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38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page ix Contents Acknowledgments xxiii Introduction xxv Chapter 1 Control Your Email 1 Hack 1: Empty Your Inbox (and Keep It Empty) 3 Why an Empty Inbox? 4 Set Up the Trusted Trio of Folders 4 The Archive Folder 5 The Follow Up Folder 5 The Hold Folder 6 Process Your Messages 6 Keep It Empty 7 Your First Time 7 The Catch 7 Hack 2: Decrease Your Response Time 8 Process Messages in Batches 9 The One-Minute Rule 9 Respond to Task Requests — Before the Task Is Done 9 COPYRIGHTEDDon’t Leave It in Your Inbox MATERIAL 10 Hack 3: Craft Effective Messages 10 Composing a New Message 11 Determine Your Purpose 11 Use an Informative Subject Line 11 Be Succinct 12 Put Your Messages on a Diet 12 Facilitate a Complete Response 13 ix 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page x x Contents Make It Clear Why Everyone Got the Message 14 Don’t Forget the Attachment 14 Replying to a Message 14 Respond to Individual Points Inline 15 Task Requests 15 Lead by Example 16 Don’t Respond in Real Time 16 Get Outside the Inbox 16 Know When Not to Say a Thing 17 Hack 4: Highlight Messages Sent Directly to You 17 Microsoft Outlook: Color Me Blue 18 All Other Email Programs: Create a Not-to-Me Filter 18 Hack 5: Use Disposable Email Addresses 19 Web-Based Public Email Addresses 19 Multi-Domain Email Addresses 19 Hack 6: Master Message Search 20 Search Criteria 20 Saved Search Folders 23 Hack 7: Future-Proof Your Email Address 25 Don’ts 25 Do’s 25 Bottom Line 26 Hack 8: Consolidate Multiple Email Addresses with Gmail 27 Receive Messages for Other Addresses in Your Gmail Inbox 27 Option 1: Set Up Gmail’s POP Mail Fetcher 27 Option 2: Forward Messages to Gmail Automatically 29 Write Messages from Non-Gmail Addresses 30 Hack 9: Script Repetitive Responses 32 Hack 10: Filter Low-Priority Messages (“Bacn”) 35 Filter Bacn 35 Filter CCed Messages 36 References 38 Chapter 2 Organize Your Data 39 Hack 11: Organize Your Documents Folder 41 How to Change the Windows XP Default Home Directory 43 Beyond the Big Six 44 Hack 12: Instantly Retrieve Files Stored on Your Computer 44 Built-in Desktop File Search Features 45 Google Desktop Installation 46 Google Desktop Configuration 46 Files that Google Desktop Indexes 47 Refining Your Search 48 Hack 13: Overhaul Your Filing Cabinet 50 Give Your Paperwork a Spacious Place to Live 50 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xi Contents xi Limit One File Folder per Hanging Folder 50 Choose a Simple, Logical Naming Scheme 51 Use a Label Maker 51 Purge and Archive 51 Hack 14: Instantly Recall Any Number of Different Passwords 52 Don’t Use the Same Password for Everything 52 Remember 100 Different Passwords with One Rule Set 52 Hack 15: Securely Track Your Passwords 54 One Master Password to Rule All 54 Find and Use Your Passwords with KeePass 58 Hack 16: Tag Your Bookmarks 59 Getting Started with del.icio.us 60 Add a Bookmark 60 Tags, Not Folders 60 Navigating del.icio.us by URL 61 Other del.icio.us Features 62 Hack 17: Organize Your Digital Photos 63 Import Your Photos into Picasa 63 Organize and Label Your Collection 64 Captions 64 Albums 65 Stars 66 Search Your Photos 66 Other Picasa Features 67 Hack 18: Create Saved Search Folders 67 Search Folders in Windows Vista 68 Saved Search Folders in Mac OS 70 Hack 19: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your PC 70 Set up the Encrypted Volume Location 71 Store and Retrieve Files from the Encrypted Volume 73 Hack 20: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your Mac 74 Create a New Encrypted Disk Image 75 Access Your Password-Protected Disk 76 Hack 21: Design Your Own Planner 76 Why Build Your Own Planner? 77 How to Assemble Your D*I*Y Planner 77 D*I*Y Planner Templates and Sizes 78 References 78 Chapter 3 Trick Yourself into Getting Done 79 Hack 22: Make Your To-Do List Doable 80 You Are the Boss of You 81 How to Order Yourself Around 81 Only Put Items on the List that You’re Definitely Doing 81 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xii xii Contents Break It Down 81 Focus Only on the Next Action 82 Use Specific, Active Verbs 83 Include as Much Information as Possible 83 Keep Your List Short 83 Prioritize Your Tasks 84 Keep Your List Moving 84 Purge and Update Your List Weekly 84 Log Your Completed Tasks 85 Practice Makes Perfect 85 Hack 23: Set up a Morning Dash 85 Get One Thing Done First 86 Park on a Downward Slope 86 Hack 24: Map Your Time 87 Your Ideal Time Map 87 Submaps 88 Your Actual Time Map 89 Hack 25: Quick-Log Your Workday 89 Paper 90 Notepad .LOG File (Windows Only) 90 Quick-Log in a Plain-Text File (Windows Only) 91 QuickLogger 2 Logs Your Time in a Spreadsheet or Text File (Windows) 94 Hack 26: Dash through Tasks with a Timer 96 Do Your First Dash 96 Adjust Your Dash 96 Why Time Constraints