Every week, we share the shortcuts, workspaces, and productivity tips
of our favorite experts and internet personalities. This week, however,
we're giving you guys a glimpse into how we work, and all the tips and
tricks that keep our blogging wheels spinning.
I'm fairly new to
Lifehacker, so I wasn't around the last time we did these. I used to
write computer books and corporate tech pieces and my workflow has
changed pretty dramatically this past year. I've always been a desktop
app guy, but now I've given almost all of that up.
If there's a
perfect system out there for me, I haven't found it yet. For years, I
pretty much lived in Outlook and other Office apps. Now, I use Evernote
for storing all my notes, random ideas, recipes, scanned documents, and
so on. Dropbox is another must-have. I like that it's so dead-simple to
use, reliable, and that they've managed to go toe-to-toe with some of
the biggest names in the business for this long.
I use Google
for almost everything else. Transitioning from Outlook to Gmail was
difficult (and something I'd flirted with for a long time), but I'm glad
I finally did it. Google Docs is also great for most of the work I do,
but I admit I still keep Office around for the odd job because I'm so
used to it and because I can still do a lot with it that I just can't do
otherwise.
I work almost exclusively in my home office. I'm a
die hard PC gamer and love building systems, so you can pretty much
guess my setup.You must not use the laser cutter
without being trained. I use a custom-built Windows 8 PC, dual
monitors, and a pair of Bose Companion 2 desktop speakers. Only two
speakers? Yes, because I do most of my gaming with a headset.
It's a hard thing for a writer and gamer to change to a different mouse and keyboard,wind turbine
so you'll see a couple of old-school choices on my desk. That's a
Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro and a Logitech MX518. The Natural
Keyboard Pro is a split design and really saved my wrists from long
hours of typing. It also has a great action on the keys that's somewhere
between a stiff mechanical keyboard and the did-I-actually-press-a-key
feel of most keyboards today. They stopped making them years ago, but
when I heard they were going away, I bought half a dozen and stuck them
in a closet. And the MX518 because, well, they stopped making new mice
after they got it right, didn't they?
The desk itself is just a
big, cheap corner desk I bought at some office store years ago. I like a
lot of space to spread out. The middle section is large enough to hold a
couple of big monitors and deep enough that there's plenty of space
behind them for things I'd rather not look at. Although after reading
about Whitson's setup, I'm seriously considering a door stopper stand.
My favorite feature of my desk is the keyboard drawer. It's big, super
sturdy, and both height- and tilt-adjustable with a single control. I
usually have it lowered and tilted slightly away from me, but can raise
it up flush my desk when I need to.
I got into the habit long
ago of just using e-mail for my work to-do list. I'm in e-mail all the
time anyway and it's so easy to shoot myself a message when there's
something I need to to. I can use all the standard e-mail features
(labels, filters, and so on) to sort them out and when I'm done, they're
off to a Done folder. Too simple. I've looked at all kinds of to-do
apps, but there are none that have really grabbed me so far. I'm still
holding out hope that the folks at Evernote will put something cool
together.
For my personal to-do list, if it's time-based I stick
it on my calendar. If it's not, I just try to remember.Can you spot the
answer in the fridge magnet? That usually works out pretty well. For my calendar, I favor paper.Laser engraving and laser laser cutting machine
for materials like metal, It may sound crazy, but I just love having a
huge paper calendar on my desk that I can write and draw and circle
things on, with plenty of space for notes and post-its. Plus, it gives
me a good reason to keep my colored pencils around.
I was given
this career advice when I was younger and I recently gave it to my son,
who's in high school now. Forget doing what you love; do what you enjoy.
When it comes to careers, it's easy to fall in love with the idea of
being, say, a doctor and then come to find years later that you just
don't enjoy the job.
So first, think about how you enjoy
spending your day. Do you like being alone or with people? Do you like
sitting in front of a computer or moving around? Do you like solving
problems? And get specific. If you like working with people,Manufactures
and supplies laser marker
equipment. do you prefer working with them one-on-one, in teams,
talking to groups. Then start looking at things that fit your style.
Everyone should enjoy how they spend their days.
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