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Webwatch: 2007-03: Get It Together
 Webwatch is a column published in the Covenant Companion Magazine
every month. It is written by Heidi Griepp, manager of Covenant
Internet Services and an avid web wanderer. This month, Webwatch This month, Webwatch looks at tools to help you get organized
and be more productive.
Are you one of those people who “gets things done”? Or perhaps you have dreams of becoming someone like that. This month, Webwatch features websites that help you get organized, get more done, manage your time better, and become less cluttered at home and at work. www.franklincovey.com/fc/library_and_resources
It’s likely that you’ve heard of Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s a resource I recommend, especially for thinking through your life mission. This website was inspired by the book and has some great organizational and planning tools. Try them out to see if they are a good fit as you dream, plan, organize, and determine what’s next for your present and future. Take it to the next level: Do you have a personal mission statement or mission? This site can help you craft one. www.businessballs.com
This is a life and work learning website—inspired by juggling and keeping many balls in the air at the same time. It is one of the most content rich websites I’ve seen in a long time, with a ton of information on work, organization, and time management. Everything is interlinked and there are resources on all manner of topics from time management to the johari window model. I recommend the free resources section in particular for its mass of quality information. Take it to the next level: Learn something new. Read any of the hundreds of articles. www.projectcartoon.com
If you’ve ever been part of a group project, check out this website. It started with a cartoon about the pitfalls that projects run into. Since then, the cartoon has been adapted to fit a number of settings. It pokes fun at miscommunication between team members—and points out the need for clear communication and expectations. The site is so popular that it’s been translated into fifteen languages. Take it to the next level: Use this cartoon to evaluate a project you’re working on. www.davidseah.com/static/etp/etp2007.htm
www.davidseah.com/the-printable-ceo
If you work full time and manage multiple projects this is a site for you. Created by a freelancer named David Seah and called “better living through new media,” it is a sight to behold—beautifully designed, and full of resources. Perhaps the best part of the site is Seah’s essays on productivity, and his original tools for organizing. One of my favorite tools is the emergent task planner. I have been using it this month and it helps me block my time. (I know it sounds intimidating but it’s simply a to-do list, just better.) Another helpful set of tools come from Seah’s printable CEO series. Take it to the next level: Download the emergent task planner and try it at work for a month. www.flylady.net
This website helps you get your home in order and decluttered. It was created by Marla Cilley, who got the nickname “FlyLady” while teaching fly-fishing at a community college. My friend Sarah told me about it, because it’s been helping her get things done during the week. I enjoyed reading stories on this site from people who work full time and used the FlyLady’s tips to get their homes and lives organized in their minimal free time. FlyLady uses Yahoo groups to send housecleaning tips, delivered with homespun humor and daily musings about life. When you sign up at flylady.net, you become a FlyBaby, and receive a welcome letter with details on how to get started. You will also receive regular email reminders and helpful hints. Don’t feel overwhelmed! FlyLady will keep you on track with tips on how to take things one step at a time. Take it to the next level: Sign up for the FlyLady emails. I suggest the daily digest version, which combines all of the day’s emails in one. www.clutterdietblog.com
www.clutterdiet.com
This blog all about clutter and being decluttered includes tips and ideas to get your house in shape from organizing expert Lorie Marrero. You can check out categories like: bed and bath, closets, computers and gadgets, garages, general, holidays, kitchen, paper management, and time management. Take it to the next level: Anyone need to declutter their world? www.wikihow.com/Be-Organized
Wikihow is a website full of how-to articles on everything you might want to learn how to do. It’s not the most gorgeous website but the content is high quality. Generally, the how-to articles are quick lists of tips and directions. Topics covered include: how to organize your home, a kitchen, your computer, your desk, how to remember your to-do list, how to get a calendar on your desktop, and how to organize yourself using Microsoft Outlook. Take it to the next level: Sometimes your computer needs a little love. Organize it, put things in folders, clean things up a bit. thecorporateentrepreneur.typepad.com
Readers in the business world may find this blog interesting, if only for the book recommendations. One interesting post under “process, tips and tools” is called “Persistence or reinvention? 10 ways to explore your direction.” It is all about how to evaluate your goals.
Take it to the next level: It’s likely no matter how organized and goal-driven you are, if the goals aren’t right you won’t get them done.
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