Free Google Tools To Save Time And Increase Productivity

This is a great tip I just got from Allan Gardyne publisher of ASSOCIATE PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER and if you don't subscribe and want some great affiliate resources and advice I suggest you go to AssociatePrograms.com and subscribe. This is the time saving tip about Google he just sent out.

"Here's something I sometimes struggle with. Perhaps you do to.

Because there are so many distractions online and in our lives, we sometimes start the day with good intentions and end up achieving hardly any of the things we'd planned to do.

Here's a very simple, free way of solving this problem. It's an online to-do list.

This simple gadget won't be perfect for everyone. (I use a more complex, paid tool which is designed to enable several people to share projects.) However, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much you can accomplish with this free gadget.

First, go to http://www.google.com/ig and, if you haven't already, set up your personal Google Homepage.

Click the "Add stuff" link (it's at the right of the page).

Ignore all those distracting gadgets. Most of them will just waste your time.

Use the search box to "Search HomePage Content" for "todo".

Select the gadget that is simply called "ToDo" (NOT To-Do List). Click the button to install "ToDo" on your Google Homepage.

This gadget is wonderfully simple. You can't possibly waste time fiddling with it because there's almost nothing to fiddle with. Instead, you can see at a glance all the important tasks you need to do each day - and then actually do them.

The "ToDo" gadget allows you to type in 7 tasks, rank them and delete them as they're done. I reckon 6 spaces for important tasks is quite enough for one day.

Here's how to use it…

At the end of each work day, go to your Google Homepage - http://www.google.com/ig - and make a list of the 6 most important things you want to achieve the next day. Make sure you create this list at the END of each day. You want to start each day fresh with your to-do list already written.

This is important. You don't want to waste time at the start of the day trying to figure out what to do. Sort it out the night before.

Next day, ignore emails. Ignore newsletters. Ignore blogs. Ignore RSS feeds. Ignore forums. Just DO the first item on your list. Don't stop until you've completed it. (This is the hardest part of all, but you can learn this skill. If in doubt, picture the extra revenue you're going to earn and imagine yourself enjoying spending it.)

Do the second item. Do the third item.

Time for a break. Reward yourself by going for a walk or getting some other healthy exercise. Get some healthy oxygen into your brain. Feel good about the fact that at long last you're organized and are getting very useful things done.

Do the fourth and fifth items.

Reward yourself by briefly checking for urgent emails. ONLY urgent ones.

Do the sixth item.

Hurrah! A good day's work is done. Reward yourself. Take a break.

Now you can check emails, read newsletters, or just put your feet up and read a novel, chat with a friend, whatever… Reward yourself for accomplishing high priority things today.

You may be thinking that you need more than 6 things on your to- do list. Perhaps you have a LONG list of things to do. I do. However, I've found that the big disadvantage of a long to-do list is that it's so easy to keep skimming your long list, looking for something you're in the mood to do.

It's also far too easy to feel overwhelmed and click away from your long list and read emails or do something easy, something low priority which isn't even on your list. Been there, done that - lots of times.

For me, a SHORT list of about 6 items is ever so much more effective. It's not nearly so daunting. Also, you need to focus, so it's much better if all those other things waiting to be done are out of sight.

At the end of the day spend a couple of minutes typing in six more high priority items to put on your "ToDo" list.

This is the really crucial bit…

Each night, you need to ask yourself, "What's the most effective thing I can do to improve my business? Write down the answer. Then ask, "What's the NEXT most effective thing I can do to improve my business?" And so on.

For example, you might write down some of these…

1. Write an article for AssociatedContent.com. 2. Write an eye-catching item on my blog. 3. Write Part 1 of new autoresponder series. 4. Write a useful how-to article for my website. 5. Do keyword research for new authority site. 6. Check out 47c product reviews - http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/product-reviews 7. Make a thought-provoking post on a forum.

How much you pack into one day is up to you. You can split a large job up into six sections, and get a sense of satisfaction as you complete each section.

Here's a very useful refinement of the idea…

Beside each task, write down how long it should take, for example, "50 minutes" or "10 "minutes". My ex-journalist wife, Joanna, does this. Time yourself and train yourself to do the task in the required time. Journalists learn to do this because they work to deadlines and absolutely must get the task done by the deadline. This technique will teach you to work faster and more efficiently.

If you try this, I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised how efficient you become.

Try using a simple to-do list for at least 21 days. It takes about that long to form a habit.

You may lapse a few times. I'd be amazed if you didn't. Whatever happens, keep going. Stick to the plan every day for 21 days. It's really important that you put your head down, ignore distractions and start each day by DOING the first item on your list.

I used a very simple to-do list like this several years ago when I was working really hard to build my business and make it grow fast. I've lapsed a bit in recent years and I reckon part of the problem is that I've been using a much larger, more complex list.

You'll especially appreciate a simple to-do list if you're ill, have family distractions or have any kind of complications or worries in your life. A simple to-do list helps you maintain your focus and manage to get things done in spite of all the challenges you face.

Also, it's quite amazing how it sharpens your focus, when you repeatedly ask yourself, "What's the most effective thing I can to improve my business?"

If you haven't tried using a simple to-do list, you'll be surprised how good it feels when you achieve useful things early in the day and then keep achieving useful things all day instead of just puddling about.

After that, the next surprise will be seeing your affiliate business improve in leaps and bounds. Been there, done that."