Slow is Good

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Does learning new software stress you out? I’ve noticed that for some reason, most people feel like they have to operate the computer quickly. This pressure to move fast creates stress because you really need to move slowly in order to learn things properly. Now, the funny part is that there is absolutely no reason that you should feel rushed. One of the wonderful things about computers is that they are infinitely patient. A computer has absolutely no problem waiting for an entire day for you to press one button; it does not get upset because you are taking a lot of time to figure something out. In fact, I have a Peter Kay Zen rule for you to remember: To learn quickly, move slowly. Use that tip the next time and you’ll see great results.

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Set Word to show your revisions

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When someone emails you a word document and asks for your review, how do you make changes and communicate them back? Most people put their changes in bold or underline but that really kinda messes up the document right? I’ll be you didn’t know that there’s a super cool feature in Word that is specifically designed for making and approving changes to documents. Hit the F1 key, and search for “Track Changes”. This really awesome feature automatically highlights all the changes you make to a document without any extra effort. This way when you send the file back to the original author, they have the chance to either approve or reject any of your changes. Once you get the hang of using the “track changes” feature you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it. It’s the best way to work on a document together.

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Replace the home page on your Web browser

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When you fire up your favorite Web browser, what’s default home page? Is it your favorite site? No? Did you know you could change it? It’s really easy and here’s how: Hit the F1 key for online help and do a search for “home page”, follow the instructions, and from then on you’ll get the home page you want to see every time you start your browser. I’ve seen some people create a simple Web page consisting of links to their favorite sites and then make that their default. You can actually use something like Word to create this file, save it on your hard drive, and then make it your default home page. A business can set the default home page in all the company browsers to show the latest announcements. This little trick will amaze your friends, inspire your coworkers, and change your life forever (well, not exactly but it sure is cool).

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Use the process of elimination to fix computer problems

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When some part of your computer hardware is suddenly not working right, what should you do? Before you call the repairman for service, you might want to use the process of elimination to find the problem. Here’s an example: Let’s say your printer stops working. The cause of your problem could be the printer, your computer, or the cable, so try this: First, change only the printer and see what happens. Second, change only the cable and test the results. Finally, use different computer with the same cable and printer. Good problem solving techniques involve identifying the different components of a problem, then swapping out each component, one at a time, to identify which one is failing. You can apply this basic technique to almost any situation and after a while, you’ll get pretty good at it. Next time, you might fix the problem yourself and save some money.

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Use Outlook tasks instead of postits

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Do you use software like Microsoft Outlook or an equivalent? Do you also have post-it notes taped all over your desk? Well shame on you! The next time you grab for that postit pad, type the note into your electronic task list instead. Use this task list to jot down everything including followup calls, little reminders, major projects, and even cues to buy flowers for your significant other. Then review your e-task list each morning to organize your day. I’ve been doing this for about 3 years and now you can’t find a single sheet or scrap of paper on my desk and I gotta tell ya, it feels great. You can do the same; it just takes a little discipline and I guarantee you’ll love the results. No more postits!

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Why do kids learn how to use their computers so quickly while we adults seem to have a hard time?

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Did you ever wonder why kids learn about computers so quickly while we adults seem to have a hard time? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not because our brains are too full of knowledge and have no more room to learn while children’s minds have lots of space. The real reason is attitude. When a child looks at a computer, they see a toy that they can’t wait to play with. When an adult sees a computer, they see more work ahead and are faced with feeling inadequate while learning new software. I can almost guarantee you that if you too saw your computer as a toy, you’d learn it just as fast as the kids do. Now, how can you do this? Go out, buy some games, install them on your PC, and start playing with it! In no time at all, you too will be a kid and you’ll see your computer in a whole new way.

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Paper Rash

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Would you like to eliminate the use of paper from your daily job? Here’s a simple and highly effective tip for you. Develop a paper rash. The next time someone says, “let me give you a printout”, you say, “oh, I’m sorry, paper gives me a rash, can you email me that document instead?”. People will give you a funny look, but that’s alright, just tell them that Peter Kay made you do it. The point is to get everyone around you in the habit of sending you electronic documents instead of printed ones. You should train yourself so that every time you touch a piece of paper, it should feel like ooh aah yuck! Get that thing away from me! Now this may all sound silly, but believe me it works, primarily because you are constantly reminded to think paperless. It worked for me!

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Online help is a keystroke away

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Did you know that you have a computer expert that knows your software inside and out, waiting by your side with the answers and guidance you need to get your job done? Did you also know that this assistance is completely free and is one keystroke away? Folks, I’m talking about online help. Any time you have a question on how to use your software, just hit the F1 key and you’ll access the most in-depth and complete reference to available. Now, I’ve presented seminars to thousands of people and I’m amazed of how few of you actually use this simple yet powerful feature. Today’s online help software is extremely sophisticated and complete with not only documentation, but tutorials and demonstrations. The next time you need help with your software, instead of getting frustrated, hit the F1 key and you’ll be amazed at what you can learn.

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Nix Repetition

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If you find yourself working on repetitive or time consuming tasks on your computer, listen closely, because that is something you can definitely change and improve. You see, computers are designed specifically to eliminate monotonous, time-intensive, “no brainer” situations, so if you find yourself working that way on your computer, you need to stop right there and take a deep breath (ahhh) and think to yourself, “How can this be automated? There must be a better way”. The logical place to look is the online help where these days you can find awesome answers to just about everything. After that, think about how you might use a macro (macros are small, easy to create programs that automate small tasks). You must be willing to invest time and effort, but I guarantee that by doing so you will come out way ahead in no time.

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Making links to your site count

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If you’ve been successful in getting other Web sites to link to yours, how do you know if those links are generating traffic? If you’re not really sure, I’ve got a simple, easy technique for you. When you ask people to link to your site, you typically give them the address of your home page. A better approach is to create a duplicate home page under a different file name. The next time you ask someone to link to your site, give the address of that duplicate home page instead of your real one. Then when you review your Web stat reports the performance of this duplicate page will very accurately tell you how well that link is doing for you. If you create a different duplicate home page for all the sites that link to yours, you’ll have a very powerful and informative linking system. I’m

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