WordPress and NewsGator

NewsGator has plug-ins for several different Blogging engines (so you can post to your Blog directly from Outlook), but didn't have one listed for WordPress. After some searching around I ran across a beta version of a plug-in (exe or zip) on this NewGator forum.

This post and the previous one were both submitted via the plug-in. So far it is working well. Give it a try. I did mention it is beta, right? So YMMV.

Getting out from under

I thought technology was supposed to make life easier? Instead it’s just made us too accessible and overloaded us with way too much information. Ellen McGirt from Fortune magazine address some of these issues in her story here.  The key thought and paragraph in the article is this:

“So how are modern knowledge workers to weave their way through the minefield of interruptions and conflicting priorities? The simple answer is this: By figuring out what is actually worth paying attention to, and when. Which turns out to be really hard to do.”

Ultimately I find it takes stepping back from trying to deal with everything coming at you and setting aside time to be creative and strategic. I’m working towards this using a few different tools. One is the Getting Things Done system. Once I can get all my “stuff” out of my brain and into my system, then I can use my energy and brainpower to deal with issues that I’ve identified as important.

Secondly is making sure I set aside some time to actually think. I may not even have a predetermined goal or issue that I need to think about. In fact some of my most productive times come when I don’t plan them out in advance. But you have to set some ground rules for yourself.

1. No computer. That means no eMail, no Web, no reading blogs. I know this is the most difficult step of all, but it can be done.

2. Have paper and pencil available. Nothing worse than having a great idea only to see it vanish because you never wrote it down.

3. This one is kind of strange, but I find performing menial tasks help me think. Mowing the lawn for example almost always results in either some new great ideas popping into my head, or the answer to an existing problem presenting itself. And remember item #2. That means keeping a small notebook or index card with you all the time.

EverNote

I spend a fair bit of time performing research for various projects. In fact I find I spend more time researching and learning about the best products/solutions for a given task at a small company than I did at the larger companies where I’ve worked. This is because the dollars spent here are more important and any investment in a system/solution has to have a longer life and the best return on that investment possible.

Trying to keep track of all the various bits and pieces can quickly become overwhelming. Enter EverNote. This program allows you track notes, links, images, digital ink, etc. in a searchable system. It can even encrypt individual notes that need to remain secure. Notes can be categorized a bunch of different ways and no saving of info is required as data is saved as soon as a new note is created.

They have two versions available EverNote 1.1 (freeware) and EverNote Plus ($34.95 US) which has extra features. Download a copy and give it a whirl.