What is this Internet Information Manager? It's a piece of software you install on your computer that allows you to store all of information you use frequently in one place. Everything from projects, to articles, to contacts, to website urls are stored in a cross-referenced database. It is my big organization and productivity secret. I've used it for a while - as I tinkered with beta version. It's now such a part of my daily system that I wonder how I ever got along without it. If my computer is turned on, this tool is open. You need a similar tool. I use it to:

- Keep track of all ongoing projects - Manage my to do lists - Store all of my contacts. These contacts are cross referenced so that with click of a button I can go to an associated affiliate program, website, ezine, ad campaign, searchengine, or project - Start an email in my default email program with click of a button - Launch my default browser and whisk me to my favorite discussion forum. This is how I jump from forum to forum at dizzying speeds. A cable internet connection helps too :-)

The key to system being so productive and so easy to use is that it's all cross-referenced. So as I surf boards and come across an idea for an article, a project, or some research data, I can quickly plug it into appropriate place in my database. This keeps information always at my fingertips. When I am ready to write an article or complete a project, all of data is in one place (waiting to be processed).

The other productivity tool that is a must is email filters. Most email clients allow you to easily filter your incoming email into folders you create. Use this feature to store emails on a specific topic, or specific groups of people all in same folder. Use it to filter all incoming ezines into one place, all orders into one place, all personal email into another place. I transfer data from most of my email to my Internet Information Manager, but I store original email in my email program (Pegasus).

Similar to filters are email aliases. Create special email addresses for specific purposes. It difficult to get all of your contacts to use correct address but this is a real time saver. For example, if you have an assistant that handles your mailing list, use an email alias to send all of those emails directly to them. There is no need for you to waste time reading emails you don't need to read if you have properly trained your assistants. Train them, empower them and then trust them to get it done.

Speaking of training - it is another tool for increasing your productivity. Learn to really use software you know you will frequently use as soon as practical. You'll discover many tasks this software can help with that you would otherwise miss. Also consider time spent training an assistant to properly do a task an investment. Avoid temptation to just do it yourself. It will save you much more time in long-run and frees up your time to do things you should be doing.

I've shared with you how I squeeze an inordinate amount of work into my day (when necessary). I'm also careful not to overload myself and damage my health. This is also something you need to watch. Success at expense of your health and happiness is not success in my estimation.

Adopt this system today and you'll soon be amazed at what you can accomplish in very little time. You'll also be pleasantly surprised at amount of free time you find. The Internet Information Manager was created by my very good friend Gary Knuckles. Grab a copy now at: http://williecrawford.com/cgi-bin k.cgi?garyk

Meetings - Sigh. Perhaps biggest threat to sanity is meetings, especially endless meetings with no agenda, no real purpose and too many people. The key to surviving meetings are simple:

- Understand what meetings are for: spreading knowledge and information to others (these are usually longer), gaining consensus and announcing decisions. There are few other valid reasons for meetings.

- Schedule them just before lunch or just before people want to go home. People go to lunch at noon? Schedule meeting for 11:30 or 11:00. I guarantee that everyone will want to leave around noon.

- Control your meetings ruthlessly. I am personally master of ten minute meetings. Simply keep it under control.

- Set an agenda, stick to it and don't let people wander off subject.

- Schedule informational meetings separate from decision-making meetings. These have different purposes and usually different audiences. Keep them separate.

- Only invite those that are needed. If people don't have a good reason for being there, don't invite them.

- Don't grandstand or play games. The objective of meetings is to share knowledge, gain consensus or announce decisions.

Email - This is one of best tools invented by mankind to date, if used properly. If abused, it's a wonderful way to waste hours and hours of time every single day. How to keep it down to a manageable level? Avoid sending carbon copies to unnecessary people (you rarely, if ever, really need to send an email to more than a half dozen people). If someone includes you on a carbon copy and it's not necessary, then ask them why they did so and if there is not a good reason, then ask them to knock it off. Read emails only once, then act on it, then delete it or file it. Don't endlessly go through your inbox. Finally, insist (at least from your own employees) on short emails and to-the-point subjects (to allow you to quickly filter out junk).

Don't do other people's jobs - Want to really destroy your schedule? Start doing other peoples jobs. Insist that people do their own jobs, and if you find yourself having to do theirs (say if they cannot) then get them corrected and/or trained fast. Don't do theirs because "you can do it better", "they are overworked" or any other excuse. Remember, success at their job DOES NOT SHOW UP ON YOUR REVIEW. No one will thank you, and you will eventually burn yourself out fast.

Maintain your daily schedule - Arrive at work at a set time, go to lunch at a similar time every day and leave work when it's time to leave work. If you starting working through lunch or staying, then it's a good indication that you are NOT managing your time well.

Don't being your work home - Again, except in dire emergency, it's wise to leave work at work. Why? Because you should be filling your work days with enough tasks to keep you busy and productive, but not so much that you cannot get it done. if you find you have to start bringing work home, then prioritize better, delegate more often, and hire when necessary. Or just throw way what's not important.

Keep your life - Don't ever let work (except in dire emergency and very infrequently) impinge upon your personal life. Do you really want to make yourself and your family unhappy? Just let work constantly intrude. You will find your life ripped from you at some point, because your family will not put up with it forever.