The document discusses strategies for improving digital efficiency and managing information overload, highlighting the importance of establishing rituals, effective tools, and structured systems. It outlines techniques for managing email and information, including filtering, batching, and utilizing technology to streamline workflows. The author emphasizes the need for a reality check on how we handle information and suggests methods to tame digital distractions through systematic organization.

1. Oc
tob
er
We are
110
13,
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Digital Efficiency FLOODED
JEREMYCAPLAN.COM PHOTO BY .robbie
TWITTER.COM/JEREMYCAPLAN QUESTIONS? E-MAIL JEREMY AT
Tips, Tools & Techniques With Info E-Mail Messages
for Streamlining Per Day Per
Your Digital Life Person
By Jeremy Caplan
100+ 20 In a Month...
> 3,000 E-Mails
Bits of Info Jotted > 5,000 Blog Posts
Sites/Blogs Down > 500 InfoScraps
Subscribed to in (Notes, Phone + Documents
Google Reader Numbers, To-Do List + Pictures
+ Links...
Items, etc)
% of Time When Info is Flowing Into My Life # of Important Things to Read Online
My Average # of Daily Incoming Email Messages
% of Time When No New Info Is Coming In Amount of Spare Time for Casual Reading
110
110
8.3% 88
82
75 82.5
# of Email Messages
55
2008
27.5 2009
2010
2011
91.7% 2008
2009
2010 0
Year 2011

2. “...Such is the flood
that event things
“...Of Making Books “The Abundance of
that might have
there is no end...” - Books is
done some good
Distraction”
lose all their
Ecclesiastes 12:12 - Seneca
goodness...”
- Erasmus
We Haven’t Even
Mentioned...

3. Developing
Solutions Rituals
Rituals/Systems/Tools
Establishing Implementing
systems tools
Einstein’s desk
on the day he died

4. 3 keys for set up and stick to a system
Digital efficiency establish and refine rituals
pick and learn your tools
Phone leashes
Digital Efficiency requires:
a system
I. Check your reality
rituals lay the II. set up your help
Tools groundwork III. prepare your systems
I.
track your time
Reality check Gain Awareness with Time Maps and Timers

5. II.
set up your help
bill payment
automate deposits
spend your time, energy and brainpower
budget tracking
where it’s needed or enjoyed
email filtering
calendaring

6. III.
prepare your 6 Levels of focus
system
free up your mind for thought
The Big Picture: Reality on the Ground:
break projects into pieces
Life Overall areas of responsibility
(Mission, Purpose) (Family, Job, Charity) plan backwards from the
deadline
Longterm Goals Projects
(Five Years) (Requiring multiple steps) Specify the very next actions
Short-Term Goals Tasks
(This Year) (Individual To-Do Items)
Taming Info
Establish Overload Don’t rely on
Rituals Strategies for staying sane and calm willpower

7. “It is a profoundly erroneous truism that we
“...We each have one reservoir of will should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we
and discipline, and it gets progressively are doing”
depleted by any act of conscious self-
regulation...” “The precise opposite is the case. Civilization
advances by extending the number of
Rituals
operations we can perform without thinking first things first
- Tony Schwartz, about them.” weekly review
digital sabbath
Harvard Business Review
http://bit.ly/rituals101 - A.N. Whitehead, Philosopher, 1911
“Launching my work day by
focusing first on whatever I've
decided the night before is the
most important activity I can do
Establish a
1st things 1st that day. Then taking a break weekly review
start the day with the most important project after 90 minutes to refuel...” A Weekly Brain Refresh
Review: Calendar, Projects & Tasks
- Tony Schwartz,
Harvard Business Review
Weekly Review
Review Once a Week:
Calendar
Next step:
(Upcoming Week & Previous Week)
tech sabbath Pick your tools
no-tech Sunday
Projects or
(Review Progress, Change tasks) No Tech before bed
OR
tech-free early morning
Tasks
(Individual To-Do Items)