Work 97 Timer Software Applications 97 Hack 27: Form New Habits with Jerry Seinfeld’s Chain 99 Hack 28: Control Your Workday 101 Identify and Cut Back on Extra Work 101 Stop Your Time Sinks 102 Make Post-Work Appointments 103 Set Wrap-Up Alerts 103 Hack 29: Turn Tasks into Game Play 103 Make It to the Next Level 104 Collaborate, Compete, and Reward 104 Bribe Yourself 104 Time Yourself 105 References 105 Chapter 4 Clear Your Mind 107 Hack 30: Send Reminders to Your Future Self 108 Hack 31: Build Your Personal Wikipedia 112 What You Need 112 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xiii Contents xiii Set Up MediaWiki 112 Test-Drive Your Wiki 115 Brief Wikitext Primer 116 Hack 32: Develop Your (Digital) Photographic Memory 117 Tag Your Photos on Flickr 117 Upload Photos to Flickr from Your Camera Phone 118 Your Photo Reference 119 Hack 33: Take Great Notes 121 Method 1: Symbolize Next Actions 121 Method 2: Split Your Page into Quadrants 121 Method 3: Record and Summarize 122 Print Custom Note Paper 123 Hack 34: Organize Your Life with Remember the Milk 124 Managing Tasks 124 Prioritizing Tasks 125 Completing Tasks 125 Managing Lists and Tags 126 Setting Task Reminders 127 Searching Tasks 128 Advanced Search Operators 129 Save Searches in Smart Lists 130 Get Your RTM Tasks Offline 130 More RTM Techniques 131 The Weekly Planner 131 Add Tasks via Email 131 Keyboard Shortcuts 132 View Your RTM Tasks on Your Calendar or Homepage 132 Hack 35: Organize Your Life in Text Files 132 Why Plain Text? 133 Using an Editor to Manage Your Text Files 133 Allocate One Task Per Line 134 Sorting Items 134 Transfer Tasks from One File to Another 135 Using the Command Line to Manage Text Files 135 Introducing todo.sh 136 References 136 Chapter 5 Firewall Your Attention 139 Hack 36: Limit Visits to Time-Wasting Web Sites 140 Install and Configure LeechBlock 141 Visiting a Blocked Site 142 Adding Sites to the Block List 143 Make It Difficult to Disable LeechBlock 143 Hack 37: Permanently Block Time-Wasting Web Sites 144 Windows 145 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xiv xiv Contents Mac OS X 145 The Result 146 Hack 38: Reduce Email Interruptions 146 Shut Down Your Email Program 147 Set Your Email Program to Check for Messages Once an Hour 147 Hack 39: Split Your Work Among Multiple Desktops 148 Windows Vista and XP 149 Windows XP 150 Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) 150 Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) 152 Hack 40: Build a No-Fly Zone 153 Set Yourself Up to Get into the Zone 153 Make Yourself Inaccessible 154 Work at Quieter Times and in Zoned-Off Spaces 154 Hack 41: Clear Your Desktop 155 Windows 155 Mac OS X 156 Hack 42: Make Your House a Usable Home 157 Create a Place for Incoming Stuff 157 Put Items You Need to Remember in Your Path 158 Stow Away Stuff You Don’t Use; Put Stuff You Do Within Easy Reach 158 Strategically Place Items to Make Tasks Easy 158 Make Task-Based Centers 159 Leave Writing Material Everywhere 159 Set Up an Inbox 159 Collaborate with Housemates 159 Hack 43: Sentence Stuff to Death Row 160 Hack 44: Drown out Distracting Sounds with Pink Noise 161 ChatterBlocker (Windows and Mac) 161 Noise (Mac OS X Only) 162 References 162 Chapter 6 Streamline Common Tasks 163 Hack 45: Search the Web in Three Keystrokes 164 Run a Search with Keyboard Shortcuts 165 Hack 46: Command Your Windows PC from the Keyboard 167 Built-in Windows Keyboard Shortcuts 168 Launch Documents and Applications from Vista’s Search Box 169 Quickly Run Programs and Open Files with Launchy 170 Hack 47: Command Your Mac from the Keyboard 171 Basic File and Application Launching with Quicksilver 171 Advanced Quicksilver Actions 172 38363ftoc.qxd:WileyRed 1/31/08 12:22 AM Page xv Contents xv Hack 48: Reduce Repetitive Typing with Texter for Windows 174 Set Up Texter Hotstrings 174 Adding Hotstrings 174 Choosing the Right Hotstring Trigger 176 Configuring Bundles 176 More Texter Features 177 Hack 49: Reduce Repetitive Typing with TextExpander for Mac 178 Configure TextExpander Snippets 178 Adding New Snippets 178 Set the Text Expansion Delimiter 179 Managing Snippet Groups 181 Advanced TextExpander Usage 181 Hack 50: Text-Message Efficiently 182 What You Can Do with SMS 183 Quick-Start Guide for SMS Beginners 183 Save Your Thumbs 184 SMS from Your Computer 184 Hack 51: Batch-Resize Photos 185 Hack 52: Send and Receive Money on Your Cell Phone 186 PayPal Mobile 187 Send Money to an Email Address 188 PayPal Alternative 189 Hack 53: Bypass Free Site Registration with BugMeNot 189 Hack 54: Speed Up Web Pages on a Slow Internet Connection 191 Configure Your Web Browser for a Slow Connection 191 Block and Disable Bandwidth Hogs 193 Use Tabs to Load Pages While You Work 194 Work Offline Whenever Possible 194 Hack 55: Securely Save Web Site Passwords 195 Hack 56: Become a Scheduling Black Belt