TagSystem = Organization + Productivity

Finding files in the hierarchical structure of a file system can be a real challenge. The time that you spend looking for files could be used in more productive ways.

I've tried to organize better my file system incorporating methodologies like GTD. The results improved but I thought that they could be even better.

I needed something that was better than searching.

Let me show you how I improved my organization skills and my productivity.

The problem

The problem with the file system's hierarchical structure is that a file can only be associated in one folder. However, a file is typically associated with more than one context. And many times the contexts associated with that file are completely unrelated.

The solution

With a TagSystem you can achieve all this and more.

With a TagSystem you don't have to worry where to store the file in the file sytem. You only have to set all the contexts or tags associated with that file. Example: "Productivity, Blog, Article, Pictures".

The implementation

I'm using Tag2Find to implement the TagSystem solution and it works like magic!

Every time a new file is stored in your hard drive, Tag2Find shows you a dialog so you can easily insert the tags associated with that file.

The fun part begins when you start searching for the files that you've tagged:



Once you start entering a context, all files associated with that context appear. Need to access it in your file system? Right click it and choose "Open in Explorer". Need to refine your Tag Search Results? Simply enter more contexts.

This way you can stay organized and escape the hierarchical file system hell structure.

What about you?

How do you keep your file system organized to improve your productivity?

How bodybuilding can improve your productivity

You are interested in increasing your productivity?

Congratulations! You've completed the first step to achieve that goal!

Every day you try to be more productive, but somehow you're not achieving the level of productivity that you want.

You finish your day thinking: "How could I've only finished these tasks?".
Or worse: "I haven't completed anything! How is this possible?"

Well, I would like to share with you an activity that improved not only my productivity but my overall health: bodybuilding!

I will show you how bodybuilding can help you:
- Increase your focus
- Fight procrastination
- Achieve your goals
- Go beyond your limits
- Improve your self confidence


Increase your focus

If you focus on one task at a time you're increasing your chances of completing it. The quality of your work will also benefit as you start to make less errors and delivering a great product to your clients.

Spreading your focus on several tasks at a time (multitasking) is usually a bad idea. Studies show that you take about 30 minutes to focus on a task and another 30 minutes to remove your focus. (reference?)

Bodybuilding can help you control your focus. Here's how:

- Focus on one exercise at a time. Don't worry about what you're about to train next. Visualize what you're about to do and do it.

- On every exercise focus on the muscle group that you are working. Take your time. Isolate the muscle group with your mind. Everybody can pick up weights but very few can focus each exercise on a specific muscle group.

- When you are training with weights that use more than 80% of your strength you need all your focus to handle the weights. One small distraction and you can end with a weight in your chest or worse.

When you are absolutely focused on your exercise you will stop listening what happens around you.

As you continue training you will learn how to enter the, what I like to call, the Maximum Focus Mode.

This technique alone will boost your productivity levels! Money back guaranteed.

Fight procrastination

One of the major enemies on your quest for productivity is called procrastination.

You procrastinate when you choose to complete a task a later time because some other "important" task appeared. Other times you're simply too lazy to even start or care to finish it.

Why would you want to do that? Clearly this will hurt your productivity levels because your leaving your path to the finish line. Imagine what happened if a 100 meters athlete suddenly left in a middle of a race to go to the swimming race.

Bodybuilding can help you prevent procrastination. Here's how:

- Your chances to escape procrastination increase as your ability to focus on a task increase; In bodybuilding you are trained to focus on a exercise at a time. One repetition at a time.

- You will learn how to follow a plan. Each muscle group needs 3 to 4 sets of (ex: 10 repetitions). Every bodybuilding instructor will teach you that switching, for example, from the triceps to the biceps training if you hadn't finished your triceps training set, is a bad idea.

- Bodybuilding brings discipline to your life. Like every sport bodybuilding has some guidelines that you must follow to achieve optimum results. From gaining muscle mass to losing weight: every goal needs self-discipline to get the work done!

Achieve your goals

You will increase the chances of achieving your goals if you start with one in mind.

The athletes that run the 100 meters race only look at the finish line. They always run with that goal in their minds. The finish line.

Again, choose one goal and use all your focus and will to win to achieve it.

Bodybuilding can help you achieve your goals. Here's how:

- Learn to set achievable goals. The weights don't lie. You can try to lift 200 kg but if you're not ready for it you will not lift it. If you're not careful you will hurt yourself too in the process.

- Learn to create a plan to achieve your goal. Create an exercise routine to achieve your goals, use your self-discipline and focus on achieving your goal!