8. The 9 Buckets
Email Calendar Tasks
Pick & Stick to
The 9 Buckets capture tools
The infoStuff that we manage For random bits of info and thoughts
Docs InfoScraps Feeds
Links Paper Reading
Hunt for system
Keep it simple Paper works gaps
Choose basic tools that are good enough index cards and the hipster PDA find the leaks
Identify your weaknesses
specify your adjustments
Google Calendar Google Calendar
Calendars
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps

9. Toodledo toodledo
Tasks
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps
Google Docs
Docs InfoScraps
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps
evernote evernote

10. Evernote Google reader
Feeds
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps
Instapaper Trunk.ly
Links
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps
Google Contacts
Contacts
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps

11. Google Voice Google Voice
Voicemail
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps
Google Voice The 9 Buckets
Email Calendar Tasks
One final bucket?
$$
Docs InfoScraps Feeds Financial
Reading
Paper
Docs
Links
Calendar
Feeds
Tasks
InfoScraps
Info
$$
Links Contacts VoiceMail
Mint Betterment
Backing Up &
Sharing

12. bit.ly
Sharpen Your Toolkit

13. NETTED.NET LYNDA.COM MAKEUSEOF.COM
Keep track of the latest, Learn efficiently. Not free. Useful, free how-to PDF
greatest new services online. Valuable, effective training. guides and useful site lists.
READWRITEWEB FANCYHANDS.COM ALLTOP.COM
Helps keep you up-to-date Got more $$ than time? Pay Custom RSS aggregator for
on new Web tools and $1.50/day to hand off topic overviews. Catch up on
services. unlimited tasks. a topic, or customize a page.
QUORA.COM VARK.COM MASHABLE.COM
Build a network of smart Type in a question, get a Mashable has become a
people whose insights you quick IM reply. Vark.com consistent, reliable resource
value. Ask & answer quickly connects questions for useful social media tips
questions and follow topics. with answerers. and how-to guides.
TWITTER.COM/JEREMYCAPLAN - QUESTIONS? E-MAIL: JEREMY@JEREMYCAPLAN.COM

14. Our Most crucial
information
Making the Most source
of E-Mail
Email
Key email
DO, DELETE, DEFER JUICE UP YOUR
GMAIL
MINIMIZE
INTERRUPTIONS
techniques
Mastering email Filtering
FILTER AUTOMATE BATCH
Settings
Labs Automating
Filters & labels
apps & Add-ons batching
STRENGTHEN BOOKMARK
one-touch
SIGNATURES EMAIL ADD CONTEXT
Filtering Automating
Filtering Clarify the characteristics of the email
that needs to be filtered
type it once, fine. Type it twice, fine.
Type the same thing 50 times?
Fool me once, shame on you...
Examples:
- Sender’s Name/Address You’re wasting time..
fool me twice, I need a filter - Subject Line
- Recipients
- Keywords

15. Textexpander Textexpander Textexpander
My Textexpander Stats:
My Textexpander Stats:
batching batching
Check and act on email periodically, not some people find that checking every hour is
constantly. a reasonable compromise.
find a frequency that works for you.
One-Touch
your attention and focus are valuable.
don’t squander them. When you act on email, don’t just read. act.
Either archive, reply or defer
8 Gmail
One-Touch Shortcuts
Settings & c"="compose
3 basic options for acting on an email: r"="reply
Archive = delete or label Shortcuts a"="reply"all
do = reply or take some action f"="forward
e"="archive
defer = Schedule for later or delegate
l"="label"
v"="move"with"label
s"="add"a"star

16. Juicing Up GMail Reply from
Gmail Settings other Email
Addresses
Send & receive Email Customize your Gmail
from work accounts email Labs
6 best Gmail
Labs
Undo"Send Auto"Advance
Canned"Responses Send"and"Archive
Quick"Links Create"a"Doc

17. More Gmail Labs
Add Gadgets
Filters & Labels

18. Create a Filter Create a Filter
Step 1 Step 2
Create a Filter Boomerang
Step 3
Apps & Add-ons
Boomerang Nudgemail Nudgemail

19. WiseStamp email WiseStamp email
signatures signature Bookmark email
Rapportive Rapportive
Bookmark email
Rapportive
170 171

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Questions?
jeremy@
jeremycaplan.com
Twitter:
@jeremycaplan