuse, recycle. It works with your computer, too. The idea is to reduce your efforts and stress (let the computer do it), reuse what you’ve done, and recycle text and information. My favorite suggestion: If you’re going to do something more than three times, find a way for the computer to do it. Identify those things you do frequently and then find the technology that will either do it for you or at least shorten the time it takes. It can be something small like setting tabs to line up text or something big like managing your paper files. Many of us spend much of our computer time in our word processor. And, much of that time is spent formatting. So, it makes sense that learning how to format more efficiently can save you hours of time. Simple things like indenting paragraphs and setting tabs can make a huge difference. Learn how to use them. Trust me. And, if you really want to save time, learn to use styles. Use features like AutoText and templates to store frequently used text or files that are only a couple of clicks away. For example, if you have a form letter you send out, make it a template. Then, just add the person’s name and address and it’s ready to go. If you use your contact manager for this, you can have that letter printed in about 10 seconds. One way you can do this for email is to create different signature files with the messages you send frequently (a signature file can contain anything, not just your signature block).
Taking a few simple precautions when you’re learning something new will reduce your stress. First, don't forget the whoops key! That's the Undo icon on the toolbar or Edit Undo in the menu of most programs. Second, save your file before experimenting. Then, if you mess it up beyond repair, just close it without saving and reopen it. It will be as it was before the experiment. Sometimes when I am going to experiment a lot with a file (especially a database), I make a backup copy to a temporary directory before I even begin. Then, if everything goes wrong, I can always recover (and not waste time trying to get back to where it worked). A simple
adage is enter once, use often. In other words,
reuse and recycle. Never retype. I scored a –3 (yes, a minus 3!) on a typing test one time so typing is clearly not my strong suit. So, I never retype. Use copy/cut and paste. It works within a file, between files in the same program, and between programs. For example, if you see some text on a web page you want to keep, just paste it into your word processor. I keep Word open when I am surfing the Internet and frequently cut and paste. Finally, ask for help. It’s not just men that won’t stop to ask directions. I am always amazed at how talented, capable, highly skilled women are transformed into frustrated, raving, out-of-control maniacs who will spend three hours trying to do something they know only takes five minutes. And they won’t call for help! Send me your technology questions. Chances are you aren't the only one who has the same question. Let's share tech tips for the benefit of all. I welcome your questions and your feedback. |
Another
way to save time is by reducing keystrokes for frequently
used commands (like File Save). Learn the keyboard
shortcuts for these (like Ctrl-S for File Save in
Windows or Command-S on the Mac) by looking for the shortcut on
the menu. You can also customize your toolbar by adding
buttons for commands you use frequently. For example, I’ve
added buttons for the Insert Symbol, small caps
and paragraph spacing.
One
way to do this is to use contact management software
if you spend any time at all writing letters or email messages,
making phone calls, or doing tasks that are associated
with people. I use ACT! but there are others as
well. These let you enter your contact information once and use
lots of times in different ways. They
will also keep a history of all you’ve done.
For example, if I have to write an email, with a couple of clicks
the word processor opens with the person’s name and my signature
block. All I have to do is type what I have to say. And, it puts
a note in the history that I wrote that message. Do you frequently
mis-dial phone numbers like I do? Instead, with one click, ACT!
asks me which number to dial, dials it, and pops up a screen
for me to make a note of why I called that person and the results
(left message, completed, etc.). These two features alone
can save minutes to hours if you write a lot of letters/emails or
make a lot of phone calls.
Since
1989, through training, speaking, writing and consulting, Tricia Santos
has lived her passion of helping small business owners and professionals
use technology to grow their business and get more done in less time (and
eventually with less effort!) 