- You will feel with more energy. It's easier to accomplish your goals if you're feeling great and with lots of energy. Many people say that they are already feeling tired... so why would they want to go to the gym?

Well I know that it's strange but... as you continue training you will start to feel less tired! Especially if your sitting in a chair 8 hours a day.

- It will improve your brain power: "According to recent research in the field of neuroscience, bodies that exercise regularly stimulate brains to have higher levels of brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF); brains with higher levels of BDNF have greater capacity for knowledge."

More about this subject at entrepreneur.com.

Go beyond your limits

Imagine that your exercise routine included a bicep training exercise. The goal was 4 sets of 12 repetitions.

You've chosen a weight (i.e: 20kg) for the first set, you did the 12 repetitions successfully.

Now you've picked 25kg for the next set.

When you're reaching the 9th repetition you're brain starts to play games with you:

"Hey you! Are you sure that you need to do 12 repetitions? Maybe 10 are enough. Why don't you put down those weights for a minute?"

Now this is a critical moment and here's why:

How many times you've set up a goal and you didn't achieve it? How many projects you've started but never completed?

Bodybuilding is a great way to train yourself in the art of achieving your goals.

In this case, your GOAL was making 12 repetitions. When you've reached the 9th repetition you can choose to say: "No! I can and I will achieve my goal!".

You do the 10th, the 11th and the 12th repetition.

Now you have gone beyond your own limits and improved your goal achievement skills.

Every single time that you overcome your own doubts/laziness/fears/weaknesses you are improving yourself. It also improves your self confidence which is critical in every aspect of life.

In this sport your only opponent is yourself. That's why there are mirrors in the gym, so you can look your opponent in the eyes and say: I CAN DO IT.

Conclusion

From losing weight to gaining muscle mass. From increasing productivity to improving your goal achievement skills. Body building can help you go beyond your limits and take yourself to next level.

Do you have the will to win?

The Developer's Work At Home Guide To Happiness

Everyone that works at home to:
- finish a personal project
- improving software development skills
- learn a new language
- update on a new technology

Well, the following article will help you find the balance that you need between your personal and work life.


I've just discovered Ryan Farley's blog and his great post The Work-at-Home Developer’s Guide to Happiness.

SQL Server 2005 Installation Problems

This week I've run across a problem while trying to setup my home work environment.

One of the points of my setup was: install SQL Server 2005.

I thought that it would be a simple task. Maybe it could take my a couple of hours to install and configure the sql server 2005 installation.

But soon, hours have transformed into days has I struggled to find out why I couldn't successfully install sql server 2005.

But I've found a solution that I want to share with you!

First I have to put you in context:

I have previously installed SQL Server 2005 Express Edition into my box.

Now I wanted to install a new instance of SQL Server 2005.

When I ran the sql server setup it gave me a warning saying that I already had a version installed.

In spite of that warning I proceeded with the installation. When the installation ended and I happily entered SQL Server Management Studio my instance version of the server was 8.0.19.

My databases were in compatibility mode 80 (Sql server 2000) and I couldn't change it to 90 (Sql server 2005).

Using EXEC sp_dbcmptlevel Tests, 90; gave me the following error:

Msg 15416, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_dbcmptlevel, Line 92
Usage: sp_dbcmptlevel [dbname [, compatibilitylevel]]
Valid values of database compatibility level are 60, 65, 70, or 80.

Even if I created new databases! The compatibility level 90, for SQL Server 2005, was missing from the drop down list (combo box) of the database proprieties.

I tried to use SQL Server 2005's Service Broker but with no sucess.

ALTER DATABASE [MyDB] SET ENABLE_BROKER -- Incorrect syntax near 'ENABLE_BROKER'.

The Notification Services was also missing from SQL Server Management Studio.

Now for the solution:

1. Enter command line.
2. Navigate to the drive that has the Sql server 2005 setup cd
3. Start /wait setup.exe /qb INSTANCENAME=SQL2005 ADDLOCAL=SQL_Engine SAPWD=SaPsw SQLACCOUNT=DOMAIN\Administrator SQLPASSWORD=AdminPsw AGTACCOUNT=DOMAIN\Administrator AGTPASSWORD=AdminPsw SQLBROWSERACCOUNT=DOMAIN\Administrator SQLBROWSERPASSWORD=AdminPsw SECURITYMODE=SQL

That's it!

