Cash Can keychains from Sunshine Products cleverly hide your money. Speaking from personal experience, I can’t recommend them enough.

On our great American road trip, my wife and I got t-boned crossing an intersection in Tucson. Because our car was totaled, we had to pack all of our belongings into the . . . → Read More: Hide Your Money With Cash Can And Be Prepared For Unexpected Emergencies]]>

Cash Can keychains from Sunshine Products cleverly hide your money. Speaking from personal experience, I can’t recommend them enough.

On our great American road trip, my wife and I got t-boned crossing an intersection in Tucson. Because our car was totaled, we had to pack all of our belongings into the back of a taxi to get to a hotel.

Earlier that day we had spent the last of our cash at The Thing so had nothing to pay the driver – until my wife remembered the Cash Can hanging from my (now useless) car keys. Sure, the taxi driver would have taken me to an ATM if we had no money, so this wasn’t a real emergency, but having the Cash Can make a difficult day a little bit easier.

If you live in the States, go and order one right now – someday you’ll be glad you did.

(By the way, does anyone know of a UK equivalent? Now that I’m back in London I have to deal with currency too large – particularly the monstrous 50 pound note – to fit in the American-sized Cash Can).

We all know the story: you should go to bed but, before you do, you want to check a few things the Internet – reddit perhaps, or your own favorite blog. Before you know it, it’s three in the morning and you don’t even feel tired.

Aside from the terribly distracting . . . → Read More: How Your Computer Makes You Stay Awake at Night and How to Stop it]]>

We all know the story: you should go to bed but, before you do, you want to check a few things the Internet – reddit perhaps, or your own favorite blog. Before you know it, it’s three in the morning and you don’t even feel tired.

Aside from the terribly distracting nature of the Internet, there is something else less obvious keeping you up at night: the light from your computer screen.

Light is an important factor in helping your biological systems regulate your day. Studies show that the white light from a computer screen is a little too much like sunlight. Your poor, over-tired mammalian brain doesn’t send you signals to sleep late at night because it thinks that’s daylight streaming into your eyeballs.

Flux is a program to solve this problem. Enter your GPS co-ordinates or city and at sunset Flux will slowly change the color of your screen. You’ll go from the usual, blindingly-white of this:

To a more orange this:

While it can’t completely save you from yourself if you’re determined to stay up late, it does help you feel less alert. If you find yourself staying up late on the computer when you don’t mean to, download flux and give it a try.

Click here to get flux.

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Header photograph by asmine.

Last month finished the 30 Days to a More Organized Life series here on Productive Porcupine. In response to reader requests, I’ve put the articles together as a downloadable, printable book. It’s 101 pages of organizing goodness. If you follow the book you will have:

The first challenge in trying to get things done while traveling . . . → Read More: Working on the Road: My Mini Mobile Office]]> How did I keep working the past year while traveling in seven European countries and road tripping across 6,000 miles worth of 22 American States and one Canadian Province? By perfecting my mini mobile office. Here’s the setup I used:

The first challenge in trying to get things done while traveling is finding a spot to work. Starbucks, love it or hate it, is always my first choice for three reasons:

• Free Wi-Fi and electricity (yes, there are places that try and charge for current)
• A predictable, comfortable environment
• Handicap accessible tables

Almost every Starbucks I visited (particularly in the States) has extra large handicap accessible tables: if you can, take advantage of them. These tables have the space to spread out paperwork and computer peripherals. Of course, be courteous and give up the table if someone who needs it requests.

The most vital part of my mobile office setup is my MacBook Air. While the machine’s underpoweredness is sometimes frustrating, its featherweight light more than compensates. It’s so light that I can’t tell if it’s in my bag or not — a particular advantage if you like to switch work locations frequently.

Rather than plug the laptop power adaptor directly into the wall, I used the power cord extension that comes with the Mac. (Many people don’t realize that you can pop the prongs off of your power cord) This both minimises the problem of blocking sockets with the wall wart and gives you extra reach if the only seat is far from the outlet.

Below the table is an electrical socket splitter. While it doesn’t have the surge protection of a power strip, it’s much less bulky. Carrying one of these is a sure way to make friends the next time Starbucks gets overcrowded with other digital nomads.

Next comes the best trick I’ve ever learned from Lifehacker: cut a wine cork in half and use it as a mini laptop stand. Because I push my MacBook Air to the max, it constantly overheats. Using this super-portable laptop stand to keep my computer cool makes a big difference.

On the desk to the left is my handy clipboard that doubles as a place to hold the lists that I make and as a pad for the Bluetooth mouse.

The bottled water is vital given all the coffee I drink. While the coffee gets and keeps my brain running, it does nothing for actual thirst. Most Starbucks have a water fountain for free top-ups.

I always bring a real, dead-tree version of a book with me whenever I can. This serves three functions: first I use the book to unofficially reserve a table. When working on my own, there’s the problem of standing in line to order and watching the last table get taken. First thing upon entering a cafe I find a seat and drop down the book as a placeholder.

