Life Hacks
Goal Tracking
Inspired by Gretchen Rubin, who was inspired by Benjamin Franklin, I've been using a Google Spreadsheet as a dashboard for tracking personal goals and resolutions. It's similar to stuff I've used for work projects, only applied to my life.
The most success I've had was with a personal goal tracking dashboard for Groupaya. Each week, I give myself a point for:
- Playing basketball (or simply shooting around)
- Taking a long walk (1+ hours), going for a run, or generally working out
- Taking a play day. I include holidays here.
- Turning off my work email before dinner on weeknights
- Not checking my work email on Saturday or Sunday during the day
I track weekly points, yearly averages, and a rolling four-week average.
Work Big
I have a dual monitor setup: Samsung SyncMaster 204BW (20" widescreen) and a Dell 24" monitor. In 2011, I converted my desk into a standing desk using a couple of IKEA platforms. When I get tired, I switch to my laptop and sit down somewhere comfortable.
I have a magnetic whiteboard, which I bought cheap and barely used, and which I love.
Time Management
Spend the first hour of your workday email-free. Finish a high-priority task first thing in the morning, then check your email.
Schedule a post-work appointment to prevent post-work lingering.
Turn off email notifications.
I have rudimentary calendaring software -- no meeting maker or anything of the like. When I propose a meeting (both business and personal), I'll enter it in my calendar with a question mark so I don't accidentally overbook.
See also Project Management.
Time Tracking
I'm going to try to use Pomodoro Technique rather than traditional time tracking.
Used Harvest when I was at Groupaya. SlimTimer is another option.
RescueTime for Mac/Windows is intriguing. May be worth it, even though there's no Linux support.
Paperless
Going paperless is an ongoing battle for me, but I continue to make progress. Evernote is very key.
I have a Canon P-215 portable scanner. I'm not using it as a mobile device (although I like that I can), but I like the small footprint. I used to have a Fujitsu ScanSnap S510, which was wonderful, but I started having trouble with the feeder, and it became of limited use to me. I thought my Brother MFC-9970CDW would be an adequate replacement, but I really miss the duplex scanning. I thought seriously about getting a Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i, but decided to go with the Canon P-215 largely on the recommendation of this Wirecutter review.