If you want to install all components:
Start /wait setup.exe /qb INSTANCENAME=SQL2005 ADDLOCAL=ALL SAPWD=SenhaDoSA SQLACCOUNT=DOMAIN\Administrator SQLPASSWORD=AdminPsw AGTACCOUNT=DOMAIN\Administrator AGTPASSWORD=AdminPsw SQLBROWSERACCOUNT=DOMAIN\Administrator SQLBROWSERPASSWORD=AdminPsw SECURITYMODE=SQL

Don't forget to stop all services related to Sql server.

Hope it helps you install sql server 2005 with no problems!

Top 10 Tips: Increase Your productivity Today!

Productivity.

Everyone wants to be more productive these days. But why?

Why do you want to be more productive?

Because you've been there. You know what it is and how it feels like.

It happens when you stop hearing everyone around you. When hours go by and you thought that it was only five minutes. When you've just completed the set of tasks planned for the day. When you feel that you can accomplish everything.


The problem is... you don't know how to get back there. Back to the, how I like to call it: Productivity Zone. And it's driving you crazy!


I can understand this because it's one of the things that I'm trying to overcome.

There's is so many exciting new things to learn, old things to perfect, cool projects to work on, beautiful places to go, great friends to be with ... but so LITTLE TIME!

Today, It seems a impossible task to be like Aristotle. A man that is said know everything there was to be known in his own time.

If only we could accomplish our "simple" tasks... let alone know everything!

Why do we want to be more productive?

A good reason for this is the competitive nature of the information technology (IT) industry. Everyone tries to deliver more with less time without disregarding a quality.

In the other hand, we always have a bunch of things that we want to do/make/experience in our personal lives but we can't find the time to actually DO/MAKE/EXPERIENCE them, in spite our best efforts.

Understanding how Productivity works

No one can really tell you how productivity works.

Fortunately, there is a group of interesting people that is sharing their view on productivity and other important related subjects that you should check it out.

This, however, is my view on Productivity. I will show you the tips that have helped me and, hopefully, will help YOU be more productive TODAY!

Enter the productivity zone NOW!

So, how can we increase our productivity? Without further ado, let me give you the top 10 tips that will increase your productivity NOW!

10. More doesn't mean Better!

"If only I had more time..."

Sound familiar?

It's a common belief that if we had more time we could do all the things we always wanted to do.

Well, guess what? There is always something new to do. And not enough time to do all of it.

Besides, even you don't want to work more. You want to work better!

You have to leverage the time that you have available. To do this you have to focus on one of the tasks of your pool of tasks.

By the way: forget multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is evil!

"Performing two or more tasks in rapid succession requires an individual to reorient to each new task, which itself takes time and other attentional resources." (more info)

You should focus all of your brain processing and creative power at one task at a time. This will improve your work quality and produce great results.

Also, when you're focused on one task it's easier to enter the Productivity Zone.

Remember how hard it is to enter the productivity zone? Now think about this: now that you've entered the productivity zone... why would you want to leave that beautiful place?

And how can you prevent yourself from leaving the productivity zone?

9. Erase all distractions

"You have a new mail message". "SuperMan has signed in". "Reminder: It's your wife birthday!". "New RSS news". Nowadays our desktop is full of alerts that should help us getting things done.

But if you think about it... it will only distracting you from actually completing the tasks at hand. Or even pick up a tasks to start working on!

It's easy to be a victim of information overload.

When you're in the productivity zone, why in the world would you want to know that you're buddy "SuperMan" has signed in? Or that you have a new mail message?

But you could say: "Wait a minute! Receiving e-mails is critical for my business! I have to be notified whenever I receive new e-mail message".

Think of all of the times that you've checked that new e-mail message and stopped working on what you've been doing... Now, how many times was the e-mail message critical?

Additionally, from the number of critical e-mail messages: how many times could you do something about it? Was it worth the cost of stopping the task that you were working on?

Don't get me wrong. All of the alerts described above could be important but in the right context. When you are in the productivity context you have to block everything that could make you exit that context.

This means: exit everything that you don't need to accomplish the task at hand.

Do you need your cellphone to get the task done? Turn it off!

Do you need your e-mail client to get the task done? Turn it off!

Example: If only need to compose a text I suggest you to try DarkRoom. This is a distraction-free text editor that will help you focus on you main goal: writing quality content.

This will give you instant results. Money back guarantee! :)

But how do you know what task will you pick?

8. Move Beyond To Do lists:

One of the first things that everyone tries is the almighty To Do lists.

The to do lists are a great tool to show you what you want to accomplish. It frees your brain from remembering all the tasks.

