It’s a google voice starter kit.

Although I have not dived into google voice yet, I have this sense that it will change how I operate (professionally) when I do.

That about sums that up.

I enjoy getting up early. The extra time allows me to ease into the day. And, when I have gotten some stuff done and its only 930, I feel like an ass-kicker.

Choice Quote:

…Move up your bedtime [to] sync with the time you plan to get up.

You need 7-8 hours of sleep per night people! Just because you can function on 5 doesn’t mean you should.

Getting up early means getting to bed early. And really, what are you doing that is so important at 11pm? Watching “Dancing with Stars” reruns? C’mon! :-p

Summary: instead of leaving assignments or questions open ended or giving a hard deadline, which comes off as pushy, a “best-by-date” gives the receiver some context for your request.

Choice Quote:

For added effectiveness, add “so [reason]” behind the best-by date. Instead of asking someone for their TPS reports via email, you could say “Hey, please submit your TPS reports. A best-by date on this is Wednesday so I have time to review them before forwarding it on.” A when coupled with a reason why is much more effective than just relaying the request because your recipient has an action date and a purpose in mind.

Cap tip to lifehacker

Choice Quote: [summary]

Not all organization effort is equal. Just because you organize something, doesn’t mean it is going to make you any more productive. If you pay attention to the cost benefit of organization, you can keep from wasting time and focus on efforts that are actually beneficial.

In Other Words:

Organization needs to be designed around how we actually use stuff otherwise it can become a time waster just like being disorganized.

Cap tip to lifehacker

Could be a useful tool if you are a big fan of the Win 7 taskbar.

Summary: a study shows that passive learning after active learning is as effective as doubling up active learning.

Choice Quotes:

The main [conclusion of the study] is that if you practice for 20 minutes, and then you are passively exposed to stimuli for 20 minutes, you learn as if you have been practicing for 40 minutes. You can cut the effort in half, and still yield the same benefit.

And:

The current data indicate that it may be possible to reduce the effort required by participants by at least half, with no deleterious effect, simply by combining periods of task performance with periods of additional stimulus exposure.

Hat Tip: to lifehacker for the lead