Managing Your Tasks: Simple Tasks to Improve Your Productivity

Have you ever noticed that some of your most innovative thoughts have happened at the oddest times? The reason for this is that your brain wasn't occupied with your ongoing "to do" list, so it was finally free to explore new ideas.

If you want to do more creative thinking, then you need to establish a system for organizing your tasks. Begin by collecting them in an in box. What should you do with the items once you've accumulated them? According to David Allen, the best-selling author of Getting Things Done, the first step is to ask, what is it? Is it actionable? If you can't act on it, then put it into one of three categories: reference, such as a noteworthy article;someday-maybe, which is a task that you might do later; and trash. The filing principles we're discussing here work equally well with manila folders and a circular file, but in our example we'll be using Microsoft Outlook.

Baby Boomers Retire: Reverse Mortgages Gain Popularity

Born between 1946-1964, the generation known as the Baby Boomers will begin to retire in large numbers, substantially shrinking the labor force in the US. As a result, Social Security, Medicare, and other government programs will be significantly affected over the next several years. In fact, the Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB) estimates that, by 2030, about 20% of the American population will be 65 years old or older.

With rising costs of living and a dwindling budget to accommodate the elderly and disabled, we will see increased usage of the reverse mortgage. This loan allows equity to be taken out of the home to meet day-to-day expenses, and was designed in the late 1980s to help those who owned property, but lacked sufficient income to live on. However, there are benefits and disadvantages to be considered before going into this type of loan.

Proactive or Reactive? It's Up to You

Everyone makes choices. Their outlook on life, whether at home, at work, behind the wheel or at the theater, directly correlates to the decision to be either positive or negative. In essence, it's as simple as whether you see the glass half full or half empty. As author Stephen R. Covey puts it in his much publicized book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,* you can choose to be proactive or you can choose to be reactive. He takes his theory a step further, saying that a proactive stance leads to greater success and contentment. From that perspective, a reactive person is sabotaging himself or herself.

Microsoft Excel Tips and Shortcuts

Even if you're not a mathematical genius, you can use Microsoft Excel to keep track of just about anything. From managing your personal finances to budgeting and organizing projects, Excel can help you stay on top of it all.

Here are a few tips to making your spreadsheets as effective as possible—for newbies and experts:

Display Formulas - If the cell has a formula inside of it, entering Ctrl + ~ will toggle between the result and the formula.

COUNT - The COUNT and COUNTA formulas total up the number of cells containing numbers, or allow you to quickly find the sum of the numbers in a given set of cells, respectively.