The book is also nice to have when I need a break from working on the computer. Lastly it has, at times, served as a nice conversation starter (despite my normally boring selection).

Underneath the book is a folder with papers I need or want to read. Most of this usually comes from Instapaper.

Next comes the mobile phone and charger. If you’re in the EU, cheap, no-contract phones are easy to come by. Sixteen pounds will get you a good enough phone from any train station in London. In the US cell phones are more expensive and the coverage is pretty terrible. In the end we went with a Verizon pay-as-you-go which was adequate.

The single USB port on the MacBook Air is reserved for my Logitech keyboard. You can never go wrong with Logitech: both cheap and more comfortable than many of the ergonomic keyboards I’ve used.

Do you have any tips and tricks for your own mobile offices? If so, please leave a comment.

The advice for the last day in the 30 Days to a More Organized Life series is the most important: you must give yourself permission to start over.

Living a more organized life is a worthwhile goal. But, like any worthwhile goal, it is not easy to achieve. Becoming a more . . . → Read More: 30 Days to a More Organized Life, Day 30: Give Yourself Permission to Start Over]]>

The advice for the last day in the 30 Days to a More Organized Life series is the most important: you must give yourself permission to start over.

Living a more organized life is a worthwhile goal. But, like any worthwhile goal, it is not easy to achieve. Becoming a more organized person is like becoming a healthier person. You can’t exercise and change your diet for 30 days and expect to be healthy for the rest of your life. Being more organized is the process of a lifetime.

You will fail, repeatedly, at becoming a more organized person when you first start out AND THAT’S OK.

The important thing is this: keep re-evaluating your life. Step aside from daily busyness at times and ask yourself what works in your organization life and what doesn’t. For the things that are not working, how can you fix them? For the things that are working, how can you make them even better?

If you get discouraged, don’t worry. Remind yourself that you’re only human, take a deep breath, and start over at day one.

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Header photograph by: Jacob Bøtter

It’s the end of the day: tired from work and dinner and the kids your brain is not functioning at its most optimal. Under these conditions it’s too easy to make poor decisions about what to do (or not do) with the rest of the night. It’s time for a special . . . → Read More: 30 Days to a More Organized Life, Day 29: Have a Nighttime Shutdown Routine]]>

It’s the end of the day: tired from work and dinner and the kids your brain is not functioning at its most optimal. Under these conditions it’s too easy to make poor decisions about what to do (or not do) with the rest of the night. It’s time for a special checklist to come the rescue: the shutdown routine checklist.

Having a shutdown routine is a great way to bring closure to your day and to help the following morning go more smoothly. In addition, studies have shown that establishing a nighttime routine can help you get to sleep faster.

While your particular nighttime checklist will be individual to you, here are some general items you might want to consider adding:

• Writing in a journal.
• Backing up the day’s work.
• Setting out clothes for the next morning.
• Preparing or packing meals for the next day.
• Getting some offline time before bed.
• Reading to your children.
• Setting the morning alarm.
• Any night-time habits you may be trying to establish, such as flossing.
• Getting out other materials for the next day, work materials, etc.

After you’ve made your shutdown routine checklist, consider printing it out and putting it in a prominent location where you won’t miss it, like on your bathroom mirror. If you want to go for bonus points, schedule an alert on your phone or digital calendar to pop up and remind you at a certain time at to start winding down your day and follow your shutdown routine checklist.

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Header photograph by: pedrosimoes7

How many times have you spoken to a friend on the phone and promised to do something for them (like get the title of a book or movie) only to forget after the call is over? Too many times.

Keeping a simple call log can save you time, money and frustration . . . → Read More: 30 Days to a More Organized Life, Day 28: Keep a Call Log]]>

How many times have you spoken to a friend on the phone and promised to do something for them (like get the title of a book or movie) only to forget after the call is over? Too many times.

Keeping a simple call log can save you time, money and frustration while improving other peoples’ image of you as an organized person. Here’s how:

Never start or receive a phone call without getting out your pocket notebook and pen. This is about reducing resistance – you want that notebook at the ready to capture information. If it’s in your back pocket, you’ll think, ‘oh, I’ll take it out later’ and you won’t. Your mind is not a storage box, keep it empty. Write down those small favors for your friends and family immediately while on the phone. You will be amazed how impressed people are when you get back to them on things they casually mentioned. (Remember, people are lists too.)

The call log is also an invaluable tool when you’re on the phone with a company. How often has a company promised to refund a disputed charge, only to never actually do it? It’s not because they forgot, it’s because it’s part of their business plan. Companies know that their customers forget to check on promised refunds. It’s intentional when they don’t refund you because your forgetfulness is their revenue stream.

If the company you’re talking to offers you a discount or refund, write down who you spoke with, the discount amount, and the date. If and when you have to call back, start your conversation with “Hi, I spoke to Linda Griffin on February 2nd and she promised me a discount of 10% on this month’s bill”. Companies don’t normally mess with customers who are organized and keep track of things. Without fail, every time I’ve called a company and mentioned specific people and dates there is no argument, only an apology and a quick follow through.

