This is a cooperative blog: a co/blog. We've really just started this experiment, so give a few months to get some momentum. Each of the five charter authors involved are responsible for a different set of topics, and each will post on their own schedule. We hope you enjoy the content provided here, and find it useful. The information provided is meant as opinion and editorial purposes only, and should never be taken as professional advice.

Work Smart — I mean SMRT.

Archived in Business, Free, Time, Managing | No Comments

I stumbled onto an interesting site that has been helping me keep organized on a day by day basis. The creators of this relatively simple system have made available a set of download-ready cards for you to print and use in your office, BUSINESS, or freelancing work-a-day world.

The tool is call the SMRT Card System (click for a link) and makes use of a simple four-goal approach to TIME management. SMRT.

S stands for SOONER IS BETTER which means, simply, this is my top priority for the day. If nothing else on the list gets done today, this is a must. It could be something as simple as a returned email or phone call — or it could be filing that report. But whatever it is, it’s a priority.

M stands for MEDIUM TERM GOALS or those things that should get going soon. I usually note something here that needs to get started, a small project that I need to kick off, a list I need to tackle, or a meeting I need to set up. Make it something too big and you’ll get discouraged.

R stands for RISKING SOMETHING and is one of my favorites. Third on the list it’s both a reward and a motivator. If I get to this point in the day I’ve virtually given myself permission to take a RISK. What does that mean? It could mean sketching out a new idea, following up on a lead that might not make 100% sense, or going out on a limb. The key is RISK — not too much, but just enough to try open new horizons.

T is for TOMORROW TODAY and is where I tend to get a kick start on things I might have otherwise put off. This item is the opposite of procrastination, and being the evil guy I am, my ‘morning self’ usually tortures my ‘evening self’ by listing something that we’d both rather put off. But it’s on the list — so it get’s done.

The advantages to this, that I can see from using it myself:

1) Anyone can tackle four objectives in one day, provided they are basic and managable.
2) Keeping score is a motivator.
3) Accomplishment, no matter how small, can be a drug for people like you and me.

The system revolves around the idea that setting out four tasks for your day is a simple, early morning activity. It means sitting, as you are drinking your coffee or munching down a slice of lightly buttered toast, and sketching out four places you need to be by the end of the day. Check it out. IT’S FREE, too.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Read more posts by Brad K (About the Author)

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Useful Plugins for WordPress - Part 2

Archived in Free, Design, Downloads, Websites | 1 Comment

You may have noticed that this little experiment that our faithful leader has cobbled together is (a) built in the form of a blog and (b) managed through a little content management system called WordPress. The system itself highly useful for website DESIGN because of two factors: first, there is an abundance of ready-made templates that can be implemented as-is and second, there are an abundance of plugins that add weird and wonderful functionality to the core system and help you customize you efforts. I’m going to review some of those here, as I get the chance.

DashBar [k] | LINK

We’ve been making extensive use of this plug-in as of late on multiple blogs. It’s a very simple install, and once you are logged in it provides a very easy way to navigate the administrative and editing functions of Wordpress from within the site itself. “Displays a WordPress.com-like navigation bar above the public blog pages, but only for logged-in users who have sufficient Role privileges. Provides direct access to Dashboard, Write Post, Edit Posts (with dropdown menu to select post to edit), Awaiting Moderation, My Profile, and other functions appropriate to the current blog page, without having to manually go into the admin area. Also says which user you are, and provides a quick logout button, just like top of real WP admin pages.”

Google Site Maps | LINK

This little bit of code is a godsend for site administrators. A back-end tool lets you configure and automatically prepare and submit sitemaps to Google for your entire blog. Brad would have been well to mention it in his recent post, “Blogging for Fun and Profit — Part 1“, as anyone setting up a blog that intends to have it crawled by Google in the most efficient way possible cannot avoid this plug-in.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Read more posts by Luke D (About the Author)

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Blogging for Fun and Profit — Part 1 >> What better way to make a few bucks on the side than by writing about your passions. Sure, you could sign up for a penny-per-paragraph freelance writing site, but who has time for all the edits and re-edits that go along

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