8 easy ways to make me (and everyone else) love you more online

We all know the world runs on love. But every day, we squander that love by bugging the living crap out of other people, thanks to our careless interactions with technology. The good news is that there are some simple ways to avoid annoying people online (and off)....

Why I’m leaving Vision Critical

As of today, I’m leaving my role as Vision Critical’s VP of Social Media so I can spend more time with my devices. While it’s been a delight to lead Vision Critical’s efforts on social media R&D, I’m returning to my life as an independent consultant so that I can...

The 23 stages of the task management software lifecycle

Totally on top of all pending tasks Moderate slippage of select tasks leads to mild anxiety Catastrophic failure to complete one or more mission-critical tasks leads to wholesale re-evaluation of career choice, self-worth and why are we even on this earth anyhow?...

5 essential steps to online security

Today’s practice: Tighten your online security. You’d think that writing a dissertation about political computer hacking would make a girl sensitive to the challenges of online security. And it has, up to a point. But I recently decided to up my level of...

5 ways to make task management software work for you

I have a love-hate relationship with task management software. On the one hand, I’m kind of obsessed with it: trying out new task and project management tools is one of my favorite pastimes, and it’s hard for me to resist trying out each shiny new entry in...

Be the e-mailer you wish to see in the world

How many people do you receive e-mail from that you read and reply to every single time? I’m guessing it’s just a handful: Your best friend — the one who sends you short periodic updates with a single recent photo, not the one who sends you weekly...

Tweet if you like to procrastinate

I am always amazed at how much I get done on my focused writing days — the days when I leave the office and camp in one of the cafés or restaurants where ambient noise helps me concentrate and write, write, write. But it’s not my word count that amazes me:...

For Harvard Business book: How do you reward yourself at work?

How do you reward or motivate yourself to complete a task or project? I’m tackling this question in one of my pieces for a forthcoming edition of Harvard Business Review’s Getting the Right Work Done. And I’d love your help. Maybe you’re the...

How to stop wasting time on technology challenges

Today’s practice: The next time you dive into a time-consuming tech challenge, stop to ask: what would a normal person do? Saturday morning I woke up at 4 a.m. in preparation for my flight to London — and accompanying time zone readjustment — later...