As with everything else in your pocket notebook be sure to capture any notes from your calls during your weekly review and add them to any necessary to-do lists.

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Header photograph by: C y r i l l i c u s

You know who’s really organized? Monks. Why? Because they have nothing to organize.

The fastest way to a perfectly organized life is to have nothing at all. You don’t need to be that extreme, but you can learn from the idea: the less stuff you have, the less difficulty you’ll have . . . → Read More: 30 Days to a More Organized Life, Day 27: Purge Your Possessions]]>

You know who’s really organized? Monks. Why? Because they have nothing to organize.

The fastest way to a perfectly organized life is to have nothing at all. You don’t need to be that extreme, but you can learn from the idea: the less stuff you have, the less difficulty you’ll have keeping it organized.

Stuff, by it’s very existence, causes you work. You have to buy it, store it, organize it, clean it, move it, update it and worry about it. The less things you have, the less off all that you need to do.

Today’s task is to pick a room in your home and purge, purge, purge!

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

The Kitchen

It’s too easy to accumulate many, many things in the kitchen that you don’t use. Think back over the last year of your cooking life. How many of those pots and pans have you never used?

Yes, you like to think that you might use them one day, but if you haven’t used them during the preceding year’s Holidays you probably won’t use them next year.

The Closet

Clothes are terrifying in their ability to accumulate. I’m a pretty spartan guy and I didn’t think I had many clothes, but when I did my most recent big purge I discovered I had thirty one pairs of trousers and jeans. Thirty one! If I regularly wore more than seven of them, I’d be surprised.

Bring out your ‘donate box’ from yesterday (you may need several) and go through everything in your closet to get rid of as much as you can.

The Attic or Garage

What lies in wait here? In American houses, usually lots of big, brown boxes that haven’t been opened in years. Guess what? If you haven’t opened that box in years, you don’t need whatever is inside.

If you find something that is sentimental to you, what you really want to keep is the memory, not the item itself. Photographing the object keeps the memory without the thing.

The Bathroom

Do you have lots of stacks of old reading materials? Ditch them. What about half-empty bottles of soap and shampoo? Look in your medicine cabinet and under the sink. How much of that stuff do you need or even want? Purge, purge, purge.

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Header photograph by stewart

A key to getting more work done is batch processing – grouping similar tasks together and doing them all at once. Just as having lists for ‘errands’ or ‘home’ makes it easier to do those tasks in groups, you can achieve the same thing for the physical objects in your life . . . → Read More: 30 Days to a More Organized Life, Day 26: Boxes for Batching]]>

A key to getting more work done is batch processing – grouping similar tasks together and doing them all at once. Just as having lists for ‘errands’ or ‘home’ makes it easier to do those tasks in groups, you can achieve the same thing for the physical objects in your life using boxes.

What kind of object can benefit from batch processing? Take a look at this photograph from The Red Chair Blog:

During your home walkthrough yesterday, you may have come across a number of things that you thought could be donated to the local charity shop. Did you do anything about that? Probably not. Why? Because going down to the shop with your single, old sweater seems like a waste of time. Which it is!

Instead, if you have a dedicated ‘donate’ box in your home, you can throw the sweater in there. Then, when the box is full, it’s a much better use of your time to go to the charity shop. If you set up a box for things to donate, you don’t always have to think: ‘gee, I want to donate that article of clothing’ every time you open your closet. These items no longer drag on your mind because you’ve put them where they belong.

The same goes for gifts, things to fix, or any other things in your home that require some action. Make a box for them so they have a place to live.

This trick also works well on the job. If you constantly pass papers back-and-forth to another co-worker, make a folder or box for that person. This way you don’t interrupt yourself (and them) every time a piece of paper for them comes up.

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Header photograph by: Photo Denbow

It’s too easy to become blind to your living environment – you spend so much time in it that after a while, you don’t really see it any more. If asked, you’d probably admit that there are many things in your home that you’d like to fix, update or replace, but . . . → Read More: 30 Days to a More Organized Life, Day 25: Home Walkthrough]]>

It’s too easy to become blind to your living environment – you spend so much time in it that after a while, you don’t really see it any more. If asked, you’d probably admit that there are many things in your home that you’d like to fix, update or replace, but you’d have a hard time bringing them to mind immediately.

Enter the home walkthrough.

Take your pocket notebook and step outside your home. Pause for a moment: the goal is to see your home with new eyes. When you re-enter, try to see the place as someone who has never been there before would see it.

Walk through your home, room by room, and ask yourself what is it about your physical environment that you’d like to change? What minor problems have been bothering you and you’d like to get fixed? Leaky sink? Squeaky door handle? Inconveniently placed items? Decorations you no longer like? Write them all down.

When it comes time to do your weekly review transfer those notes into projects and to-do items. If there is something that you don’t want to start now, put it on your ‘future me’ list. Then, as time goes on, you can work your way through these task and slowly improve your living space. You might also want to consider scheduling the home walkthrough on your calendar as an annual or bi-annual event.

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Header photograph by: franciscoantunes