However, a To Do list can't be your main productivity tool because it only shows you what needs to be done. It doesn't show you how you will done it. Or when you will done.

Don't focus on what has to be done. Instead focus on how you will done it. One task at a time.

If you don't do this you could become a victim of information overload.

In the past we've all made to do lists only to find that the to do list has become a papyrus. Now you have not only the old stuff but also some new tasks to do.

Solution: Give priorities to the tasks, pick one from the list and focus on finishing it.
But how can do you know that a certain task is more important that other?

7. Understand which tasks/projects give you the better ROI

One way you can do this is to calculate how much money you make per hour. Now estimate how much time a task will take. The result is your investment.

Your investment should be compared with how much money the task/project will give you once completed.

This process will show you not only which tasks/projects will give you the better ROI, but it will also show you that some tasks could be deleted so you can focus on completing the critical tasks.

Remember: Time is money.

However, life is much more complex equation to resolve.

Because, money is not directly proportional to quality of life. This means that making more money doesn't necessarily mean more quality of life.

So, you should also consider working on the tasks/projects that will give you and, better yet, give others more quality of life! Why? Because when you start something that will deliver something of great value to the world, money will flow your way.

6. Ignore the irrelevant

Time has two important properties:

• it never stops (this is especially true when a deadline approaches
  
• you can't make it go back (this is especially true when you procrastinate)

So use it wisely.

Don't lose time with tasks that don't give you and interesting ROI.

Don't be a victim of information overload. Nowadays everything seems to be screaming for attention: your chat client, your e-mail client, your browser, your phone, your .

If your brain is actively listening to all that noise you can't focus on completing your task/project.

So delete all the "noise" around you and focus on completing the task.

5. Free your mind!

For your brain to be completely focused and in the productivity zone you have to free your mind.

You absolutely have to get everything that is making your brain busy into a system. A system that saves all your thoughts, important or not, and analyse them later.

Using your brain to save all the things that need to be done is like killing a flie with a nuclear bomb. A piece of paper is a much more simple solution. More reliable too since we seem to forget about some tasks.

You should choose a framework that implements a series of processes and practices so you free your brain to enter the productivity zone.

I'm using a framework called Getting Things Done (GTD) for a couple of months and I've already seen improvements in my productivity and effectiveness.

I suggest you to adapt the framework that you choose to your personal needs and context to improve the results.

If you choose GTD for your system, you have a vast array of choises for implementing it: from using a moleskine to +100 software applications.

There's also an implementation of GTD using Google Notebook. One of the benefits of this approach is that you can access it everywhere. Got a thought that's making your brain busy? Just log in to Google Notebook, write it and analyse it later.

I'm using this approach at the moment to capture all the tasks/projects when I'm in my home context. At work I use GTD using a moleskine.

I didn't implement GTD with the google notebook approach at work context because this way I can create a clear separation between work and home.

But in order to adapt the framework that you will choose to your needs you need to...

4. Know yourself

To get to know yourself better answer the following questions:

• What I'm trying to accomplish?
• What are my most productive periods of the day?
• What are my strengths?
• What are my weaknesses?

It's easier to enter the productivity zone if you know what are your most productive periods of the day and work in that time.

If you know what you're trying to accomplish you'll have more chances to accomplish that.

Begin with the goal in mind.

When 100 meters athletes hear the gun fire they only look at the finish line. Be like them!

Work on your weaknesses and leverage your strengths to achieve your goal!

3. Measure and Review your Productivity results

"You can't manage what you can't measure" - Dr. Demming

If you're trying to me more productive chances are that you're not happy with the results you're getting.

You have to measure the results of your new approach so you can fine tune your framework to your needs and goals.

2. Define realistic deadlines

Deadlines can be a great tool to:

• Get started - Most people can't feel motivated to start and/or complete a project until a deadline approaches. Stress and adrenaline usually are experienced with the deadline. These feelings will increase your productivity levels.
• Overcome fears - When you have doubts about the sucess of a certain project or how you will accomplish a certain goal, the deadline will help you get going.

To take full advantage of deadlines you should always define realistic dates. Choose a date that you believe that it's possible to deliver the project's goals.

You should prevent their overuse because if you don't they will loose meaning and power.

1. Get going!

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Sun Tzu

Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to get started.

Guy Kawasaki, former Apple Chief Evangelist, has written a great book and made several presentations about this subject. It's called The Art of the Start.

Conclusion

I hope that these tips can help you be more productive today and achive your goals!

You're more than welcome to leave comments or suggestions!

Let me know how you applied these tips.